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Egomania - Moon (GER 2000)

"You are sitting at the fire of ohia, chanting om helos ra, sitars, double basses and analog synthesizers whirling through your mind. Dragons are rising up your spine, and then you see the light of the moon. No doubt, the Great Mystical Member has got you again." (quote from emptyblaukraut).

EGOMANIA is part of the free improvising music projects of Stolle & Member united in the EMPTYBLAUKRAUT label – check out their musical concept at their own blog and listen to some truely amazing adventurous music. You won't regret it! This two guys are the true heirs of the german krautrock scene of the Seventies!

This special recording called "Moon" is kind of an atmospheric ambient recording, relaxing, though sometimes rather dark and VERY psychedelic. By the way: The sound quality is very good.

 

Egomania - Moon (GER 2000) 

(mp3-zip, 173,9 Mb) Get it here. Re-Up 02/2014

Cloud Nine - 1992 (GER.) (UPDATE 2023)

Dominik


Mike

CLOUD NINE & THE VITAMIN C (the name was shortened to simply CLOUD NINE for the last two concerts) was a band founded in the Rhein-Main-Area nearby Darmstadt and Mannheim, Germany, in 1983 and existed until 1992 in various line-ups, always centered around keyboard player Dominik Engel and bass player Mike Schröder.

CLOUD NINE recorded some demos culminating in this one from 1992, for the first time using a semi-professional 8-track recording studio. But during the recording session the band split and the demo was never really finished. The master tape was lost and sadly only some rough mixes of those sessions survived.

UPDATE (December 2023): After more than 30 years the album was finally released as: DRAW DOWN THE DISTANC (see info below). Read the first review here: https://timemachine-productions.gr/2023/11/30/cloud-nine-vitamin-c-draw-down-the-distance-2023-lp-cloud-nine/ 

The basic tracks of those 6 songs were all recorded live in only two days (!) and only some vocal and guitar parts were later added. 

Dominik and Mike (1989)

CLOUD NINE & THE VITAMIN C played some kind of neo psychedelic rock, heavily based on late Sixties/early Seventies bands like The Doors, Pink Floyd or the old Krautrockers Amon Düül 2 or Can, but one can also find a slight Wave influence of bands like The Cure or even some UK rave acts like The Charlatans. They were famous for their free form improvisations or "take off" parts mostly in the middle of songs like Draw Down the Distance, Survivor or Sunspots. The psychedelic light show of the band (mainly consisting of selfmade Super-8-movies and art/ink-slides) was also legendary and quite unique in the late 80s and early 90s in that area: The first psychedelic light show since the one of their famous colleagues Nektar, who came from the same region in Germany some years earlier.

Mike S. later went on to play in ORANGE, another experimental psychedelic band based in Frankfurt and also recorded some solo stuff as ANYONE'S DREAMCOLOUR.

   

The cover artwork for HLFP before there was an official cover

CLOUD NINE - 1992

(8-track demo, rough mix - slightly remixed version) (mp3 zip, 6 songs (36 min), 52,3 MB, covers included)

1. (It Makes) No Difference (3.13)

2. My Sunday On A Friday (3.33)

3. Call (4.18)

4. Draw Down The Distance (10.19)

5. Sunspots (7.28)

6. Empty And Cold (6.40)

UPDATE (December 2023):
This version is no longer available since there now is an official release of the remastered songs in much better sound quality (December 2023).

 

You can order your Copy directly at Musikgarage Bensheim: unser_kleiner_musikshop@t-online.de
or at Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/de/artist/13014570-Cloud-Nine-The-Vitamin-C 

https://cloud-nine-and-the-vitamin-c.blogspot.com/ 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063374821371

Light Seems Dark - Psychedelic Virgin (GER. 1999)

• This is a fine piece of organ dominated psychedelic rock by two guys in the Rhein-Main-Area, Germany, in 1999. I had the pleasure to do the engineering and mixing work (this time a REAL homemade recording on 4-track analog) and I have to say, that I still like this songs very much. In that time those two were still very young and I think considering their age, they did quite an impressive job. Especially when you think of the primitive recording situation. Most tracks were recorded live with only very little overdubs...
  
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• The music is quite pleasant, relaxing – just one long flow, very much in the style of Pink Floyd in their Atom Heart Mother / Meddle period, but completely without lead guitar (as I said before: the keyboards is very up front). So if you like early PF and keyboard, this may be for you.
  
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• LIGHT SEEMS DARK recorded only one more thing, the soundtrack of some trashy no budget movie, called "Affekt" in the same year and then quitt to pursue other musical aims. (If you wish I can post that soundtrack as well.)
  
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• Enjoy!

LIGHT SEEMS DARK - Psychedelic Virgin

(1999, 4 track demo)

(mp3 zip, 4 tracks, 49 min, 68,8 MB, cover included)

1. Between The Clouds (4.51)

2. Mind In Cage (6.51)

3. Callings From The Distance (7.48)

4. Psychedelic Virgin (28.58)

New links October 2012:
Get it here! 

V.A. - Some Krautrock Jamming (feat. Orange, Cloud Nine & The Vitamin C, Sister Luna)

ORANGE live in Concert May 1995

O.K. folks, now it's time for some REALLY far out weird stuff. I mean really – bad evil sounds! The kind your mother wouldn't like!
Kind of NOISY HEAVY PSYCH KRAUTROCK SPACE JAM IMPROVISATIONS!!!!
The details:


1. SISTER LUNA: "Canned Jam" (Improvisation),
recorded 1992-11-11 in Mainz, rehearsal jam (7.37)

2. ORANGE: "He Came to Me One Morning" (Live improvisation),
Frankfurt a.M., Negativ, 1995-02-05 (7.39)

3. CLOUD NINE & THE VITAMIN C: "Little Insects Flying Around My Head" (live jam), Wald-Michelbach, JUZ, 1989-05-27 (19.02)

V.A. - Some Krautrock Jamming (feat. Orange, Cloud Nine & The Vitamin C, Sister Luna)

(1989-'95) (3 songs, mp3 zip, 46,9 MB)

Get it here.here. Re-post 04/2024

Some more info:

SISTER LUNA was a short time psychedelic jam band, that evolved out of CLOUD NINE & THE VITAMIN C, after that band broke up in 1992. It featured Pete H. (g, voc) and Mike S. (bs, voc) from CLOUD NINE, Daniel P. Cäsar (dr, voc) (later forming ORANGE together w. Mike S.) and a guy called P.P. on keyboards. "Canned Jam" sounds just like that – like an early Can outtake (mixed with some Guru Guru space noise in the style of Ufo and some Black Sabbath lost in an acid delerium...).

"He Came to Me One Morning" is a classic example of ORANGE free form jamming on stage, reminding again of Can (circa 1972).

"Little Insects Flying Around My Head" was a one time performance of CNVC on the last gig featuring their first guitar player Peter S. (here together with Daniel P. on guitar as well, who for a short time usually played drums in CNVC). This improvisational song was first played by Daniel's own psychedelic jam band, called CAPTAIN FARTFISH AND HIS CARFUL MUFFINS. (You'll find their version in their post there.)

Enjoy!

Kid's Garden - Further (USA 2007)

I think this recording is really amazing – I can't stop listening to it. There's not a single bad track on it – really great music, very atmospheric and very well produced, sometimes reminding me of some shoegazer or dream pop bands, Primal Scream or even the late Talk Talk (or the german electro fricklers To Roccoco Rot on "Cold Water"). But nevertheless this should be considered as a fine work of its own.

My favourite tracks probably are "Higher", "Cold Water" and "Further". The first two I will post as single mp3 files as an appetizer, but you really should do yourself a favour and download the complete album.

Thanks to George de Large for allowing me to post this record. You should check out his fine blog called

George De Large's Music To Take Drugs To
(wow, cool name, man!)

Kid's Garden – Futher (USA 2007)

(mp3-zip,  70,4 mb) Get it here. Re-up 04/2024

V.A. - Variations of a song – Magic Spell by Anyone's Dreamcolour / Orange / Poet Zero (GER 1992-94, 2002)

Variations of a song – Magic Spell
(5 tracks, mp3-zip, 45,1 mb)

Get it HERE!

Here are the details:
- Version 1: original demo version by ANYONE'S DREAMCOLOUR; recorded 1992 on analog 4 track (4:11).

- Version 2: demo version by ORANGE; basic track recorded Frankfurt a.M., Bunker, 4 track analog 1994-05-30/06-01 with overdubs added later; remixed by Mike Floyd (7:35).

- Version 3: live version by ORANGE; Magic Spell->Rockwork Orange; soundboard, Abensberg Open Air Festival 1994-07-09,(complete with Rockwork Orange ending: 10:05).

While the early AD version is more in the style of perhaps The Feelies, the Orange versions are pure acid punk with fuzz guitar and (on the demo with) psychedelic effects like backward voices, that create a strange mysterious atmosphere.

– Version 4: ORANGE: accoustic version; live, unplugged Session, Mainz 1993-12-31 (6:11)

– Version 5: POET ZERO: accoustic live session, RADIO X, Vanille Club, Frankfurt a.M.; Broadcast 2002-09-17 (3:14)

Enjoy

Glaze of Cathexis - Tokyo Rainbow Bridge (USA/JP)

Another example of homemade recording. This time we have Glaze of Cathexis, the project of a guy, calling himself Dr. Schluss who you all probably will know from his great blog 
http://psychedelicobscurities.blogspot.com

Okay, this is not quite as lofi as the songs I usually post – in fact I think it is very well recorded, but nevertheless it's truely in the spirit of homerecording. I think Dr. Schluss'  work is quite impressive and it leaves me eager to hear more. Until now he has "released" two major works on his blog, called "Tokyo Rainbow Bridge" and "Holographic Universe".

Glaze of Cathexis – Tokyo Rainbow Bridge (USA/JP 2005)

mp3-zip, 69 mb, Get it here. Re-up 04/2024

Hippie nostalgia – some far out places

Golden Gate Park, S.F.

Monument Valley

 

Bryce Canyon

Zabriskie Point, Death Valley – remember the Antonioni Movie (1970)?  

• Last year an old dream came true – I had the chance to travel to San Francisco, one of the most beautiful cities of the world, and some other places on the US Westcoast. Of course I just had to visit some of the birth places of the so called San Francisco Sound. Here are some fotos to share with you.
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• I was very lucky to meet the very friendly doorman of the former AVALON BALLROOM, (corner Sutter/Van Ness, S.F.), who kindly invited me to come in and to take a look around.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Chet Helms' famous ballroom
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Not far from here is the Fillmore Auditorium, (Fillmore St./Geary Blvd.), Bill Graham's legendary venue in the years 1966-68 (before he moved to the former Carousel Ballroom renaming it Fillmore West). Not so long ago this ballroom opened again after a long time of rest.

The "new" old Fillmore

Haight Street

Visiting the Haight-Ashbury, it's not difficult to locate the famous Grateful Dead House and the Jefferson Airplane home at Fulton Street.             The Jefferson Airplane Villa

          

The Dead House, Ashbury 710

In Los Angeles we of course have the Whisky A Go-Go – famous stage for many L.A. Bands of the Sixties (The Doors, Love, Buffalo Springfield and more).  And nearby you find The Roxy (Frank Zappa/Mothers: "Roxy and Elsewhere"!).

Whisky a Go-Go, Sunset Blvd., L.A.

The Roxy, L.A.                       Jimi Hendrix' star at the Walk of Fame            

Anyone's Dreamcolour - Girl in a Drop of Water / Rosemarine

Girl in a Drop of Water...

• "Anyone's Dreamcolour" was the solo project of Mike S., the bass player of "Cloud Nine (& the Vitamin C)" and "Orange". Lo-fi demo recordings exist from the years 1992 until 1999, all unreleased and only given away to friends. 
• The music of "Anyone's Dreamcolour" in generel is less focused and more experimental than most of his previous work with his two former bands. The song "Rosemarine" for example is one of the (more structured) fragments of a very strange larger work, called "Opel Opera - Eine dadaistische Oper in drei Akten".  This "Opera music" has all kind of different sounds, often in collage format using every usable sound source imaginable, going from hard rock snippets to buddhist singing to typewriter noise. The lyrics are a mix of bad english, german and sheer dadaist nonsense. All songs were recorded on analog 4-track.
  
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• Anyone's Dreamcolour - Rosemarine.mp3 (from "Opel Opera - A Dadaist Opera", recorded 1992-94)
  
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• Later recordings of Mike S. were (maybe) a little bit less experimental, but nevertheless still far away from mainstream rock and often reminding of psychedelic bands of the late Sixties.
  
• The track "Girl in a Drop of Water" for example sounds somewhat like a crossing between the Dead's "Rosemary" and Country Joe & the Fish's "Grace" - full of strange vocals and water dripping  effects complete with accoustic guitar playing.
  
• This song was one of the earliest songs Mike S. wrote and it was played only three or four times live with "Cloud Nine & the Vitamin C" in 1984/85.  The Band never recorded this song properly.
  
• So here it is for the first time.
  
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• Anyone's Dreamcolour - Girl in a Drop of Water.mp3 (recorded 1996)
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• GET THOSE TWO TRACKS HERE - Re-Up 2022