English archive label Hux Records is slowly building an excellent reputation for having the best BBC tapes for re-release. Out of the Fire fits in nicely into their archive plans...
» Read more[Note: This review from 1994 refers to reissues on the TRC label. The albums involved have since been legitimately issued, and those releases are listed at the end of this...
» Read moreSquire is a band the formed in the late 70s as part of the mod revival. They did not produce a lot of music, but have enjoyed a cult following, so much so that they have now reissued their albums....
» Read moreWith their third album, Ruphus turned to Terje Rypdal as producer, and the result sees a decided turn away from the symphonic rock of Ransahrt towards jazz-rock. Original singer Gudny...
» Read moreAfter spending much of the 60s in the successful Japanese rock band The Launchers, Kitajima moved to to the UK and worked with a number of British bands, and released a very obscure self-titled...
» Read moreCanadian violinist Charles Kaczynski produced one of the most heavily orchestrated one-man efforts I’ve ever heard. In addition to violin, he covers viola, cello, acoustic guitars, various...
» Read moreAt the end of the 70s in Peru, a new musical concept was starting to come together that combined the instrumental traditions of ancient cultures in new ways, incorporating electronics, tape...
» Read moreBack in 1974, after Irish folk rock group Mellow Candle broke up, members Alison O’Donnell and David Williams moved to South Africa. There they met fellow expats Barrie Glenn and Jo Dudding...
» Read moreIn the early 90s there was this (I think) Florida-based label called Music Hall which was issuing rarities from 70s Argentina and would have been considered one of the earliest reissue labels if...
» Read moreRecording their second album in 1978, Île de Fièvre, Shylock finished their musical career with a tour de force. The six tracks from the original LP are a collection of...
» Read moreFinally, this reissue has arrived. Rumors of Musea releasing this French symphonic masterpiece can be traced back to as early as 1992. When Shylock's first, Giarlogues, was reissued a...
» Read moreDeadlines was the last album by the third incarnation of the Strawbs. It was their most progressive work since 1975's Ghosts, when prominent keyboard work (then from John...
» Read moreEn Public:
Malicorne began to evolve their sound considerably after moving to the Ballon Noir label, starting with L'Extraordinaire Tour de France d'Adélard...
» Read moreFrance's rich folk culture, much of it from the Breton (Brittany) province, has provided listeners with a seemingly unknown but vast treasure trove of incredible progressive Celtic music. This...
» Read moreFrance's rich folk culture, much of it from the Breton (Brittany) province, has provided listeners with a seemingly unknown but vast treasure trove of incredible progressive Celtic music. This...
» Read moreThe Lost Vinyl label once made a career out of reissuing these hopelessly obscure Basque folk-rock gems. These days they seem to find their way to re-release on their original labels, usually Elkar...
» Read moreSynergy is, of course the name of the ongoing electronic music project of keyboardist / engineer / producer Larry Fast, also known for his work with Peter Gabriel, Nektar, and numerous other bands...
» Read moreWhen Yellow Magic Orchestra’s first album came out in 1978, listeners around the world were treated (many for the first time) to creative music from Japan, something that wasn’t just...
» Read moreWhen Yellow Magic Orchestra’s first album came out in 1978, listeners around the world were treated (many for the first time) to creative music from Japan, something that wasn’t just...
» Read moreReal Ax Band might have been something of a minor footnote in German jazz rock history, their original recorded output was limited to an album and a few songs on anthologies, but they were a much...
» Read moreGuru Guru was one of the pioneering German psych rock groups, but by 1977 they had mellowed out with age leaving behind the Neumeier / Trepte / Genrich line up that procured classics such as...
» Read moreReaders of Exposé will be more than familiar with this seminal American quintet, as we have given them lavish coverage in these pages. Having been available only intermittently on...
» Read moreBy this point in time in early 2016, saying that Richard Pinhas is an artist of many facets is a pretty obvious observation. Just glance through the reviews listed on his artist page, and...
» Read moreI doubt there will be a day when I feel like I've completely absorbed all of the Heldon and Pinhas titles on my shelves — there are really so many good and interesting titles crossing a...
» Read moreReleased in 1978 and 1980 respectively (though recorded earlier), when acoustic music was anything but in vogue, the first two Private Parts & Pieces collections set the tone for much...
» Read moreAnother example of re-issue heaven? This album is (to my knowledge) the only bass / keyboard duet album made from a Canterbury link (Gilgamesh / Soft Machine). Originally released in the UK/USA in...
» Read moreThe eleven minute title track that opens the album is as clear an example how tight Missus Beastly had become over the years. A mindblowing jazz-rock instrumental that powers through numerous...
» Read moreSince the Garden of Delights label began in the early 1990s (they were originally called Penner Records), they have produced this Psychedelic Underground promotional series, each one...
» Read moreI don't think even the most rabid Strawbs fan (maybe not me, but I'm close, so I should know) would say these two albums represent the band's peak. That being said, there are still some...
» Read moreIf there is one song that exemplifies the best character of the warm, romantic and melodically colorful side of French symphonic progressive rock, it has to be "Conte en Vert," the second...
» Read moreApparently Tünay Akdeniz cut quite a bad boy image in Turkish music in the mid to late 70s, using slang for the first time in a Turkish song, the first implication of sexual intercourse in...
» Read moreJacula's debut (to be reviewed in a later issue) was one of the rarest (if not the rarest) of the Italian progressive rock albums, and certainly one of the most sinister – or...
» Read moreRobert Schroeder is a member of the second wave of Berlin school of electronic musicians hitting the scene in the late 70s. His first album was Harmonic Ascendant (1979) followed by...
» Read moreAdelbert van Deyen’s first two albums, 1978’s Sternzeit and 1979’s Nordborg, established him as a Berlin school electronic musician, and contain what is probably...
» Read moreMellotron fans take note. Unique and uncompromising music, this masterpiece of neo-classical avant-garde rock stands alone. Martz began composing "The Pillory" around 1976, assembling his...
» Read moreThe Allman Brothers in their prime were no doubt one of the best American rock bands of the early 70s, covering a little bit of everything and doing it all extremely well — never a shortage...
» Read moreFor my money, SZamla incarnation number two was their prime and despite the fact we have to pay Japanese prices for Swedish CDs (all done by Silence) these are extremely well worth the...
» Read moreAnything can happen, but for over a decade I've been somewhat convinced that the odds of this fine Spanish progressive rock / space rock hybrid getting a legitimate CD release (I count at least...
» Read moreIn 1979, progressive rock was all but dead in many countries, whether the support had gone or the big bands had become subsumed by arena rock. But there was really a lot going on in France in the...
» Read moreFourteen years after releasing the album, Cyrille Verdeaux delivers a fine remake of Visions. On first listen it is evident that Verdeaux closely involved himself with this reissue. He...
» Read moreThe history of Renaissance is much too convoluted to go into in a review, but it’s safe to say that these two albums were the end of the “classic” period of the...
» Read moreAlthough this live set would have been much more meaningful had it been released closer to when it was recorded in 1978, it stands today as evidence that this DC area quintet was as tight on-stage...
» Read moreWapassou was a unique classically influenced French band that existed from around 1971 through the mid-80s (their last release was in 1986). These three — their second, third and fourth...
» Read moreThe name GAM is an acronym of the member’s first names Günter Schickert (guitar, vocals, trumpet), Axel Struck (guitars, vocals), and Michael Leske (drums, percussion). Eiszeit,...
» Read moreThe reissue of the second album by this excellent Canadian trio has been long awaited by many. A rather nonstandard three-piece, their most unique feature was the substitution of mandolin/violin...
» Read more1974 saw the birth of the UK avant-rock band Red Square. Consisting of Ian Staples (guitar), Jon Seagroatt (sax and bass clarinet), and Roger Telford (free-jazz drummer), Red Square shared the...
» Read moreRecently Revisited Records, a division of InsideOut Music, has been reissuing a number of German bands from the past: Klaus Schulze, Amon Düül II, and Kraan. To date, they have released...
» Read moreStern Meissen (originally Stern-Combo Meissen) are universally acclaimed as East Germany's greatest progressive rock band. Not wishing to wait for Amiga to reissue their albums, the band took...
» Read moreFunk bass lines, analog synth lines, weird effects, and campy horror movies, no one knows how to mix them like Goblin. The soundtrack of Solamente Nero finally released (like I knew it all...
» Read moreThe saga of PFM is one of the most interesting and revealing of all of the "progressive" symphonic rock greats. With PFM you see the birth of the Italian classical rock scene, you see a...
» Read moreEnglish trio Brandywine Bridge released its LP, An English Meadow, in 1978. The album, just reissued by Kissing Spell, contained twelve original songs penned in the style of traditional...
» Read moreRevisited Records has taken on the mammoth task of reissuing the entire Klaus Schulze back catalog, and these eight albums are what has been reissued so far this year. In addition to using...
» Read moreAfter finally hearing this album it became clear why there was so much fuss and commotion about its reissue. Carrycroch' is the self-produced debut album by this instrumental quartet...
» Read moreJ.A. Caesar – this is obviously not his real name – has been an enigmatic figure in Japanese rock and avant-garde music dating back to the early 70s. His music is impossible to...
» Read moreSan Francisco in the mid-60s was an incubator for a lot bands. In 1966 a group of teenagers got together and formed a garage band that lasted from 1966 to 1978. Over that 12-year period the band...
» Read moreBoth of these groups contain percussionist/synthesist Ciro Perrino in their ranks. These groups were both post-Celeste and showed a vast change in style from that group. You may have heard Ozric...
» Read moreBelle Antique has gone all out on their most recent set of reissues — the backlog of the brilliant Argentine ensemble M.I.A. M.I.A. was multi-instrumentalist (mainly keys) Lito Vitale's...
» Read moreDuring their short career, which spans the late seventies, Swedish band Dice (never to be confused with the Swiss neo-proggers Deyss) released only one self-titled album, an excellent testament to...
» Read moreIn our last Lost Vinyl Update we covered Izukaitz' second album, Otzoa Dantzan. This is their first. Again, this was originally released on the Elkar label, which seemed to specialize...
» Read moreJohn Livengood may be better known for his recent collaborations with Richard Pinhas, but this was his electronic duo back in the late 70s, joined by Ivan Coaquette on guitars and bass. Their...
» Read moreWhile Attahk continues in the same general musical direction set by Üdü Wüdü, the moods and emotions evoked on this album are decidedly more upbeat and...
» Read moreTibet is another one of Musea’s reissues of obscure 70s bands. Unfortunately for Musea, the master tapes were lost over the past 15 years. They had to remaster the CD from a vinyl copy using...
» Read moreQuestion: How could you possibly dislike Spanish heavy progressive rock? Answer: You couldn't. A five-piece consisting of guitar / Mellotron, vocals / flute, bass, violin, and drums, Ñu...
» Read moreThis is at least the third CD reissue of this third album by the Belgian band Machiavel: a near-bootleg issue transferred from scratchy vinyl was released in the late 80s, then last year it was...
» Read moreMcLatchey's Second Tier
Some of your favorites don't have to be perfect. This sole album by the US band features a vocalist in over his head and a weak production far away...
» Read moreHere is another rarity from the vaults. Zauber was a five-piece who produced only this single album in the late seventies, until their recent reformation (see Mike's New Italian article in...
» Read moreDespite the 1998 publishing date on this set, these reissues have not been generally available (other than through pricey bidding wars on eBay) until now. This brings both the first and second...
» Read moreBest known for their classic Garden Shed, England will forever be remembered as one of the few "new" bands of the late 70s United Kingdom brave enough to make unadulterated,...
» Read moreFor those of you uninitiated, Maynard Ferguson was part of the jazz-rock scene originating from the stable of jazz players who broke out under the auspices of Stan Kenton's big band....
» Read moreSmokin' hot fusion is the specialty delivered by this instrumental five-piece of keys, winds, guitar, bass, and drums from Firenze. Comparable to some other Italian jazz-rock bands like Perigeo...
» Read moreEven further from what might be called the typical Artis/Cramps experimental/ progressive sound, here we have Roberto Ciotti, a blues guitarist/singer in a three-piece g/b/d format. His album...
» Read moreFabbri is probably best known for his tenure as violinist with PFM in their post-Passpartù period, and with Claudio Rocchi, and also for some of the work he's done with Demetrio...
» Read moreNow that CBGB's has finally closed its doors in New York City, it's a good time to explore the reissued back catalog of one of the few valid early inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of...
» Read moreSpanish ensemble Music Urbana are quite an interesting group of musicians, creating a very original music. Their first album, recently reissued showed a band blending a plethora of styles –...
» Read moreWestern Culture was originally released in 1978 as the final official album from Henry Cow. This single disc is separated into two 18 minute tracks: "History and Broken...
» Read moreHere is another release from the post-prog period, a good band who either didn't get their album ready early enough to catch the 70s prog-wave, or refused to prostitute their ideals in favor of...
» Read moreThis Basque folk group offers multi-guitars, violin, flute, tin-whistles, some keyboards, percussion and two singers (male and female), with occasional saxes and pipes. Their musical concept...
» Read moreWhile the Basque country is politically part of Spain, Itoiz gives plenty of reason to count it as a separate entity. There is an influence in this music that is definitely indigenous to this small...
» Read moreItziar is both a person and a band: singer Itziar Egileor and her backing group. Though the band made only one album, Itziar remain one of the best-known Basque folk-progressives. Part of...
» Read moreOf all the Quebecois bands that came to prominence in the 70s, one of the most unique and universally appreciated is Maneige. During their career which spanned from around '72 through the mid...
» Read moreI would be honored if someone were to commemorate my 80th birthday in the same fashion as Bureau B has done this year for Krautrock legend Hans-Joachim Roedelius! Just like his electronic musician...
» Read moreMcLatchey's Second Tier
Crucis weren't the only brilliant Argentinian 70s group, but I'm not sure they were quite as young as some of the players in the collective...
» Read moreBeginning with its first year of operations, Garden of Delights has released a yearly limited edition Psychedelic Underground sampler containing the best track from each of their 9...
» Read moreThis CD release collects the first two of three albums by this German band led by brothers Winfried (keyboards) and Norbert (guitar) Langhorst. The band's music is in the spacy symphonic mould,...
» Read moreEven after 40 years it’s difficult to use the past tense when it comes to the work of Henry Cow. Its importance grows and influence continues to be felt. And while it’s absurd to add that “it...
» Read moreThese seven titles by the legendary Ange represent part of Musea's big score from absorbing the Baillemont label late last year. Although most of these have been released on CD before — not once,...
» Read moreThere really was some great music coming out of Spain in the late 70s, and unlike a lot of their Spanish contemporaries, Bloque actually stayed together long enough to record more than one album!...
» Read moreBy the end of the 1970s Todd Rungren had done it all, honing his guitar and compositional chops with The Nazz in the late 1960s, ultimately leaving that band to move on to production work for other...
» Read moreI know what you may be thinking: Froese's parent group hit the skids ten years ago. But have no fear as Ages is a 1978 classic-TD-era release. So where's all the rejoicing? I feel pretty...
» Read moreThe re-releases of this Canadian trio's albums are long overdue. Seems like some label reissued the debut Black Noise back in the early 90s, but never finished the job. Esoteric has...
» Read more
2021-01-18
Asia Minor Third Album on the Way –
On January 29, AMS records will be releasing the long-awaited third album by classic Turkish-French band Asia Minor. Released last year in Japan, this will be the widespread debut of Points of Libration. The album features original members Setrak Bakirel (vocals, guitar) and Eril Tekeli (flute, guitar). »
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2020-12-09
Harold Budd RIP –
Harold Budd, one of pre-eminent American composers of avant-garde and minimalism, has died of complications from the coronavirus. Budd came to prominence in the 70s, championed by Brian Eno on his Obscure Records label, with music that blended academic minimalism with electric jazz and electronic music. Much of Budd's best known work was done in collaboration with other artists, including Eno, Daniel Lanois, Robin Guthrie, Andy Partridge, John Foxx, Jah Wobble, and many others. »
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2020-11-20
25 Views of Worthing Finally Gets Released –
A while ago, we wrote about the discovery of a "long lost" Canterbury-style gem by a band called 25 Views of Worthing. And now we're pleased to find out that Wind Waker Records has released their music on an LP. »
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2020-10-14
Audion Is Back in Business –
Our esteemed colleague Alan Freeman has restarted Audion Magazine after a seven year hiatus. The new incarnation is available online on their Bandcamp site. Audion's history goes back to 1984, and included 58 issues up to 2013. Issue #59 is available now, and #60 is in the works. »
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2020-10-06
Romantic Warriors IV – Krautrock (Part 2) Is in the Works –
Zeitgeist Media, the people who have brought us the great series of documentary films chronicling the history of progressive rock, are working on the second installment of their examination of German music. Krautrock 2 will focus on artists from Münich such as Guru Guru, Amon Düül II, Xhol Caravan, Kraan, Witthüser & Westrupp, and Popol Vuh. »
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Final Tragedy - Trial of Tears – Once upon a time there was a French thrash metal band called Etheric Soul which included among its original members multi-instrumentalist Jean-Luc Millot. Then one day, singer Delphine Cochand... (1999) » Read more
Corrosive Media - Speakeasy – Speakeasy is a maxi-CD single of three techno-house tracks from German duo Benedict Wyneken and Uwe Wienke. Tracks 1 and 3 clock in at just over fibe minutes each while the centerpiece, "Tommy Gun,"... (1999) » Read more
Various Artists - Psychedelic Underground 8 - 10 – One of the fundamental limitations of mining and other industries that rely upon non-renewable resources is that those resources will eventually run out. You would think the same rule would apply to... (2005) » Read more
Slow Motion Reign - Slow Motion Reign – A fresh, youthful sound is their stock in trade, rich with melodies, hooks and energy, concise and inventive songwriting from beginning to end. Unlike many of the bands we review in Exposé who... (2007) » Read more
Bubblemath - Such Fine Particles of the Universe – Where on earth to start with these guys? Bubblemath is a vocals / guitar / keyboards / bass / drums quintet from Minnesota with the drummer doubling on vocals. The music is hard-edged progressive... (2003) » Read more