So here I am, on vacation - doing what I always do: reading people's Top 10 lists. And I notice on Demdike Miles' list at Boomkat that he's included Conrad Schnitzler Live '72 in there. I remember getting a free .mp from this (Vol. 8 comp coming soon!) and was interested, but it might have been while my computer/internet was down last year. So I never did order it...
Boomkat's sold out of the 2xLP, no digital-dowload version there, and not among Con's records at Forced Exposure (but that Trigger Trilogy 3xCD does looks intriguing). Although the Boomkat product description sounds impressive, they pretty much always do. So I thought, just live to order another record.
But then I noticed: the record label. I've never heard of Further Records, but I figured an internet search couldn't hurt. Not only are they on the WWW, but they run it run it as Bandcamp, and you can stream Live '72 from there...
And they still have "61 remaining" copies to sell as of this posting - for $20! (That's after I ordered my copy.)
Here's that glowing Boomkat entry:
**Edition of 500, housed in hand screen printed DIY black french paper jacket** Conrad Schnitzler is without a doubt one of the most important figures in 20th century electronic music. His CV includes a prominent role initiating the seminal Zodiak Free Arts Lab in Berlin circa 1967, essentially creating the nucleus of what would become known as the Kosmische movement. From this he became a founder member of Kluster and collaborated with the likes of Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream, laying the foundations for future generations of Techno and Ambient electronic musicians. It's not often that unreleased material of his comes to the surface, but Further Records have somehow gained access to this 1972 live session, salvaged from cheap old tapes. Considering the time frame, this stuff is just incredible, spanning twelve tracks of signature metallic pulses and starry synth plumes framing his beautifully restrained melodic arrangements. What separates Con from the rest of the crowd, and makes him so important to the development of electronic music and Techno in particular, is that intuitive and engrossing element of restraint and repetition, especially when coupled with his knack for darker, moodier melodies and that brooding sense of space. No hyperbole intended, this is a genuinely exceptional piece of work, easily one of the very best reissues we've encountered in the recent deluge. Mastered by CGB at D&M, Berlin
Current, updated download links have been moved to a central Comp Index post, as well as the COMPS section over on the right side of the blog.
All the way to #7! If you've missed any, all our promotional .mp3 compilations can be found on the menu at right, under "Astral Headspace Comps." Maybe worth a look?
I tried to build this one mainly around the 2011 Year End lists (albums + live), with some other notables that may or may not fit it. You make the call!
A few quick notes, then we'll get into it real basic. You can hear the music by downloading...
Looking at the sources for various tunes, I think it's clear that Altered Zones will be missed. The site was truly a standby for this blog for AZ's entire, brief existence. They still have .mp3's available for now...
I was totally happy to find the Self-Titled Mag SoundCloud archives - whatta bonanza!
And finally, major thanks this time to NYC Taper for filling in the promo .mp3 gaps - and really for everything. Extra-great website for legit live recordings! You should be visiting there religiously.
So, here it is:
Gongs to the Tempel - Astral Headspace, Vol. 7
I might fill in some more info after this weekend, but I wanted to rush this out while it's still hot!
Tasty, right? A bit more shuffle-y and schizoid around the fringes... or maybe Jazz Odyssey. In addition to Bandcamp, they've got Facebook and MySpace (with 2 earlier-sounding tunes). So you can keep up with news, and music coming out, and language practice.
There's also live video of some cover tunes...
"Make It Wit' Chu" [QOTSA cover], live Sint-Lodewijkscollege Lokeren 2010
I think it's a different band altogether, definitely a different/earlier line-up... but related. Can't pass up a Queens cover!
A recent Flaming Lips pic tweet reminded me of My Favorite T-Shirt In College, and I was able to find a really nice image from here... I still have the shirt, completely riddled with holes, thinner than Kleenex.
[click for full-size]
As I recall, the orange sections were really more pink... and all of the colors were more flourescent, rather than just bright (although not glow-in-the-dark).
"One Million Billionth of a Millisecond on a Sunday Morning" by The Flaming Lips (live 1988)
So, yeah. I bought the shirt at the 4/28/1988 Austin show (at The Ritz), opening for Butthole Surfers. Second time I ever saw them, and second night in a row - after the 4/27 Houston show (at Numbers). They were so ridiculously loud back then!
Another one I wore a bunch was my Butthole Surfers shirt, based around the 1st image in this collection of LSD sheet art. Definitely got that one at a later show - possibly The Ensemble on 12/9? The octopus was screened in thick black ink over an orange field, with BUTTHOLE above and SURFERS below.
"Jimi" by Butthole Surfers (live 1988, London)
I liked to wear it to Grateful Dead shows in the late-'80s/early-'90s. It was a big hit!
And just in case you doubted nary a word of what I've told, I now produce evidence!
There it is!! Funny, I don't remember ever noticing the right edge being so distorted. My perception during this era might not have been entirely reliable...
As advertised??
Bonus pix: This was my usual go-to Dead shirt around the same time period - fairly generic, but it got the job done.
At the end of the year, supporters got a surprise from Team Thunderbeam: the soundtrack! And it's making its way out on the internet.
I'd written a little about this situation about a month ago. Then a few weeks ago, The Octopus Project put a couple of songs up on their SoundCloud page, both free for download (currently). Go there, or go to the bottom of this post.
In the meantime, someone's started putting certain songs up on YouTube - so let's check 'em out!
"Diamond Disc" from Thunderbeam! OST (2012)
I dig... a lot!
"The Unknown Worlds" from Thunderbeam! OST (2012)
Not that's some good videogame soundtrack material. I'd listen to that even outside of a video-blasty.
Full title is apparently "The Enlightened Masters (Thunderbeam Finale)," if the YouTube version can be trusted. Now I want to finish the game, once it comes out, and also go see The Octopus Project live. Come back to Houston!
O yeah, in case you didn't go back, here's the "Theme Song" that I'd previously posted:
Damn. I saw some pretty sweet shows this year! Every time I thought I had my list down, another one would occur to me - then I'd have to review & reshuffle the whole list. Finally, I went ahead and expanded the official list to 15... was the best I could do. And even then, I was cutting off my own hand to keep it real!
1. Immortal / Absu Feb. 26, Backstage Live - San Antonio, TX
"Solarfall" by Immortal, Backstage Live, 2/26/2011
There might have been some close calls on this or that ranking, but not so much with the #1 slot. I was already super-pumped by the time of my preliminary incantatory post. Awesome band, excellent sound (plus LOUD!!), terrific crowd, my first True Norwegian Black Metal show... We ended up with an Immortal setlist something exactly like this one. It was an outrageously fun and frostbitten time. C'mon, this entrance? "Sons of Northern Darkness?" "Blashyrkh (Mighty Ravendark)?!" Horgh was impressive, Apollyon was thundering, Abbath was hilarious!
"Night Fire Canonization" by Absu, Backstage Live, 2/26/2011
Seeing Absu (#6, 2011) for the first time as the opener was an amazing bonus. Proscriptor is the complete avatar of Animal, flailing wildly behind the drumset, and the two dudes upfront were thrashing it for all it's worth.
"Cannibal" by Scratch Acid, Fitzgerald's, 12/9/2011
It had been 5 years since I caught Scratch Acid at the Touch & Go Anniversary party in Chicago. They were impressive then, and that was more of a 1-off than a reunion tour deal. The band, most especially David Yow, gave their all for the whole performance here. Yow was regularly jumping out onto the audience, like a kid again. They sounded good and aggressive, slamming into most of their material with abandon. And I've long been a big fan of all that! We got to see "Albino Slug" (the memories!), "Mess", even Yow explaining the effects of aging, etc...
3. Maserati / My Education / Co-Pilot Apr. 9, The Mink on Main - Houston, TX
"Pyramid of the Sun" by Maserati, The Mink on Main, 4/9/2011
Maserati (#2 Live Show of 2009, #1 Record of 2010) returned to Houston, having lost their drummer since the last show. A.E. Paterra of Zombi filled in for this tour. Very different kind of drummer, but he played the Maserati style extremely well - resulting in some high-octane propulsive disco-Kraut post-rock.
With the synth sequencing, Maserati played a pretty consistent set on this tour. Here's the closest (date-wise) version of the encore "Run Like Hell" I could find (Chicago on 4/25). Here's the opening segment of that show (7 vids in all). Bask in the performance, then grab some bootlegs!
4. Austin Psych Fest 4 Apr. 29-May 1, Seaholm Power Plant - Austin, TX White Hills / The Diamond Center - Mar. 15, Continental Club - Houston, TX Black Angels / Dead Meadow - Oct. 13, Fitzgerald's - Houston, TX
Austin Psych Fest 2011 Super-8 Reel
These are somewhat unrelated shows, although everyone did come together for APF4. The first two were previewed in this old post. The Psych Fest was a sprawling event, like a never-ending river of groove and noise. I unexpectedly ran into Stephen McBean of Black Mountain, and was totally star-struck! He'd apparently played with The Shine Brothers, who I'd just watched (but I didn't recognize him onstage).
"Sound Mass" by My Education & Theta Naught, Seaholm Power Plant (Austin Psych Fest 4), 5/1/2011
It was just that kinda time... Got to meet & see The Cult of Dom Keller (#15, 2011), Woodsman was on the main stage, White Hills blew out the joint! The only disappointment was probably Cloudland Canyon. Half the time was patching the main synths, then it didn't really move too much. O well.
White Hills went to Holland between the 2 times we saw them in Texas (first in Houston): "Ocean of Sound" and "Three Quarters". Before they played at the Continental, we hung out with openers The Diamond Center, who also played APF4. Really great people (and band) from Richmond, VA.
"Telephone" by The Black Angels, Fitzgerald's, 10/13/2011
Here's the FB-collection post about the 3 bands for the Fitz show. The Black Angels were the best I've ever heard them - performance and clarity of sound. (Sometimes they can get a bit murky with so many players.) One especially jammy song really knocked me out. I think it was "Science Killer"... Maybe I need to finally get Directions to See A Ghost (2008). I always forget to mention this, but the Austin Psych Fest is entirely the invention and project of The Black Angels people, which might not be common knowledge.
5. Free Press Summer Fest June 4-June 5, Eleanor Tinsley Park - Houston, TX
"Buckingham Green" by Ween, Eleanor Tinsley Park (Free Press Summer Fest 3), 6/4/2011
One more thing! While searching for suitable FPSF Ween clips, I stumbled across two vids for (much) older Houston shows that I was there for: Emo's 11/29/1992 and Urban Art Bar 11/20/1994... wow.
"Night by Night" by Chromeo, Eleanor Tinsley Park (Free Press Summer Fest 3), 6/4/2011
Chromeo really got the crowd goin', probably the most of any group we saw. I'd only ever heard "Hot Mess," which was enough to check 'em out - for kicks! But it was the quality party jams... Dudes got charisma, and beats. Like "Fancy Footwork" or "Tenderoni." Good times.
6. Kyuss Lives! - Sep. 29, Warehouse Live - Houston, TX QOTSA - Mar. 18, One-Eyed Jack's - New Orleans, LA
"Thumb" by Kyuss Lives!, Warehouse Live, 9/29/2011
I'm gonna have to start burning through these or I'll never get back to posting again. For some reason, I thought it'd be posse-in-effect for the Kyuss reunion tour, but I ended up solo for most of this one. Until later when I got deep into the front-stage mob and found the 1 person I expected there. Here's a pretty typical setlist. Sounded really good to me, although I've only ever owned Blues for the Red Sun (1992), so a bit of a disadvantage. They did played "Allen's Wrench" and this "Whitewater" jam. Missed both openers, which was actually okay...
"Regular John" and "Avon" by Queens of the Stone Age, One-Eyed Jack's, 3/18/2011
Not too surprising on the setlist front, given that the whole point was to play the debut album in full. Soon thereafter, I reported on the show in this round-up post. As this "Sick, Sick, Sick" video-poster accurately says, "Tiny club, fun show". Real tiny! I dig the self-titled debut, so I concur heartily. Also, "(I Wanna) Make It wit Chu." Plus, like, New Orleans?
7. Wilco May 6, Verizon Wireless Theater - Houston, TX
"Impossible Germany" by Wilco, Verizon Wireless, 5/6/2011
We had awesome front-row corner balcony seats for this one. Couldn't get much better! And although Verizon is soulless and corporate, I am regularly impressed with the quality of sound - which is relatively important for live music. You can find all their show's setlists at WilcoBase along with other stats, which is real handy. Most of the other clips from this show are marred by crowd noise-talk-singin' along. O well - here's a live "Handshake Drugs," which they played - same song, same band, same venue, just 3 years earlier. (I was there too.)
8. Roky Erickson III Oct. 1, Continental Club - Houston, TX
"Roller Coaster" by Roky Erickson, Continental Club-Houston, 10/1/2011
Another good show by Roky! This is becoming a very happy annual tradition (#5, 2010 and #1, 2009). It's a positive, life-affirming, rockin'-good time to see him up there playing those songs I've loved for so long. Especially this time - Roky was the loosest and happiest-looking of the 3 times he's played in town. Plus he added a third 13th Floor Elevators tune this time! (see above.)
9. Arcade Fire / Explosions in the Sky May 4, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion - The Woodlands, TX
"Month of May" by Arcade Fire, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 5/4/2011
Who'da thunk it? Well, me actually. I first saw Arcade Fire live before I'd ever heard their music, at Vegoose 2005 (kind of like Wilco at ACL 2002). And I was really impressed - still never listened to any of their records really, but terrific live band. As they were again in The Woodlands, which just happens to be "The Suburbs" the singer grew up in. Apparently, he used to also work at the venue as a kid (The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion), so he had some ex-employee stories. It was a nice homecoming kinda thing. Plus indie-rocking it up. Also: the actual full setlist.
Explosions in the Sky jammin' it up, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 5/4/2011
EITS opened, and were good too. I dig the post-rock, but have never really clicked on this band - despite the Texas connection. A big suburban outdoor amphitheatre might not have been the right introduction...
"River Man" (Nick Drake cover) by Robyn Hitchcock, San Francisco, 9/22/2011
Real interesting show. Joe Boyd ended up a better storyteller than I really expected. Hitchcock brought his eccentricities to bear, while maintaining some respect for the source. Ended up going alone, to a club that I don't frequent, got sat right up front, in some ways it was very quaint and British. Setlist pretty close to what's shown here.
10(a)? Speaking of British music from a bygone era... I forgot yet another notable show: The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, by "The Musical Box" at House of Blues, 10/24/2011 - Houston, TX
"Pittsburgh to Lebanon" by Butthole Surfers, Emo's East, 9/11/2011
Gonna start blazing throught the rest. This was the grand opening party for Emo's East (east of I-35 in Austin, on Riverside). Here's the very retro-BHS setlist, who have swung focus back to their early catalogue for quite awhile (#3 last year). I was truly shocked by the awesome "Lady Sniff > Pepper" medley. With 400 Blows and Bodytronix opening... ha ha, ha?
12. Project Grimm / Dead Mineral Dec. 29, Rudyard's - Houston, TX
"Melville" by Project Grimm, Rudyard's, 12/29/2011
Previous reunion show (#4 last year) was a one-off. This time it's for real. Grimm is back together again, writing new tunes, and apparently playing regularly (for oldsters)!
13. Linus Pauling Quartet / Dead Mineral / Defending the Kingdom Dec. 3, Rudyard's - Houston, TX
"Waiting for the Axe to Fall" by LP4, from All Things Are Light (2007)
Looks like Bag of Hammers is expected around May... 2012, I believe. Awesome "Luis Black is California," without lead-in "ROTB" (Roll Out The Bong). "Waiting for the Axe" was majestic, o' course. The new songs sound like they're gonna rip it up and rain hell down on it. "La Tapatia" was performance art in extremis, invoking dark spirits and handing out McRibs. It was nuts!
Setlist acquired (covered in McRib blood): Crom / She Did Not Know / Luis Black / Saving Throw / Waiting for the Axe (to Fall) / Victory Gin / Star Chimp / La Tapatia
Ranking level reduced for being a self-imposed non-headlining, shorter set.
"It Beats 4 U" by My Morning Jacket, Verizon Wireless Theater, 12/8/2011
Unlike LP4, MMJ have gone 'mature.' Still a good band, still good tunes, still good performers - could use a little more rock. Which they realized just in time for the encore finale of "One Big Holiday." Looks like someone wrote down the setlist.
"Dry Bone Valley," "Black Tongue" and "Crystal Skull" by Mastodon, Fitzgerald's, 10/27/2011
I never figured out my actual feelings about The Hunter (2011), Mastodon's significant change of pace. But they are a good live band, that plays metal like a non-metal (jam?) band. Definitely liked the show better than the album. Check out the actual physical setlist...
Black Tusk opening, Fitzgerald's, 10/27/2011
Caught about half of Black Tusk's set, and they were merciless. In a good way!
