Chaitanya Hari Deuter, Govindas, Deva Renu, Nivedano & Rupesh : Basho's Pond (Rajneesh Music, 1985)

"Between sounds of music there are gaps of silence. The authentic music consists not of sounds, but of the gaps. Sounds come and go; those gaps remain. And music can make you aware of those gaps more beautifully than anything else; hence I have to say that music comes next to silence. But it is possible even the musician may not be aware of it, unless his music is his meditation too. Then, soon, the shift from sounds to silence." (Bagwan Shree Rajneesh, aka Osho)

“From Basho’s Pond, past Rajneesh Mandir, winding through downtown Rajneeshpuram, and out to the airport were people. People dressed in red, playing musical instruments, singing, dancing, waving goodbye to their Master. The faces! The faces! Musicians followed the car all the way to the airport, some running all the way carrying their Brazilian drums. I saw faces of people who years before had been dull, and now were transformed, shiny and alive. Osho sat and namasted His people for the last time in Rajneeshpuram.” (excerpt from Diamond Days With Osho, by Ma Prem Shunyo)

Pan-Asian instrumental new age steppers, featuring our man Deuter, himself, in full-tilt metaphysical enlightenment mode. A woodwound percussive medley for us Tomorrow People. Ecstatic-dancing to Pure Moods/Tubular Bells is admittedly  something of the vibe, here, but...And blame it on personal Rajneesh fascination; I've been dropping into Basho's Pond here lately, a bit more than I might even like to admit. These tracks were all recorded during live Satsang celebrations at the now-infamous Rajneeshpuram in eastern Oregon, late 1985. A "cult favorite", if you will. 



Chaitanya Hari Deuter, Govindas, Deva Renu, Nivedano & Rupesh : Basho's Pond (Rajneesh Music, 1985)

Flac + 320

Watch Rajaneeshpuram on PBS. See more from Oregon Experience.

Olivia Tremor Control : Opera House EPs (1996) + Black Swan Network : The Late Music (1997)

Another freshly ripped installment of late-90's artifacts culled from the remains of my long-lost, recently found, cd collection from mine own younger days. These two drops offer up some of the weirder long-form, lo-fi concrete experimentations out of the OTC camp. Out-of-print rarities, both.

Bill Doss, RIP.

The highfalutin lo-fi interactivity that Olivia Tremor Control first explored with the ambient bonus disc included on early pressings of Dusk at Cubist Castle reached its apex with the vinyl version of "The Opera House." A quadraphonic odyssey spread across two 7"s, each featuring the titular psych-pop nugget that leads off Cubist Castle backed with differing musique concrète experiments clocking in at just under 15 minutes apiece, the presentation allows for listeners to create unique songs by playing back the records simultaneously in various temporal combinations and RPM speeds. Similar in conception to the Flaming Lips' Zaireeka, "The Opera House" requires three turntables for maximum mindf*ck action, but the extra effort is worth it. Like those old "Choose Your Own Adventure" books on which kids of the '80s grew up, the paths and possibilities "The Opera House" lays out are endlessly labyrinthine and completely immersive. (Jason Ankeny, Allmusic)
 

 

Olivia Tremor Control : Opera House EPs A+B(Blue Rose Record Company, 1996)

Flac + 320

BRRC10112A

1. The Opera House 3:15

2. Black Swan Radar (With Capillary Radar) 14:55

3. The Opera House 3:15

4. Black Swan Radar (With Enveloping Bicycle Folds) 14:55

5. Black Swan Radar (With Capillary Radar + Enveloping Bicycle Folds) *Ghost-Capital Edit: Tracks 2 & 4 combined. Soundcloud audio sample above)

""The Late Music, was born out of a small message hidden in the liner notes of The Olivia Tremor Control's Music from the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle, requesting that people submit recordings of dream descriptions to the band. The album consisted of seven untitled pieces incorporating the submissions with different other ambient sounds and musical fragments. (Wikipedia)

Black Swan Network : The Late Music (Camera Obscura, 1997)

Flac + 320

CAM003CD

7 Tracks, all Untitled.

Amps For Christ -- Circuits (Vermiform, 1999) *Flac + 320

"Circuits was originally released in 1999 on the Vermiform label. It was well received, even charting on CMJ. Comprised of stellar originals, Scottish, English and North American folk songs and Child ballads, biblical lore, and choice pop folk cover tunes, Circuits is singular in its approach. Heavily referencing Steeleye Span and Pentangle’s moves in working with songs of the British Isles, as well as Jean Ritchie and North American Appalachian songlines in general, as well as DIY nosenik modalities, AFC uniquely adds to the history of these songlines. This reissue puts Circuits on vinyl for the first time as a deluxe double LP with a gatefold cover and a full bonus side of unreleased material . Circuits includes AFC collaborator Tara Tavi (ex-Blue Silk Sutures, Bastard Noise, Savage Republic, currently of Auto Da Fe) who plays yangqin (Chinese hammer dulcimer) and sings. Former Man Is The Bastard drummer Joel Connell plays tablas and percussion." (Turned Word)

From the archives; A freshly ripped Flac / 320 offering of the very best album by Amps for Christ. Woefully out of print for years, now, Circuits was recently remastered by the superlative Timothy Stollenwerk for a fancy new double LP reissue (its first time on wax!) by Turned Word / Water Wing, and featuring a full side of primo bonus material. I highly recommend you snatch one up, while the gettin' is still good. This rip, though, is straight from the original cd, which is one of the very few plastic discs I kept around after my college daze. I'm basically re-upping this because it still appears to be OOP in any digital format. If anyone from AFC, Vermiform, et al, wants this masterpiece back down, please just say the word -- Your wish is my command. Paz.

Amps For Christ -- Circuits (Vermiform, 1999)

Flac + 320

*full scans included.

VMFM 51CD

XMAS DELIGHTS - The only listenable Christmas compilation...ever! (a Moahaha re-gift)

Just in time to spread the yuletide cheer; an immaculate Christmas reshare from RYM's discerning Moahaha, friend of flawless tastes. In a genre that tends heavily toward mediocre schmaltz, XMAS DELIGHTS is packed with more than a few of my very favorite things. Yes, Virginia, there is a brilliant Santa comp. 

"Well, I for one have never came across a listenable one that wasn't made by myself. As everyone else genuinely interested in music I generally despise this "genre", but every year I make some sort of Christmas-comp. And for a short period in December I really love spinning the 3-4 hour worth of  standout songs I've discovered throughout the years. So I figured I might as well collect and share about 2x45 minute long set for the holidays at my favorite place in blogland too. First half (Santa) is primarely lighthearted secular joy for your Christmas parties or whatever. And the second half (Jesus) a little more contemplative filled with seasonal folksongs, sentimental oldies and heartfelt religious tunes. I know it won't be your favorite album ever, but I'm only aiming for it to become you favorite Christmas compilation. So with this Moahaha wishes you all a Merry Christmas!"

XMAS DELIGHTS

 A: Santa side

1 The Philistines Jr. - Santa Was Seen

2 Asakawa Maki – Zenkasha No N'Mas

3 Elisa Gabbai – Winter in Canada

4 The Soulful Strings – Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies

5 Floral Pops 70 – Jingle Bells

6 Mystic Monks - Swinging Bells

7 Twice As Much feat. Vashti Bunyan - The Coldest Night of the Year

8 Dean Martin – The Things We Did Last Summer

9 Julie London – I'd Like You For Christmas

10 Kate Bush – December Will Be Magic Again

11 The Swingle Singers – Christmas Medley

12 The Torero Band – Once in Royal Davids City

13 Indo Jazzmen – Variations On a Christmas Theme

14 The Carpenters – O Come, O Come Emmanuel    


B: Jesus side

1 Lois Lynn – Every Christmas We Know

2 Peter, Paul & Mary - A'Soalin'

3 Joan Baez – The Little Drummer Boy

4 Don Amson – Shepherd Boy

5 The De Castro Singers - Snowbound for Christmas

6 Monica Lewis – The Christmas Song

7 Bing Crosby – Do You Hear What I Hear

8 Dinah Shore – The Coventry Carol

9 Fred Lowery – Silent Night

10 Shirley Collins – Down in Yon Forest

11 Bert Jansch – In the Bleak Midwinter

12 Ron Goodwin – The Christmas Tree

13 Mary Mayo – A King Without a Crown

14 The Retreat Singers – Virgin Mary Had a One Son

15 Steeleye Span – Gaudete

16 Unknown - Christmas Bells (1919)

...all in various bitrates and soundquality from various sources 

Les Griots (w/ Serge Franklin) -- Ouagadougou, Afrique: Exotissimo Vol. 8 (Pathé Marconi / EMI, 1975)

On repeat. This Serge Franklin  seems to be something of a grandmaster OG in the ethnographic forgery game. 'Exotissimo' is right, no? Really though, this is a stunning record. Haven't found much, however, by way of biography for Les Griots, but, it'd be reasonable to assume that the group would've hailed originally from Burkina Faso. The dimensions of the rhythms & sounds here are truly exquisite. Heavy grooves. And, these mid 70's sessions, recorded in Paris, are subtlely realized; deep, resonant and spare. An hour or so of poking around the web has me reasonably convinced me that Loulendo is most likely Jean Loulendo. That's mostly it, although he does seems to show up as in author in worldcat. I've had even less luck with Dolo, who's also credited with an arrangement on this album. Anyone else know more? Enjoy.

Les Griots (w/ Serge Franklin) -- Ouagadougou, Afrique: Exotissimo Vol. 8 (Pathé Marconi / EMI, 1975) 

Flac + 320

Side 1

1. Messe Noire (Franklin)

2. Mama Me Mwana (Trad, arrgt. Loulendo)

Side 2

1. Sumama

2. Liwa Wetche *Chant (Trad, arrgt. Loulendo)

3. Morgen *Chant (Trad, arrgt. Dolo)

4. Danse du Fleuve (Franklin)

5. Danse de Filles su Sable (Franklin)

6. Kio Kio *Chant (Franklin)