"Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble (Vol. 2)-보천보전자악단 (제2집)" - (KMC / PEE-C-1002) - 1991

 

Having,unsurprisingly, failed to locate any North Korean Punk Rock,although some Hoaxer pretended to be Kims favourite Punk Rocker for a prank, there are zero punks and, of course,zero Gays in the PDRK.I did however, find a copy of this on Archive.org, The workers official pop orchestra, who sounds not too dissimilar to some unfinished electronic work found in a box at Joe Meeks flat/studio. Please humour me as to the factual accuracy of the info on these recordings which is a tad sketchy at best....and there are about 150 volumes of this stuff out there

Singer Yun Hye-yong was a woman beyond the reach even of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il. Yun, the lead singer of Kim’s favorite band The Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble, was apparently brutally executed after she spurned Kim’s persistent advances and copped off with another bloke....The Pianist..When Kim's agents discovered their relationship by tapping her phone, Yun jumped from the roof of Mokran House, an official banquet hall, with her lover. Although the man died instantly, Kim ordered his men to kill Yun after resuscitating her by any means. She was eventually executed at the end of 2003, while still in coma.Another new low for humanity.

The disturbing  paragraph above is probably a bit light on facts, but somehow I think it probably isn't.The source being a dodgy defector with a book to promote. Tragic for Yun Hye-Yong,but entertaining for us freedom luvin' bastards in the Free world.....unless I've got that upside down as well?

The love of this musical group is absolutely mandatory in the Democratic Peoples Republic of (North) Korea,a bit like ABBA is here,so given the choice between watching or listening to this utter drek or execution, this ain't half bad .

It has that creepy state controlled vibe only equaled by the BBC's test card music of the 1960's1970's when Britain was virtually a communist state too....except with,debatably  'better' music. Although like in the DPRK, homosexuality was still illegal in Britain up to 1967;it just wasn't a capital offence anymore. It sometimes seems that but for the roll of a dice there go we (sounds like a rival Korean Dictator don't it?).Maybe this was the true subject matter of track 3 "Dear Brother is Arrested".........that can't be real can it???....or,to be really trendy, gender politics on track 8, "When I Bloom as a Girl".In fact the running order could have easily been mistaken for an album by The Clash.

It wouldn't surprise me if the powers that be in North Korea played this relaxing,but sinister, elevator muzak at mass execution rallies to wild applause.

Being the ultimate Nanny state,and a very stern Nanny at that, DIY is strictly frowned upon,so,like in the former Soviet Union,you aren't allowed to make and play your own music unless you can prove yourself qualified.....called,laughably,'Professional' status in the CCCP. Then you would be restricted to traditional Folk,classical or play in a weird muzak orchestra like the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble.You could defect to the BBC if you don't mind being shot at I suppose.

So the phrase "Die or DIY?" is a deadly reality in the DPRK, so don't get any fancy ideas of you're North Korean.....not that they have access to the internet to be 'inspired' by the drivel I write,so they're safe....unlike you lot!

Tracklist:

1. Jong Il Peak, Shine 

2. Tondollari

3. Dear Brother Is Arrested

4. Farm's Young People

5. I Will Remain in the Motherland

6. The Village We Live

7. Song of Blessing

8. When I Bloom as a Girl

9. The Youth of the New Day

10. Spreading the Seed of Revolution

11. Young Engine Driver

12. Red Followers on the Beach of the South Sea

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Raymond Scott ‎– "Manhattan Research Inc." (Basta ‎– 30-9078-2) 2000

Whereas one ,rather more famous, Manhatten Project became the Destroyer of Worlds.
There was another that became the Creator Of Worlds,in fact the creator of the synth.This one was run by Raymond Scott,who spent his time stretching the limits of modern 1950's science to make something positive for the future of mankind,rather than its destruction.Although some of the music his research and innovation went on to enable its existence by,would make any sane man choose nuclear annihilation rather than have this torture inflicted upon them.
From around 1949 onwards,former Big Band Jazzer Raymond, spent most all of his time inventing early synth's like the "Electronium", and the "Clavinox",which was a keyboard controlled Theremin,and the "Karloff",an early sampler. Naturally he used all this gear in his wacky music,which can be heard in most decent american cartoons up to and including ,in my opinion, The best TV series ever made, "The Ren and Stimpy Show".
This posthumous release of unreleased works discovered at his home, showcases Scott's pioneering electronics from the 1950s and 1960s with his futuristic electronic compositions mainly used in television and radio commercials and for the burgeoning market for novelty records of electronic music.He was highly prolific in all areas of early electronic music it seems.

So that's why he was forgotten?
Tracklist:

1-01 Manhattan Research, Inc. Copyright 0:11
1-02 Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. (Instrumental, Take 4) 1:14
1-03 Bendix 1: "The Tomorrow People" 1:06
1-04 Lightworks 1:52
1-05 The Bass-Line Generator 3:10
1-06 "Don't Beat Your Wife Every Night!" 1:44
1-07 "B.C. 1675" (The "Gillette" Conga Drum Jingle) 3:16
1-08 Vim 0:59
1-09 Auto-Lite: Sta-Ful (Instrumental) 0:47
1-10 Sprite "Melonball Bounce" (Instrumental) 1:01
1-11 Sprite "Melonball Bounce" 0:59
1-12 "Wheels That Go" 0:50
1-13 "Limbo: The Organized Mind" 4:33
1-14 "Portofino" 1 2:13
1-15 County Fair 1:01
1-16 Lady Gaylord 1:02
1-17 Good Air (Take 7) 0:38
1-18 IBM MT/ST: "The Paperwork Explosion" 4:31
1-19 Domino 0:33
1-20 Super Cheer 0:34
1-21 Cheer: Revision 3 (New Backgrounds) 0:39
1-22 "Twilight In Turkey" 1:32
1-23a Raymond Scott Quote 0:55
1-23b Vicks: Medicated Cough Drops 0:41
1-24 Vicks: Formula 44 0:46
1-25 Auto-Lite: Spark Plugs 1:00
1-26 Nescafé 1:06
1-27 Awake 0:35
1-28 "Backwards Overload" 6:04
1-29 Bufferin: "Memories" (Original) 0:59
1-30 Bandito The Bongo Artist 1:30
1-31 Night And Day 1:45
1-32 Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. ("395") 1:07
1-33 K2r 0:19
1-34 IBM Probe 1:56
1-35 GMGM 1A 1:49
1-36 The Rhythm Modulator 3:37
2-01 Ohio Plus 0:17
2-02 "In The Hall Of The Mountain Queen" 0:49
2-03 General Motors: Futurama 1:04
2-04 "Portofino" 2 2:14
2-05 "The Wild Piece" (a.k.a. "String Piece") 4:07
2-06 "Take Me To Your Violin Teacher" 1:40
2-07 "Ripples" (Original Soundtrack) 0:59
2-08 Cyclic Bit 1:04
2-09 "Ripples" (Montage) 4:06
2-10 The Wing Thing 1:00
2-11 County Fair (Instrumental) 1:00
2-12 "Cindy Electronium" 1:59
2-13 "Don't Beat Your Wife Every Night!" (Instrumental) 1:45
2-14 Hostess: Twinkies 0:32
2-15 Hostess: Twinkies (Instrumental) 0:32
2-16 Ohio Bell: Thermo Fax 0:24
2-17 "The Pygmy Taxi Corporation" 7:11
2-18 Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. (Announce Copy, Take 1) 0:29
2-19 Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. 0:44
2-20 Lightworks (Slow) 1:40
2-21 "The Paperwork Explosion" (Instrumental) 3:39
2-22 Auto-Lite: Ford Family 1:03
2-23 Auto-Lite: Ford Family (Instrumental) 0:54
2-24a Raymond Scott Quote 0:27
2-24b Auto-Lite: "Wheels" 1:23
2-25 Bufferin: "Memories" (Demo) 0:40
2-26 "Space Mystery" (Montage) 5:11
2-27 "The Toy Trumpet" 2:15
2-28 "Backward Beeps" 1:05
2-29a Raymond Scott Quote 0:35
2-29b Auto-Lite: Sta-Ful 1:01
2-30 Lightworks (Instrumental) 1:29
2-31 "When Will It End?" 3:14
2-32 Bendix 2: "The Tomorrow People" 1:03
2-33 Electronic Audio Logos, Inc. 5:23

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Perrey & Kingsley ‎– "The In Sound From Way Out!" ( Vanguard ‎– VSD-79222) 1966

From the 'Stereolab' (now where have we heard that before?) of  Gershon Kingsley and Jean-Jacques Perrey....fine american names both.....we bring you "The In Sound From Way Out!";probably one of the top ten album titles of alllll time. It even got used twice when The Beastie Boys brought out an album with the same name,same cover, but far far shitter music inside.
Using all those avant garde Musique Concréte techniques made famous by lofty com-poseurs like Pierre Schaeffer nigh-on twenty years previously.Perrey and Kingsley did the american thing and made the silliest music possible with kilometres of magnetic tape and a razor blade.I say 'silly', but if some French bloke fresh out of the Conservatoire de Musique made this in 1952,it would still be hailed as a ground breaking work of art-sonique to this day.
Instead it's filed in the Novelty section as a rediscovered piece of cheese to break the ice at your soirée...in fact exactly what it was created for in 1966.Forget History and we're doomed to repeat it.....oh shit,was that my right wing ignorance and a reference to Statue toppeling again??? In which case I don't apologize.


Tracklist:

1.Unidentified Flying Object 1:55
2.The Little Man From Mars 2:25
3.Cosmic Ballad 3:24
4.Swan's Splashdown 2:15
5.Countdown At 6 2:49
6.Barnyard In Orbit 2:24
7.Spooks In Space 2:00
8.Girl From Venus 2:21
9.Electronic Can-Can 2:00
10.Jungle Blues From Jupiter 2:55
11.Computer In Love 2:03
12.Visa To The Stars 2:13

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Tom Dissevelt & Kid Baltan ‎– "The Fascinating World Of Electronic Music" (Philips ‎– P 08168) 1959

Fascinating isn't it?......what do you mean 'what!'???, The world of Electronic Music of course!?
This is the Dutch 'The In Sound From Way Out',but done seven years before Perrey and KIngsley's batchelor pad classic in the USA. This never made it into the Space-age Batchelor pads of America of course,only being released in such weird nowheres-ville places as Argentina, the Netherlands,and Mexico!?
It's not quite as silly as Perrey and Kingsley's work in the mid to late sixties, but I'm sure a copy of this may have found its way into their sweaty palms at some stage in the process....even the cover art bares some similarity to the In-Sound from not so way out,Holland in fact.
Its also Fascinating, how the technology of any age is used mainly for our own titilation and entertainment rather than helping anyone;like the internet, far from being an information superhighway,and bringing everyone together in harmonious peace,its used for masturbation,gossip,propaganda,getting laid by strangers and stealing,...oops...I mean sharing, free records.......Fuck peace man!
I know what you're all asking,"Who is this cool sounding Kid Baltan?".
Rule one is, always reverse the words when deciphering an alias.
So we are left with Dik Natlab, which is none other than Dick Raaijmakers......satisfied now with your endless questions?....No?.....Who's he?.....?
Dick Raaijmakers,is a Dutch early electronic composer,who worked for 'Nat Lab' (Baltan),(Natuurkundig Laboratorium ,laboratory for physics),.....you dig?

The enigmatic 'Kid Baltan......somehow not as I imagined him!?

So, Kid Baltan, got together with fellow Dutchman, Jazzer and experimental composer, Tom Dissevelt (real name), and made these weird musique concrete pieces for 'Phillips' in the 'Natlab' ,which was created by Phillips in order to develop new ways in music on a scientific basis. 
Again, these tunes would be perfect for some East European animation, but instead, like the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, the company didn't give enough credit to Tom and Dick, so Tom left the Natlab to Dick in 1963.
I also noticed that Perrey and Kingsley called their studio the "Stereo Lab"......inspired from the Nat Lab by any chance?...also strange because most of these things were in Mono.....'Mono Lab' anyone?
Originally credited as being by "The Elektrosoniks",this,nestling between The Incredible String Band and The Velvet Underground, was cited as one of David Bowies all-time top 25 albums!?


Tracklist:

1 Syncopation 2:49
2 Intersection 3:12
3 Drifting 7:22
4 Vibration 3:07
5 Song Of The Second Moon 2:35
6 Whirling 3:00
7 Mechanical Motions 5:25
8 Pianoforte 5:05

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Ruth White ‎– "Short Circuits" (Angel Records ‎– S-36042) 1971

After she finished her two occult inspired 'Experimental' albums for Limelight, Ruth White resorted to more comfortable territory in music for kids and families, where she spent most of her career.
This is basically one in a long line of electronic novelty records from the post war years. It's not unlike that classic Perrey and Kingsley album "The In Sound From Way Out", and i think they even did a version of  "The Flight Of The Bumblebee" on one of their multitundenous other albums. The difference is that Perrey and Kingsley made their albums from hours of painfully slow tape editing,splicing together thousands of short one-note long pieces of tape which contained an oscillator tone,and making a tape patchwork that became a tune.Amazing dedication to novelty music which deserves a medal.
Ruth, did no such thing for her novelty electronic album...she actually played a syntheziser,something that didn't exist in the fifties and early sixties.The only tape trickery she did was to slow the tape speed down so she could appear to play faster.
She still manages to sound a bit wierd anyway,and there are plenty of classic Modular Moog sounds to please even the most travelled samplist.
This one got lost amongst the tidal wave of 'Moog'plays the classics records of the early 70's.


Tracklist:

The Flight Of The Bumblebee 1:20
Gymnopédie No. 1 2:30
The Snow Is Dancing 2:07
Variations On Couperin's Rondeau 1:38
The Butterfly 1:37
Anvil Chorus 1:25
Tempo Di Ballo 2:48
Etude In G Flat 1:32
Solfeggietto 1:50
Prelude In E Minor 2:14
Polka From "The Age Of Gold" 2:10
The Ball 1:36
Sonata In G 1:58
Asturias 5:20

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Dr Stanley Z. Daniels - "Sex Explained For Children" / "Sex For Teens(Where Its At) / "Sex For (Sex Is Fun Particularly When You're In Love)" ( Carapan Records 1969-1972)

Do you think the two characters on each cover are the same people at different stages of their lives?
There you go, we can pair up for life like Ducks do. Although i think volumes four to six would have been on Divorce for Adults, Teens and Children. We need more guidence on how to split up than how to have sex....that's the easy part.
These three classic forays in to how to patronize teens and adults are indespensible acquistions for child and adult alike. Not for the rather unreliable advice of Dr. Stanley Z. Daniels, but for the chance to hear children say 'Penis' and 'Menstruation', and  hear the good Doctor's views on the sick and depraved existence of Homosexuals. There's some jaw dropping stuff on these ,so-called 'Educational' discs, and typically, they being American in origin, 'God' gets a hefty look in too.Ask your local preacher for advice, is Stanley's guidence at one stage.
The Doctors voice has a similar quality to Ken Nordines rich timbre,but more robotic, and far funnier. 
Listening to this progressive-regressive modernism from the past is enough to put you off sex altogether, rather than want to do it properly.
The ignorance is an intresting insight into the thoughts and opinions of middle calss america in the seventies,that hasn't changed much even today, as well as being rather hilarious. 
I notice its also only for whites too?
By far the best of the three volumes,if not just for the acting, is "Sex For Teens". The 'with it',but obviously square boy-teen is having an argument with his sister about her hippie boyfriend,when The Doctor enters the conversation to calm things down.....it all goes steeply downhill from there.The part on Homosexuality is priceless!
I'm sure this has been sampled to death.Now here's your chance.

DOWNLOAD the complete set HERE!

Les Baxter Featuring Bas Sheva ‎– "The Passions" (Capitol Records ‎– LAL-486) 1954

If you have a preponderance for recordings of a young lady's screams, wails, whimpers, howls, grunts, and moans.Then this is the 10 incher for you.......the size of the record by the way.
Exotica and easy listening legend Les Baxter, attempts to capture the complex world of a woman's emotions in sound,using the wide octave range of the obscure vocal talents of Bas Sheva; which is the Ashkenazi Jew pronouciation of Biblical saucy temptress "Bathsheba"...so i'm told!
Bas wasn't around for very long,as she died while working as a singer on a cruise liner in 1960, from a fatal diabetic reaction to ship food. Leaving just this crowning achievement of horrific wordless moaning to keep her soul alive forever.All in glorious Mono too...and it takes no prisoners,so begin at a low volume.
One more record that is guaranteed to clear a room. Always keep it handy just in case unwelcome guests arrive,or outstay their welcome.
Very good for Social Distancing as recommended by your national governments in 2020.

Tracklist:

1.Despair
2.Ecstasy
3.Hate
4.Lust
5.Terror
6.Jealousy
7.Joy

DOWNLOAD the dangerous world of a woman's emotions HERE!

Masami Kawahara & The Exotic Sounds ‎– "Ecstasy" ( Columbia ‎– YS-10077-J) 1970

Another Erotic album from Nippon, which gives a whole new perspective on the word 'Nips'.This involves more Japanese moaning and groaning to a hefty slice of vintage Japanese exotica erotica by Masami Kawahara & The Exotic Sounds.
Dunno whats going on with the young lady on the cover? She's either dead or drugged,or both?
Sonic-wise, the disc unleashes a whirlpool of Latin styled mondo -sexploitation sounds that get spiced up with feminine breathing , moaning and hissing, igniting a maelstrom of assorted erotic nonsense and sexual depravity. 
In all, it resembles a cheeky vixen engaged in some drug influenced rumpy-pumpy, hatching out cries, moans, sighs,unitelligable words and other naughty sounds such as the cracking of a whip and other such pervy sound bites , bringing out every possible noise made by a ballbuster on heat. 
The name of Kuwahara Masami may be an unfamiliar one but he was the person responsible for giving Ike Reiko her very distinct sound,or sounds,on her album for which he provided the musical backbone and arrangements unto which Ike could utter her depraved songs.He provided the backbone, and she provided the Boner. 
The album “ Kokotsu / Ecstasy”  however was recorded slightly before his engagement with Reiko.....which is why he couldn't think of a different title to call it, i suppose? 
Bloody weird those Nips.Especially the Nips with the clamps on 'em! (Titter yee Not!)
I guess this is the Japanese version of Ecstasy,which will generally involve some kind of sado-masochism and cruelty.There are some audible slapping sounds on bare flesh heard above the Exotic backing track.A japanese version of the American fad from the fifties, Martin Denny and Les Baxter etc;but the sexual element in the US version was more a suggestion rather than in your face perversion.
Tut Tut Tut! Those very naughty Japanese people!

Tracklist:

A1 Temptation
A2 Manha De Carnaval
A3 Taboo
A4 Jungle Drums
A5 Swahili
A6 Hombre Y Mujer
B1 Mit Day Lagoon
B2 Nightingale
B3 The Voodoo
B4 Flamingo
B5 Emiliano Zapata
B6 Poinciana

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Bob McFadden & Dor ‎– "Songs Our Mummy Taught Us" (Brunswick ‎– BL 754056) 1959

Who's this Bob McFadden you may ask; and who the Fuck is Dor?...Well as 'Dor' is 'Rod' spelled backwards,the answer becomes blatantly obvious..yep, it's Rod McKuen,doing what he did best, parodying current trends for the maaaaaaan.
Backed up again, by Bill Haley and his Comets on the obvious tracks, this album is actually genuinly hilarious.
Everyone gets it, Rock'n'Roll,Beatniks,Exotica,marching bands,Horror movies...er...thats about it,there wasn't much of a wide pallet of choice in 1959.
The Fall,and their beatnik singer, did a rather good version of "The Mummy" I recall, during their wilderness years in the nineties.And this maybe where the Cramps got their debut album title from.Everyone stole from this record it seems,'cus Richard Hell's Blank Generation tune is here too,with different words, however.
Did Rod ever get any royalties from Hell's blatant rip off I wonder?


Tracklist:

A1 The Mummy
A2 The Sheik Of Araby (Shreik Of Agony-Cha Cha Cha)
A3 Sing Along With The Mummy (Shake, Rattle And Roll)
A4 I Dig You Baby
A5 Frankie And Igor At A Rock And Roll Party
A6 Noisy Village
B1 Son Of The Mummy (More Sing Along With The Mummy)
B2 Hound Dog
B3 Bingo
B4 The Children Cross The Bridge - Colonel Bogey March
B5 The Beat Generation
B6 The Beverly Hills Telephone Directory Cha Cha Cha

Oh yeah....like...er...wow....it's strictly DOWNLOADsville right HERE daddio!

Ken Nordine ‎– "Stare With Your Ears" (Snail Records ‎– SR 1001) 1979

Whoops-a-daisy....Ken tries to sing on a couple of these tracks. No Ken!
Thankfully, he sticks to his tried and trusted method of talking over some music, this time provided by Pat Ferreri replacing the cool cartoon beatnik jazz of his fifties work with woodstock hangover country and western, including contributions from the great man himself.
There's some nifty usage of a Vocoder,but the backing tracks are mostly country-tinged versions of a no-budget hippie cash-in movie soundtrack from ten years earlier."Cheesey Rider".
Well,I'd go and see it!?
The cover art is also designed to appeal to upwardly mobile American hippies who were still lurking like a cœlacanthe in the deep dark oceans of the Punk Rock era.....like those post-cambrian fish,they were thought extinct,but now we know where to find them ,often aserting that music died soon after the release of the Notorious Byrd Brothers album, with the exception of the first half dozen Neil Young solo albums, the ones without Crazy Horse that is.


Tracklist:

A1 Island 1:33
A2 Angel's Lament 4:08
A3 Alphabet 2:58
A4 Cracks In The Ceiling 4:33
A5 Mister Blister 2:13
A6 Fadeaway Stranger 2:47
A7 Once Upon A You Know What 2:22
B1 Don't You Wish 2:42
B2 Seven Ways Of The Meek 5:20
B3 Ballad Of The Final Page 4:02
B4 Inchoate Blues 7:18
B5 Smelts 0:33
B6 Scratch 2:46

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Ken Nordine ‎– "Son Of Word Jazz" (Dot Records ‎– DLP 25096) 1958

As in the movie world,anything that has the prefix, "Son Of", in front of it, can not, after strict scientific observation, be as good as the original. Just the same as the suffix "2" for the follow up movie to a sucessful original. "Son Of Godzilla" isn't as good as "Godzilla" for example, and Jaws 2 is a desperate version of "Jaws"......don't even mention "Jaws 3D".
Word Jazz, has a "2", and a "Grandson of...." which aren't very good at all. The same applies to "Son Of Word Jazz". It's kind of  allllriiiight, but certainly lacking the quality of the stories /poems on the parent album;but, like "Son Of Godzilla" it has its good points. Such as the ludicrous noise that Baby Godzilla (Minilla) makes, and the bit when baby Godzilla gets a good kicking from some giant mosquitoes; "Son of Word Jazz has a poem called "I Used To Think My Right Hand Was Uglier Than My Left"
Of course,according to the Quantum physics' shadow universe theory, there's going to be some Nordine nut out there who thinks this is the best Word Jazz album. Just as your trusty scribe used to insist that "Son Of Godzilla" was the best Godzilla movie.....now i'm inclined towards "Godzilla Vrs Mechagodzilla"; so maybe its possible that I could do the same with the Word Jazz family? This is all classic quantum wave behaviour,so don't be alarmed.An alternative world exists where "Jaws 3-D" is generally regarded as the best movie ever made.... anywhere....in any time.Which is,of course, both correct and very,very, wrong at the same time.
The paradox that is Meat Loaf's "Bat Out Of Hell", which is a truly awful insideous crime against humanity,should, under these theories, have a counterpart which is a work of musical genius.Confusingly what we got was "Bat Out Of Hell 2", which is an even worse heinous crime that could threaten even the fabric of space/time itself.The only way to stop this happening would be to put the matter, and anti-matter versions of Meat Loaf into a room so that they cancel each other out,anihilating each other out of existence.Therefore preserving the smooth function of particle physics and the balance of this observable universe for the forseeable future.

Tracklist:

A1 The Smith Family 1:59
A2 Miss Cone 2:43
A3 Outer Space 3:37
A4 Down The Drain 3:12
A5 Secretary 3:01
A6 Bubble Gum 2:36
B1 Looking At Numbers 2:21
B2 Anytime, Anytime 2:20
B3 I Used To Think My Right Hand Was Uglier Than My Left 2:15
B4 Lemming 2:18
B5 The Bullfighter 2:50
B6 Junk Man 4:35

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Ken Nordine ‎– "Word Jazz" (Dot Records) 1957

'A somewhat new medium', it says on the cover. Was this the start of 'Rap'? There's certainly a beatnik vibe to these comforting mono monologues,and after all, 'Rap', was a hipster term for talking.
Yeah I know, us 'Honkys' are alway misapropriating Black Culture and claiming it for the supreme white race.I'm still looking for that KKK rap record,I'm sure it exists.However, I suppose I could slag, John Coltrane off for using a Belgian instrument, but I won't be so petty. We are Humans all, and Humans are responsible for Rap music......for their eternal shame.I'm proud to say it had fuck all to do with me.I can comfortably claim 'Nicht Schuldig' in the Nuremburg Rap Trials for crimes against music, fashion and culture in general, which ocurred in the mid to late 2050's......does this groovy concept come under Retro-Futurism or Alternative Histories?
Would you let a Rapper into your Nuclear Bunker,or hermatically sealed anti-Virus pod? Be it Vanilla Ice or Ice-T?...the answer is NO FUCKING WAY.Would sooner have a dose of anthrax or Radiation Sickness before I allowed even a basball cap anywhere near me during the nuclear winter.
Lots of actors started talking,rather than singing over some hip music from the mid to late (nineteen)fifties onwards,and i guess there were similar star vehicles before Nordine,but Ken gets the plaudits.
Nordines smooth voice flows like hot chocolate sauce over a waffle,and his intonation gives these charming stories a slightly surreal edge,all layered over the Fred Katz Group's cartoon jazz.
Among the laid back vibes and cigarette commercial narration, there lies some astute observations about Human culture and behaviour of the naked ape.Above all,and its not something I refer to very often on this blog, its entertaining?

Tracklist:

A1 What Time Is It? 3:48
A2 My Baby 2:36
A3 Sound Museum 7:09
A4 The Vidiot 5:30
B1 Roger 5:05
B2 Hunger Is From 3:47
B3 Looks Like It's Going To Rain 3:27
B4 Flibberty Jib 4:42

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Rajput & The Sepoy Mutiny ‎– "Flower Power Sitar" (Design Records ‎– DLP-280) 1968

Nobody knows who Rajput was, nevermind who was in his backing band, The Sepoy Mutiny!? Probably a few session musicians enlisted on their morning off,or,more likely, the morning after a night on the booze.
One thing's for sure howvever. Raj couldn't play the Sitar very well,and almost certainly was not Indian.
There was a comedian (the late great Les Dawson) in the UK who had the great talent to play the piano just a half note out of tune.Rendering classical tunes as objects of mirth.
Rajput has the same talent with the Sitar,transforming ten harmless pop tunes into ten reasons for the end of music.
Blatantly aimed at the budget end of the Psychedelic revolution,this qualifies as unashamedly exploitative.George Harrison this is not,and the poor kids who bought it expecting such like would have been disappointed that it was not up to the admitedly low standards of 'the Quiet one' himself.
In hindsight, we can forgive the 'cash-in' morals of the original motives for creating this appaling trash;but it has left us 21st century cynics with one of the true treasures from the 60's.Basically, its fucking hilarious.

Tracklist:

A1 Flower Power
A2 Flower Bed
A3 I String Beads
A4 Do It With Flowers
A5 Lullaby For Flower Children
B1 Up, Up & Away
B2 Beautiful, Beautiful Flower
B3 Flowers, Flowers Everywhere
B4 Ragadelic
B5 Child Of Love

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Emil Richards ‎– "New Sound Element "Stones" (UNI Records ‎– 73008) 1967

Emil Richards really was Martin Denny on LSD 25? This percussive trip around the twelve 'Birthstones' is one of thee most bizarre records ever produced,and contains some of the most wigged out Moog playing I've ever heard.Its a kind of "The In-Sound From Way Out" ,by Perrey and Kingsley,but for mature adults only.
The Liner notes indicate that the instruments used were "Dr. Irv Wilson's 22-tone-to-the-octave instruments...",and the back cover lists all used tempos from 40/4 (Wot??) to 16 /8 (uh?!!),now that's just plain showin' off?

Our fav Sitarist, Bill Plummer, plays bass on this too!What greater recommendation do you need?
Prepare to have your minds and ears,but not yer knob, well and truly blown.

Tracklist:

A1 Garnet (January) 2:26
A2 Amethyst (February) 2:00
A3 Bloodstone (March) 2:19
A4 Diamond (April) 2:35
A5 Emerald (May) 2:25
A6 Moonstone (June) 2:12
B1 Ruby (July) 2:33
B2 Sardonyx (August) 1:59
B3 Sapphire (September) 2:22
B4 Opal (October) 2:43
B5 Topaz (November) 2:00
B6 Turquoise (December) 2:21

DOWNLOAD the out sound from way in HERE! 

Martin Denny ‎– "A Taste Of India" (Liberty ‎– LST-7550) 1968

I mentioned Martin Denny in the Emil Richards 'Journey To Bliss' post,so, here's Martins short foray into Psychsploitation under the guise of Exotica discovers a Taste of India.
I first discovered Martin Denny thanks to Throbbing Gristles obsession with the recorded works and style of the master of Exotica. His steamy tropical fusion of western easy listening with a stylised polyneasian feel,characterised by the cover photo's of sultry models of indeterminate ethnicity invariably peeking through a bamboo screen.Performing soft arrangements of popular songs with an odd instrument or two from Hawaii or places in Asia and the South Pacific such as conch shells, Indonesian and Burmese gongs, Japanese kotos, boobams and even the local forest animals and so in serendipity blended ingredients of Easy Listening, Jungle Noise, Smooth Jazz, Polynesian "Tiki" instrumentation, that would become Mr. Denny's musical signature sound: Exotica.
His version of The Strawberry Alarm Clock's "Incence and Peppermints" actually makes this pretty inoffensive pop tune just a tad weirder.You could now imagine a drug crazed serial killer chopping up a body and packing it into a suitcase with this playing in the background.Probably the attraction that Genesis P. Orridge found in this strange blend, he being also obsessed with Killers like the oft-mentioned Chuck Manson. The Moors Murderers in particular were especially fond of Ray Conniff, as they played his version of "The Little Drummer Boy" when they tortured Leslie Anne Downey.This is music for Psychopaths who couldn't be bothered to travel anywhere.
"Why do I need to see the Taj Mahal when I've got the music?"
Its the cheap alternative to flying,and far more greener.
Tourism is destroying the things the tourists want to go and see.At least with a Martin Denny album you get to imagine the Pyramids or Machu picchu without dropping your water bottles and eroding these places of enormous cultural importance,and keep your carbon footprint firmly in the managable zone......but then again, Who Cares!!? We're at the tipping point and its TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!!!

ps...BUT you can still help and save the Pangolin before we're extinct...click here!

Tracklist:

A1 Indrani
A2 Amy's Theme
A3 It Must Be Him
A4 Hypnotique
A5 A World Of Whispers
A6 Incense And Peppermints
B1 Yellow Bird
B2 Tara's Theme
B3 Live For Life
B4 Meditation (Meditacáo)
B5 Our Summer Love
B6 A Touch Of India (Pearl Of The Sea)

DOWNLOAD a tasty Indian HERE!