Naif – Atlas [2xLP] (1982, Filobus Records)

By the beginning of the 1980s, Barcelona had become a fertile meeting point for musicians working far outside the boundaries of conventional rock or jazz. Among the most active figures on that scene was Víctor Nubla, a restless composer, clarinetist and conceptual artist whose work would become closely associated with the city's experimental underground. Together with bassist and multi-instrumentalist Enric Cervera, he launched Naif, a collaborative project that brought together musicians from different backgrounds to explore free improvisation, contemporary composition, folk influences and surreal humor without worrying about stylistic labels. 

 
Released in 1982 by Filobus Records, 'Atlas' perfectly captures that adventurous spirit. Filobus was a small independent Barcelona label that specialized in experimental and avant-garde music, giving artists complete freedom to pursue ideas that fell well outside the commercial mainstream. At a time when Spain's independent scene was rapidly expanding after the political transition, the label became an important outlet for adventurous recordings that blended improvisation, electronics, jazz, contemporary classical music and sound experimentation. 

 
Although Naif revolved around Víctor Nubla and Enric Cervera, 'Atlas' was very much a collective effort. Nubla contributed clarinets, cornet, organ, paidophon, synthesizer, dulzaina, whistle and vocals, while Cervera played double bass, electric piano, synthesizer, percussion, whistle and vocals. Guitarist Albert Giménez was another key figure throughout the sessions, joined by a wide circle of collaborators including Foguete on percussion and vocals, Néstor Munt on trumpet and flugelhorn, Queca Hosta on vocals, Oriol Pons de Vall on alto saxophone, Juan José Ordinas on guitar, Claudio Zulián on piano and the intriguingly credited "spectral pianist" Conrad Setó. Together they created an album that constantly shifts in mood and instrumentation, with each musician adding another layer to its remarkably rich sound.

 
Spread across two LPs, 'Atlas' runs for roughly eighty-five minutes and is built around four extended compositions, each occupying an entire side of vinyl. Rather than presenting variations on a single idea, every piece explores its own musical territory. The opening side is the most approachable, weaving together contemporary chamber music, jazz, acoustic textures and electronic touches before gradually drifting into more abstract territory. From there the record becomes increasingly unpredictable, moving through minimalist passages, unsettling synthesizer textures, sparse percussion, buzzing brass, free-flowing saxophone improvisations and unexpected vocal interludes. Another side dives headfirst into a dense collision of fuzz guitar, trumpet, Hammond organ, percussion and uncompromising free jazz, while the closing piece slowly dissolves into looser, almost weightless structures where electronics and ethereal female vocals emerge from the increasingly spacious arrangements. 

 
Over the years, 'Atlas' has earned a reputation among collectors and fans of experimental music as one of the hidden gems of Spain's avant-garde scene, with some listeners even describing it as one of the most provocative albums of the 1980s. That reputation comes from its refusal to settle into a single style. Instead, it embraces constant change, inviting the listener through an ever-shifting landscape where contemporary composition, improvisation, electronics, folk instruments and free jazz all coexist without clear boundaries. It remains a remarkable document of Barcelona's creative underground at a time when musicians were discovering just how far they could push their ideas. 

 

 

Label: Filobus Records – FD 11 28 

Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Numbered 

Country: Spain 

Released: Oct 9, 1982 

Style: Jazz Fusion, Prog Rock, Experimental, Avant-garde Jazz, Free Improvisation, ECM Style Jazz

 

Tracklist: 

Cara Fina 

A1 Cristall 3:24 

A2 Paisatje Urba 8:33 

A3 Preludi Europeu 0:39 

A4 Dos Ciclistas 1:28 

A5 El Camp De Les Cireres 8:04 

Cara Dura 

B1 Cristall N° 2 5:29 

B2 Pirri 6:30 

B3 Nuovo Cante (At The Sanatorium) 4:58 

B4 El Mandalin 3:31 

CarAmba 

C1 Tema Lent 1:48 

C2 El Somni Dels Despertadors 1:25 

C3 Mediterrànea (La Musa Dispersica) 5:21 

C4 Al Oeste Del Eden 0:32 

C5 Un Espejo Azul 10:54 

C6 Enigmatica Providencia 0:16 

En Cara Gràcies 

D Work Zone 18:19 

 

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Mortimer – Profesión / Travoltini [7''] (1979, Chapa Discos)

By the time Mortimer released the 7" 'Profesión / Travoltini' in 1979, the Barcelona underground was still finding its identity. Just a couple of years earlier, the city's emerging alternative rock scene was built around only a handful of names: La Banda Trapera del Río, Basura, Peligro and Mortimer. It was a difficult period for independent bands, with very few opportunities to record or play regularly. In the end, only La Banda Trapera del Río managed to establish a lasting career, while the rest disappeared almost as quickly as they had appeared, leaving behind only a handful of recordings.

 
Mortimer were a power trio made up of Xavier Dalmau on guitar and vocals, Josep Llobera on bass and Iñaki Ferreter on drums. Although they were frequently grouped with the first wave of Spanish punk, their sound leaned much more toward tough, streetwise rock. There were traces of British pub rock and hard rock running through their songs, resulting in a gritty, direct style that perfectly reflected the rough neighborhoods of late-1970s Barcelona. They weren't punk in the strict musical sense, but in the years immediately following Franco's dictatorship, attitude often mattered more than labels. Their confrontational live shows and rebellious image were enough to make them part of the same movement in the eyes of audiences and the music press. 

 
That perception was reinforced by their record company. Mortimer had originally been signed by Belter, which was eager to capitalize on the growing interest in punk and presented the band as part of that new wave of dangerous, antisocial rock groups. When 'Profesión / Travoltini' appeared on Chapa Discos in 1979, it found a more natural home. Founded by producer Vicente "Mariscal" Romero and distributed through Zafiro, Chapa had become Spain's leading label for hard rock and heavy music, releasing records by artists who sat outside the mainstream but had a strong following among rock fans. 

 
The single captures both sides of Mortimer's personality. "Profesión" delivers raw, no-frills rock driven by crunchy guitars and an energetic rhythm section, while "Travoltini" reveals the band's sense of humor and willingness to poke fun at contemporary trends, all without losing their rough-edged character. The performances feel spontaneous and full of swagger, preserving the same street-level intensity that had made the trio stand out on Barcelona stages a couple of years before. 

 
Although Mortimer split up soon after and never recorded a full-length album, 'Profesión / Travoltini' remains an important document from the earliest days of Barcelona's underground rock explosion. It stands as a reminder of a brief but exciting period when the lines between punk, hard rock and pub rock were still blurred, and when attitude, energy and a healthy disregard for convention counted for far more than fitting neatly into a musical category.

 

 

Label: Chapa Discos – H-33023 

Format: Vinyl, 7", Single 

Country: Spain 

Released: 1979 

Style: Punk Rock, Prog Rock, New Wave, Rockabilly 

 

Tracklist: 

A Profesión 3:55 

B Travoltini 3:22 

 

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Doggerel Bank – Mister Skillicorn Dances [LP] (1975, Charisma)

 

Without a doubt, one of the most unknown and unique of the wonderful Charisma artists would have to be Doggerel Bank, a group featuring an eccentric poet with equally eccentric musical backing. The center of the group was William Bealby-Wright, a poet from the Isle of Man (i.e. a Manx) and former leader of The Barrow Poets, a music and poetry aggregation who made records from roughly the mid-60’s to the early 70’s, with albums on Fontana and Argo as well as privately pressed records.

 

Doggeral Bank set the words of William Bealby-Wright to an art-rock melange of harmonium, violin, viola, harp, mandolin, piano, organ, concertina, mini moog, electric guitar, drums and percussion composed by former British poet lauriat Jim Betjeman. Although they released two groundbreaking albums, 'Silver Face' and 'Mister Skillicorn Dances', neither was released outside of England and the group disbanded.  

 

Susan Baker, who played harmonium, mandolin and violin for Doggeral Bank from 1973 until 1975, went on to perform on the soundtrack of The Who's 'Tommy'.  Jim Parker, who is largely responsible for the music on the Doggerel Bank LPs, also did the musical backing on Betjeman’s four Charisma LPs. Producer Hugh Murphy, best known for his work with Gerry Rafferty, also produced a number of Charisma singles by a wide range of artists, and had earlier helmed some wonderful progressive rock with Gracious! for Vertigo. [SOURCE: LAST.FM] 

 

 

Label: Charisma – CAS 1102 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country: UK 

Released: Apr 1975 

Style: Prog Rock, Poetry, Art Pop

 

Tracklist:

A1 Where The Sun Always Shines 4:13 

A2 The Man With The Ginger Lily 2:21 

A3 Hyde Park Monster 4:51 

A4 Crazy Lips 2:29 

A5 Lady Jane 1:49 

A6 Oblique Song 3:36 

B1 The Lighthouse Keeper's Bicycle 5:08 

B2 North Circular Blues 2:38 

B3 Cow Pie 2:18 

B4 Sarcophagus Blues 2:52 

B5 Mister Skillicorn Dances 2:47 

B6 Shopping Around 4:53 

B7 Valediction (Rondeau Redouble) 3:11 

 

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Karma – The Joke's On You [Cass] (1983, Not On Label)

Obscure Neo Prog band, formed in 1982 and playing around the Hertfordshire area, Karma would propably remained in obscurity if it wasn't the presence of later Porcupine Tree mastermind Steven Wilson on the line-up (guitars/voice),which also included keyboardist Tom Dussek, drummer Mark Gordon and bassist Pete Rowe. These 16-year old teenagers released a cassette entitled 'The Joke's On You' in 1983.

 
Surprisingly for a bunch of kids, the album contains interesting compositions, typical example of the early-80's underground Neo Progressive movement. It is even a greater surprise that Steven Wilson's guitar remains on the background with keyboardist Tom Dussek being the driving force on each track. The overall style is close to early Galahad and Quasar, synth-dominated powerful progressive rock with symphonic traces, flashy synth soloing and some good guitar solos.Wilson's voice is rather amateur, what more reasonable for a kid about 16 years old trying to sing like a grown man. The production is very raw with a mediocre mix, but the keyboard work really shines through. 

A couple of tracks (''Nine Cats'' and ''Small Fish'') appeared later on the first Porcupine Tree works in totally different sounding and shorter versions. 'The Joke's On You' on the other hand contains all the good elements of the British New Progressive Rock wave, especially if you like the raw underground recordings of the age. Recommended but very hard to find. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]

 

 

Label: Not On Label (Karma Self-released) – KM01 

Format: Cassette, Stereo 

Country: UK 

Released: Oct 1983 

Style: Prog Rock, Neo-Prog

 

Tracklist:

A1 Intruder D'Or 3:50 

A2 Tigers In The Rain 7:50 

A3 Small Fish 4:55 

B Nine Cats 15:20 

 

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Webcore – The Captain's Table [12''] (1987, Jungle Records, A Real Kavoom)

 

Webcore formed in Cornwall in 1984 and lasted until 1987. They released several self-released cassettes: 'Cinematography' (A Real Kavoom, 1984) 'The Great Unfolding' (A Real Kavoom, 1986) and 'Consider The River' (M.E.L.T. Music, 1987); 2 LP's: 'Webcore' (1987) and 'Webcore Webcore' (1988); and 2 12"s through Jungle Records: 'The Captain's Table' and 'Running for the Precedent', both in 1987. 

 

Members were  Mick West (Vox), Phil Pickering (Bass), Paul Chousmer (Keys), Clive Goodwin (Guitar, later became Ozric Tentacles sound engineer), Colin Woolway (Drums), Nick Van Gelder (Drums, had played with the Ozric Tentacles earlier and went on to Jamiroquai), Dan Carpenter (Sax occasionally), Jackie Hannah and Karen Kay (backing vox).  

 

Webcore were co-founders of the event "Alice in Wonderland" with the Ozric Tentacles in the late eighties. Paul Chousmer and Dan Carpenter later did chillout rooms for London based events and venues such as Club Dog, the Deptford Crypt, and later Whirly-Gig and Return to the Source, under the name Another Green World during the early to mid-nineties. [SOURCE: LAST.FM]

 

 

Label: Jungle Records ‎– JUNG 30T, A Real Kavoom ‎– ARK 23 

Format: Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM 

Country: UK 

Released: 1987 

Style: Psychedelic Rock, Experimental, Prog Rock, Neo-Psychedelia

 

Tracklist:

A The Captain's Table 4:15 

B1 Son Of Man 4:45 

B2 Prophet Gear 3:52 

 

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Various ‎– The Last Nightingale [12''] (1984, Rē Records)

Plays like what it is (a fundraising effort produced by multiple artists). The first two tracks are great -spacious woodwindy RIO tunes with vocals from Robert Wyatt. They're as good if not better than most of his contemporary contributions to News From Babel. The Henry Cow song is just the remixed version of the opener to 'Unrest'. The other two tracks are intriguing spoken word pieces, conspicuous only because they're on a disc that also includes music. It is a curiosity with some substance, but mainly for aficionados. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC] 

Label: Rē Records ‎– Rē 1984, Rē Records ‎– Re 1984 

Format: Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, Limited Edition 

Country: UK 

Released: 1984 

Style: Political, Avantgarde, Prog Rock, Spoken Word, Avant-Prog, Poetry

Tracklist:

A1 – Lindsay Cooper, Chris Cutler, Bill Gilonis, Tim Hodgkinson & Robert Wyatt Moments Of Delight 

A2 – Lindsay Cooper, Chris Cutler, Bill Gilonis, Tim Hodgkinson & Robert Wyatt In The Dark Year 

B1 – Adrian Mitchell Back In The Playground Blues 

B2 – Henry Cow Bittern Storm Revisited 

B3 – Adrian Mitchell On The Beach At Cambridge 

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Bevis And Twink ‎– Magic Eye [LP] (1990, Woronzow)

One of the freakiest and most difficult to find Bevis Frond albums, this is a limited-edition collaboration with legendary British psychedelia figure Twink (aka, John Alder, ex-Tomorrow, Pretty Things, Pink Fairies, etc.), a drummer whose previous collaborators ranged from Syd Barrett to Hawkwind. Clearly he was a like-minded soul, and unlike most other Bevis Frond "collaborations," which end up being completely dominated by Nick Saloman's singular vision, 'Magic Eye' is definitely the work of both men. Opening with a completely over-the-top spoken introduction from Twink, the album is possibly the most purely psychedelic album Saloman has ever been involved with. The nine lengthy songs bristle with backwards effects, trippy guitar and keyboard textures, and the sort of lyrics one would expect to find in such settings. ("Flying Igloos," anyone?) Honestly, the whole thing sounds like it could have been recorded in 1969. A good-humored but not silly album, this is a most enjoyable set well worth tracking down. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

Label: Woronzow ‎– WOO 13 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country: UK 

Released: 1990 

Genre: Rock 

Style: Psychedelic Rock, Prog Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Jam Band

Tracklist:

A1 Sorrow Remembered 

A2 Flying Igloos 

A3 The Fairy 

A4 She Darks The Sun 

B1 Eclipse 

B2 Fractured Sky 

B3 Black Queen 

B4 Gryke 

B5 Bag Drip 

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Achim Reichel ‎– A. R. IV [LP] (1973, Zebra)

As most Krautrock enthusiasts are aware of, Achim Reichel was one of Germany’s biggest pop stars in the 60s before he dived headfirst into the burgeoning psychedelic scene that turned progressive as the 70s hit, however on his debut album with A.R. & MACHINES, 'Die Grüne Raise', the songs still had a lot of pop compositional style wrapped up in extended psychedelic tripped out effects and more lingering passages that qualified them as progressive. On 'Echo', the band dropped a lot of the pop influences and instead opted for longer sonic journeys into blissful psychedelic jams that found subtle instrumental interactions slowly parade into infinity. On 'AR3', Reichel attempted to bring back more conventional song structures, perhaps missing the instant gratification of pop stardom but fell short as the band had lost their hit making mojo and watered down the Kraut aspects a wee bit too much. 

On 'A.R. IV', Reichel and his Kraut crew once again revert back to the long sonic journeys that delve into long psychedelic meandering jams that carry a somewhat funky groove as the backbone. While the album was broken down into four tracks, the first three constitute the “Vita” suite that allowed a strong bass groove and overabundance of percussive drive to meander on for over twenty minutes with a series of ethereal flute and jazzy sax to give it a multidimensional feel. The electric piano and keyboard effects kept it grounded into the progressive world of psychedelia as the tracks, while technically separate actually run together seamlessly and generate an instrumental journey into total blissful escapism. While vocals are scarce, there are segments where Reichel belts out some lyrics but thankfully these passages end quickly as i find them to be the weakest link of the band’s unique musical journey. 

The finale is saved for the super long twenty-three minute suite “Aqua” which consists solely of the track “Every Raindrop Longs For The Sea” that finds an extended groovy psychedelic jam sallying forth like there is no end to time. The formula is the same as side one with an energetic bass and percussion section accompanied by the driving rhythmic force with healthy doses of electric keyboard runs, blues funk guitar and the airy flutes and a constant background sound of ocean sounds including seagulls lurking in the distance. The sax also returns for the extra jazzy touch. There is a very carefree vibe to 'A.R. IV' with little or no attention paid to any sort of compositional style whatsoever. It is simply the sort of heady improvisational psychedelic jam that was common for the days. 'A.R. IV' is a massive improvement over 'AR3' as it captures the mood of the experimental sound journey that was intended. This is one that is a nice free floating escapist’s journey into the clouds. 

This is the type of music that isn’t made to blow you away. This is very much an introspective journey that builds through a solid rhythmic flow that allows an atmospheric backdrop to shape shift much like clouds slowly changing shape as they roll by in the sky. 'A.R. IV' was basically a group of ten musicians getting together (granted not all at the SAME time) and trading off licks around a solid groove. While this album doesn’t have the same compositional prowess as other prog outfits of the day, there’s something very soothing about it that makes feel one with the universe. At this time Reichel was heavily into spirituality and yoga practice and that’s exactly what emanates from this long drifting odyssey in musical form. 'A.R. IV' would also find the band A.R. & MACHINES winding down as Reichel would continue as a solo artist, releasing one more psychedelic Kraut album before drifting into traditional German folk music. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC] 

Label: Zebra ‎– 2949 008 

Format: Vinyl, LP 

Country: Germany 

Released: 1973 

Style: Krautrock, Jazz-Rock, Prog Rock, Space Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Jam Band

Tracklist:

Vita (22:30) 

A1a Cave Explorers + Birdmen (Höhlenforscher + Vogelmenschen) 5:30 

A1b The Man In Kidleather (Der Mann In Nappa) 10:46 

A1c Thin Is The Skin Of Ecstasy (Dünn Ist Die Haut Der Ekstase) 6:14 

Aqua (23:23) 

B Every Raindrop Longs For The Sea (Jeder Tropfen Träumt Vom Meer) H₂O 23:23

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Þeyr ‎– As Above... [LP] (1982, Shout)

'As Above...' was an album released in 1982 by Þeyr, a legendary Icelandic new wave and rock group and it was issued through Shout on a 12" vinyl record. Formed by 12 tracks, 'As Above...' contained English versions of the group’s hits. A song that outstands from the rest is "Killer Boogie", a work deemed as an attempt by the group to achieve the international market. "Killer Boogie" and "Rúdolf" are featured again in 'Rokk í Reykjavík' (Rock in Reykjavík), a concert compilation released in 1982 with the presence of other renowned Icelandic bands. There is also a video for this compilation which was edited on VHS format only. 

"Rúdolf" contains a sample of Hitler saying "Around us is Germany. In us Germany marches. And behind us Germany follows". It was a fragment taken from "Triumph des Willens" ("Triumph of the Will"), a propaganda film directed by Leni Riefenstahl in 1934. However, the record inserts credit A. Schicklgruber as the impersonator of Hitler’s voice. The title of the album is thought to be inspired by Killing Joke's 'What's THIS For...!' from 1981 and with sarcasm refers either to the band's name or their previous works (in the sense that "as above" is written on application forms). It is more generally considered to be half of the occult maxim "As above, so below," which originates in the second line of the ancient alchemical tract Tabula Smaragdina. The remaining songs of this album were never reissued since the masters are believed to be lost. By 2001 Þeyr’s members and friends released a CD titled 'Mjötviður til Fóta' which included songs from their second album, 'Mjötviður Mær' and the single 'Iður til Fóta', both releases from 1981. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA] 

Label: Shout – LX 001 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country: UK 

Released: 1982 

Genre: Rock 

Style: Alternative Rock, Prog Rock 

Tracklist:

A1 Homo Gestalt 3:31 

A2 Killer Boogie 2:58 

A3 Dead/Undead 3:22 

A4 Wolf 2:51 

A5 Technologos 1:58 

A6 Poème 2:48 

B1 Current 3:21 

B2 Rúdolf 2:49 

B3 Are You Still There? 3:08 

B4 Enough 2:23 

B5 Shout 3:00 

B6 Mjötviður 2:55 

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Scapaflow ‎– Endless Sleep [7''] (1980)

Scapa Flow were a tight 3 piece, originally influenced by The Jam, who mutated quickly into a furious (in more ways than one) post-punk-prog-metal outfit. Intricate bass and guitar lines, hooked together by terrific drumming, were played with intensity and volume and overlayed with surprising two part harmonies. If sometimes, possibly, too tricky for their own good, at least they were an antidote to the three chord thrash. They released 2 singles ('Endless Sleep' and 'At Home and Abroad'). [SOURCE: NO NIGHT SWEATS] 

Label: Au Go Go ‎– ANDA-4 

Format: Vinyl, 7", Single, 45 RPM 

Country: Australia 

Released: 1980 

Genre: Rock 

Style: Post-Punk, Prog Rock 

Tracklist:

A Endless Sleep 

B The End 

Credits: 

Bass, Vocals, Piano – John O'Brien 

Guitar, Vocals – Mark Gerber 

Percussion – Michiel Gerber 

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