TERRASCOPE GIVES OUR DECEMBER RELEASES THE ONCE-OVER...

I've been waiting for Simon at the wonderful Terrascope to offer up his views on our latest releases and he doesnt disappoint. He's reviewed all three of our December releases, so ive made life easy for myself and copied them across undiluted...
VARIOUS ARTISTS - DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SET (7)
VARIOUS ARTISTS - 2012 ANNUAL (2 X 7)
VARIOUS ARTISTS - KEEP OFF THE GRASS (LP)
"Over the last couple of years, the Rumbles section has been filled with the numerous and varied releases from the wonderful Fruits Der Mer Records, a label dedicated to releasing versions of old classics recorded by modern bands, always on coloured vinyl and always with an eye for detail. Run by Keith and Andy, the label must be one of the success stories where independent music is concerned, the label going from strength to strength and proving that sometimes quality and quantity can sit happily together, their prolific release schedule maintaining the same excellent standards throughout. On these three releases the entire ethos of the label can be found, so allow me to guide you through the kaleidoscopic visions of Fruits Der Mer Records. Fun is guaranteed for all.
On 'Do Not Adjust Your Set', six classic childrens TV themes (three from BBC, three from ITV) are covered by six reasonably obscure psych bands, the result being a fine collection which will make listeners of a certain age, smile with nostalgic joy.
Making the theme from 'Robinson Crusoe' sound like an early electronic piece, Frobisher Neck do a fine job, their musings followed by a Psych-Pop rendition of 'White Horses', (were those really the lyrics?), as Saturn's Ambush make the world a better place. To round off the BBC side, Rob Clarke and the Wooltones turn the 'Sky at Night' theme into a guitar anthem, rather like Hendrix did with 'The Star Spangled Banner', great stuff indeed.
Over on the ITV side, the 'Ace of Wands' is also given the Psych-Pop treatment as Owlsey and the Pussycat (love that name) turn on their musical charms and backwards guitars, the lyrics ripe for such a lysergic sheen, before The Ohm keep it garage and heavy on 'Captain Scarlet', sounding like an obscure seventies heavy rock band. To finish the theme from 'Fireball XL5' is tackled by Elks Skiffle Group, their version similar to the original, but glazed with a Joe Meek feel, giving it a slightly unhinged air, rounding off the disc perfectly.
As well as Fruit Der Mer, the label has Regal Crabomophone, an even smaller sister label which releases original tracks from modern bands. On the 2012 Annual, the two sides are divided between the two labels, starting with a side of covers, the first of which 'Destruction' is also a theme tune, from the movie 'Just for the Hell Of It', the band Langor doing a fine job of sounding like an authentic 60s garage band, primitive and pounding, just as we like it. Even more primitive, 'I'm a Ma'n is stomped into garage heaven by The Bordellos, the production values not much higher up the scale than Green Fuzz but the energy bursting from the speakers, heads nodding in primal agreement.
In a completely different mood Beau, yes the one on Dandelion Records, performs 'In the Court of Conscience, a lovely folk/acoustic track that is filled with light textures and beautiful playing. To round off the first side 'Thick of a Brick' sounds very different without a flute, although the voice of Jay Tausig has certain similarities with Mr Andersons, the whole cover done with flair and an obvious love for the tune.
Over on the Regal Crabomophone side, Finnish band Permanent Clear Light mix Eloy with the sounds of Canterbury, creating a nice slice of mellow space-rock, that drifts lazily over 6 plus minutes like a fluffy white cloud in a deep blue sky. Leaving the Earth's atmosphere, Vibravoid take us out there, with the psychedelically inclined 'All Stars Are Asleep', a cosmic soup of sound that will make your ears very happy indeed. Finally, Red Elektra '69 get nice and heavy with the guitar riff, a high speed Hawkwind style instrumental that rocks, ending another excellent set of tunes.
Right, after those two releases, the main course is about to be served, a 19 track double LP featuring new versions of old classics, housed in a gatefold sleeve and limited to 500 copies, dontcha just love vinyl.
Opening with some chiming guitar and hand drums, King Penguin sound languid and reasonably stoned on 'Thoughts and Words', the sound of a sitar giving that authentic sixties ambience, a great start. Covering one of my favourite songs, 'Ten Thousand Words in a Cardboard Box' gives The Seventh Ring of Saturn extra brownie points, the fact that they get it spot on is just a complete delight, keeping the songs lysergic intensity and adding some energy of their own. Live and also filled with energy, Stay get their teeth into 'Back of Your Mind', sounding like it was a good night, before Permanent Clear Light do wonderful things to 'Cymbaline', giving it a nice smoky haze.
Featuring some fine guitar work, Sendelica may possibly improve on, or at least remove the cheesiness of, 'Journey to the Center of the Mind', certainly the playing is tighter and the phaser is turned way up. Tackling the second Nazz song of the disc, Jay Tausig is faithful to the original as he gives 'Open My Eyes' the once over, realising you cant mess with perfection. Firmly ensconced in 1967, Extra produce a wonderful cover of 'Utterly Simple' on of the Album's highlight for me, patchouli is almost compulsory.
Enchanting the senses 'Sunshine River' is covered blissfully by Zombies of the Stratosphere, whilst a spooky psychedelic atmosphere is conjured up by The Past Tense on their version of 'Shattered'. To end the first LP, Hills Have Riffs retain the strangeness of The Godz on their excellent version of 'Down By the River', proving power does not mean volume, as they up the tension beautifully.
Opening with a ten minute version of 'Welcome to the Citadel', Cranium Pie's Baking Research Station, take the compilation into Prog territory, a sprawling effort that manages to avoid too many time changes, more Porcupine Tree than Magma, the whole thing gliding by in no time at all. Next up one of my favourites on the LP, a rather fine cover of 'Revolution' from Sky Picnic, female vocals giving the song a new twist that works well. Opening with a wrench of feedback Dead Sea Apes version of 'Land of The Sun' is a sonic masterpiece to be savoured, a powerful and brooding beast that need loads of volume to scramble your senses properly. Back to the Psych-Pop, Octopus Syng offer a bright and sparkling 'Midsummer Night's Dream' before we go to the west coast as The Daedalus Spirit Orchestra take on possibly the most famous psych track of all time, their version of 'White Rabbit' slower and more brooding than the original, working well in its own right. Sticking to the original template, 'Something In the Air', sounds as stately as ever in the hands of The Luck of Eden Hall, whilst Langor do justice to that Beatles obscurity 'Rain'.
To round off the LP, Bevis Frond Makes 'Creepin' Around' his own, his guitar work as delicious as ever, before The Earthling Society end it all with 'Dark Side of the Mushroom', a suitably trippy arrangement that leaves you fulfilled and slightly deranged, what a long strange trip its been, but worth every moment.
To sum it all up, these three release would be perfect Christmas gifts at any time of year, give them a listen and fall in love all over again. Hats off to Fruits Der Mer for such sterling service in the face of economic adversity, long may they reign. (Simon Lewis)
http://www.terrascope.co.uk/Reviews/Reviews_December_11.htm

Classic Rock presents PROG magazine has reviewed Cranium Pie's 'Mechanisms' LP..."the musical results are utterly fascinating"

Here's the review in full...
"What's that, you say? A concept album about a post-apocalyptic future in which crustaceans and robots fight over the spoils? Have you taken leave of your senses? Quite possibly. Yet, however preposterous the narrative ideas underlining the album might sound, t...he musical results are utterly fascinating.
The debut, vinyl-only album by this Wiltshire-based collective posits a counter-factual history of prog, an alternative universe in which Pink Floyd never made Dark Side Of The Moon, but continued instead to mine the abundant seam of anarchic, acid-infused psychedelia that still makes Ummagumma and Atom Heart Mother such gripping propositions more than 40 years later.
Opening with high-speed spoolling tapes, unulating waves of voluminous analogue synth, sonic FX erupting into flight and dreamy recorders wafting across like a memory of more innocent times, Cranium Pie's richly detailed sound design - into which six tracks are lovingly embedded - could easily pass for some long-lost artefact from the cusp of the 60s and 70s.
While they've clearly hads a ton of fun knitting together their favourite moments from the Floyd and Caravan catalogue (not to mention an uncanny VDGG pastiche) their splendidly entertaining forgery is both persuasive and convincing" (Sid Smith)

Sadly, we've now sold out of the album, but email andy@fruitsdemerrecords.com and he'll try to help you track a copy down OR go to the band's own website - www.craniumpie.co.uk - and snap up a limited-pressing CD

"Typically essential" - the Fruits de Mer /Regal Crabomophone 2012 Annual - first review

"...And back with Fruits de Mer or more precisely Fruits de Mer and its younger sibling Regal Crabomophone - this is the festive filled annual set for all you vinyl junkies not quite enamoured to find an Apple - as in round-ish green thing and not your one stop pretty looking entertainment resource - and a half eaten walnut in your Christmas stocking. Not to be confused with the 'we come bearing gifts' related releases that usually pop through the letter boxes of friends, family members and bank managers during the seasonal festivities which over the last two years has seen treats pressed upon CD and cassette variants. Pressed upon a fun packed toe tapping twin slabs of wax - coloured I'll have you know - this cute thing is due to ship to 400 homes just in time for the bunting waving festive season. What - 4 sides of wax - pray tell more I hear you hark - well as you're probably aware the fruity dudes decided to expand operations earlier this year - they feared they’d boxed themselves into a corner making FdM something of a predominantly covers label and what with them getting plagued by requests from bands sporting spanking new tunes and the fact that someone in the ranks had an ongoing marine fetish - a no I don't mean that they dressed up in galoshes sporting fishing rods, eye patches and could be seen furtively sneaking out the house at strange times of day with a merrily rueful 'I be off to land the big one' ringing in the ears of the family - at least we don't think so - they decided to start up the strangely named Regal Crabomophone imprint and started in earnest releasing tomorrow's classics today - or the other month as it happens - with the first three tiddlers seeing the return of the Chemistry Set, a gem from the Luck of Eden Hall and a cosmic colossus from Cranium Pie. Alas like the 'do not adjust your sets' release this promo comes minus its proof sleeve which I thought was a nice little touch when the label started its issue with last Autumn's line of releases, ours is not to complain though - mind you they cocked it with the track listing and do you really spell Crabomophone like Crabompohone - I think not - perhaps someone's been at the Christmas sherry a little early. That aside 7 tracks feature within - 4 for the de Mer's and 3 from the Crabs. First up on the draining board are Langor whose choice of melodic seasoning is a cover theme from an obscure and in certain circles much reviled teen beat flick from the 60's entitled 'just for the hell of it' about a group of raging teen punk delinquents who - shock horror - bad-mouth a police officer and - worse still - burn a newspaper. Phew kids of yesterday eh. Anyway Langor - alas no supporting info take on 'destruction' - the original being something of a cult garage beat favourite though here given a panic inducing rampant Who styled rampaging thunderous throb that you could imagine being well suited and serviced by one of those type of mock up 60's club scene videos where the camera man on casters zooms in and out of focus on the paying brethren while the graphics pop and melt with colourful bubbles and stuff - oh and there’s some well dandy freakish guitar soloing going on in the mix that's much reminiscent of the stuff that Derwood used to sneak into the Valley of the Dolls sessions before he was kicked out of Generation X for being to metal - I’ll just say 'cyberpunk' and the download festival appearance then. The Bordellos - so much admired around these here parts that had we a radio show they'd be our chosen house band along with Of Arrowe Hill - these days sounding ever more grittier, weirder and better for it with each new cut we hear - of late they've been treating us to some stirring lo-fi garage growls which cut a dash between the Mummies and Jad Fair. Here they stump up the Yard birds' 'I'm a man' which I could have sworn we'd mentioned in passing previously - here spiked with oodles of fuzzy reverb and sounding like a gnarled slab of open wounded and festering'n'fractured blues of the type you'd imagine an after a night on the lash collaboration between Howlin Wolf and Mark E Smith's Fall to spew out with unguarded primitive relish - all raw, dirty, primal and untamed - absolutely dysfunctional and gloriously caned as though it's been swamp dragged and rescued from the buckled boot of a car and given mouth to mouth - should also mention it features some of the best harmonica this side of a Brian Jones in situ 60's Stones. Jay Tausig who according to the accompanying press release is something of a one man band enterprise takes on the mighty Tull classic 'thick as a brick' (this is where the tracklisting gets a little jittery) which for those purist among you thinking he may have bitten off slightly more than he can chew ought to think again because he manages to relocate it to more lysergic landscapes whilst still retaining the airy Celtic breeziness and those sweetly harvested folk madrigals of the original though here rephrased and enhanced by a stirring honey struck string arrangements and a rousing chest beating home returning panoramic euphoria which if you ask me appears to tune into frequencies occasionally twiddled with by the Frond and Nick Nicely. As to Beau - a bit of a curio is 'in the court of conscience' because from what we can gather this is an unreleased cut from the 'Creation' sessions which eventually ended up being released on the Peel / Selwood imprint Dandelion. The album described in certain circles as the first great psyche folk album and if word is to be believed '1917 revolution' was by all accounts the inspiration for America's 'a horse with no name' is these days held up as one of the great lost acid folk albums - in recent years its been re-issued by the very excellent Angel Air and recently remodelled and given a nip'n'tuck as an expanded package via Cherry Red. Admittedly not as acid fried as Comus though we do suggest you check out 'silence returns' from the album especially if you love your fuzz a little on the scorched side. Instead 'in the court of conscience' is one of the more mellower moments which through its tranquil sunny afternoon haze reveals something that ought to appeal to those of you much admiring of Rodriguez. Over on the Regal Crabomophone side of operations old friends Permanent Clear Light of Finland way serve up the head bowed and reflectively tender '25 German boy scouts' which though dinked and dappled in all manner of cosmic twitches and ambient swirls at the beginning soon jettisons off on a prog pop trajectory delicately demurred in trip wiring descending chords and clipped with a Lennon-esque appeal - Julian as opposed to John before re-asserting itself for its departing three minutes amid a tail gaiting haze of mind expanding lysergic psych prog loveliness which we here we're kind of fondly likening to some warped Graham Bond Organisation / Procol Harum get together. Vibravoid crash land with what can only be described as a cosmic road trip via 'all stars are asleep' which though unusually mellow for them is pierced with a vague Silver Apples gone all Steve Hillage feel about it before totally losing the plot as it disappears off radar to the sounds of manic Clangers armed with kazoos re-enacting works of the Residents. Which young folk with the swirly eyeballs leaves Red Elektra '69 (sorry no info) to close proceedings with the storming fringe frazzling nuts down kick botty Medicine meets Hawkwind bonce banging big bearded brute 'volcano' - try saying that after funny fags and three slugs of cosmic moonshine. Typically essential - like you had to ask.
Mark Barton - Sunday Experience/Losing Today
http://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/mark-barton/fruits-fe-mer-regal-crabomophone-annual/273419716026356

"an essential purchase for any fans of acid/psych folk" - The Wicker Man/Summerisle ep reviews..."

The Wicker Man is one of the greatest cult films of all time and integral to this cornerstone of British horror was the enchanting, bewitching pagan folk soundtrack exquisitely produced by Paul Giovanni and Magnet. Swedish acid-folk duo Us and Them have previously reinterpreted Julia Dream by Pink Floyd to stunning affect and label Fruits de Mer knew they were onto a winner when they tasked them with reinterpreting key elements of the original soundtrack.
Opener Corn Rigs is washed with subtle mellotron/keyboards from Tony Swettenham (aka Frobisher Neck) adding a stunning shimmer to this classic of the acid folk era. Fire Leap retains the wash of mellotron, acoustic folk and introduces the erotic paganism which is a key Wicker Man theme. The medieval folk of Gently Johnny does this beautifully, although it is still male led, Britt's honeyed female vocals in the chorus only accentuate this sensualism. Rounding off with Willow's Song, Us and Them's take is less rhythmic, giving us the chance to hear the more haunting elements of this timeless melody. All in all, the delicately crafted Summerisle EP doesn't disappoint and is an essential purchase for any fans of acid/psych folk
Jason Barnard
Strange Brew
www.thestrangebrew.co.uk

Another essential offering from the ever popular Fruits De Mer label. These old hippy dudes are at it again, paying homage to '70s cult classic The Wicker Man and Paul Giovanni's outstanding score. Us & Them are obviously big fans as 'Corn Rigs', 'Gentle Johnny', 'Fire Leap' and 'Willow's Song', four of the best tracks on the original LP, are all treated with the utmost respect. The kid gloves are most certainly on as it were. Giovanni's original score is one of my favorite records of all time so I'm glad to see the duo haven't gone mental and butchered the tracks like Neil Labute did the remake of the film. If anything, this is expertly executed.
Norman Records
www.normanrecords.com

Us & Them has spent a whole winter reinterpreting four songs from 'The Wickerman' soundtrack. 'The Wickerman' (1973) is a kind of cult film known in folk circles because it is about some mysteries surrounding paganism incorporating a few very nice interpretations of old folk songs. One of the songs, 'Willow Tree' which knew a very beautiful version in the movie, had already a previous stay-with-you moment on another cult movie called 'The Night Of The Hunter' (1955), a scene related with a lonely night where two kids were fleeing from a murderer disguised as a priest (one of Mitchum's best roles). 'Wickerman' I found a bit typically British, slightly dated, but never the less several images and scenes seems to haunt and stay with you, this impression was shared by Us & Them. The four tracks are thoroughly mixed with subtle layers of arrangements, with the acoustic inspirations up front. 'Corn Rigs' has some additional string arrangements, two acoustic guitars and a folk voice. 'Gently Johnny' has dual singing, two acoustic guitars, backing textures of zither and certain echoing sounds. 'Fire Leap' has a subtle overdub on the voice, a bit of cello, and 'Willow's Song' has some mellotron added to the picking/voice arrangements. The atmosphere is subtle, moody and with the arrangements this convinces listening to it several times, it is very exciting to expect a full album some day !?!?
The mellotron and, hammered dulcimer were played by Tony Swettenham aka Frobisher Neck. The additional vocals on 'Gently Johnny' were done by Ludvig Josephson.Limited to 500 copies. Recommended.
Psychedelic Folk
http://www.psychedelicfolk.com/UsThem.html#anchor_1281

"I began buying records at fifteen, and I'd look forward to Saturday mornings when I'd walk to the nearest town, and hand over my 'hard earned' pocket money to lay my hands on a new album. By the end of the day I'd know the album inside out!
It was a weekly voyage of discovery and the choice in the three of four record shops I'd haunt seemed endless! I'd spend what seemed like hours looking over the racks before making my choice.
On one particular Saturday I happened to be browsing through records by the unusually named Pink Floyd when I came across one entitled 'Relics' on the budget MFP label. All their other records, despite looking more interesting, were a little beyond me financially that day, so I took my chance, purchased 'Relics' and made my way home.
It was one of the most amazing (and varied) records I'd heard thus far! I was blown away by 'Interstellar Overdrive' and 'The Nile Song', but I also enjoyed my first taste of the music of Syd Barrett along with the pastoral post-Syd tracks like 'Julia Dream' and 'Cirrus Minor'.
These latter couple of tracks left a big impression on me that particular Saturday - they were 'spooky' - setting me up 'nicely' to watch the Saturday night film of that week - 'The Wicker Man'!
If the 'Relics' record was a revelation to my ears, as well as a slightly disorientating experience, seeing 'The Wicker Man' at fifteen years old was another! I'll swear that the person who woke up the following Sunday morning was a different person to the one who turned in the night before!
Fast forward to 2011! Fruits De Mer are set to release a four track 7" by Us & Them of songs from - 'The Wicker Man'!
Us & Them - Pink Floyd song right?
This wonderful Swedish duo also released their version of 'Julia Dream' a couple of years ago on FdM too.
Coincidental? I'll say!!!
Here we go again…
A CDR copy of the single arrived recently (thank you once again FdM!) and it's another 'themed EP' gem from the best indie label in the UK. Remember the 'Eddie Cochran Tribute' last year? Well, that was the other one. Absolutely brilliant!
With Mellotron and hammered Dulcimer back up by another FdM luminary Frobisher Neck, this release is well, wonderful! The gentle vocals and music that caught these ears with the 'Julia Dream – All The Pretty Little Horses' release have me entranced yet again with this too! 'Corn Rings', 'Gently Johnny', 'Fire Leap' and 'Willow's Song' - everyone a winner! 'Spooky' again? You can count on it!
Brit and Anders (Us & Them) I could listen to all day long! The world seems a better place for a while when I hear them. They take me somewhere else, and that's sometimes a good thing, right?
I still can't quite explain this Pink Floyd - Wicker Man connection that seems to pop up though…Weird! Sleep easy now folks…"
Nick Leese, Heyday Mail Order
http://www.heyday-mo.com/catalog/index.php?_a=document&doc_id=7

The acid folk duo of Us & Them is perhaps best known for its Julia Dream EP (a Pink Floyd cover), released a couple of years ago. On this recording they decided to tackle the music from the film The Wicker Man, a classic movie which cannot be described by any one genre. The music for The Wicker Man was originally created by Paul Giovanni
Us & Them chose four of the most representative and most recognisable tracks from The Wicker Man soundtrack and gave them their own stamp of identity. They open this EP with the Scottish traditional song Corn Rigs and follow with Fire Leap. Both pieces follow the original closely, although there is a great deal more dreaminess in the music of Us & Them. It's as if the music of Paul Giovanni simply called for these improvements. The continuation is even grander, with even more keyboards, in particular the Mellotron.
The music stays pretty close to the original, except that some strings are replaced by keyboard instruments, such as the Mellotron, played by the excellent Frobisher Neck (Tony Swettenham). I also enjoy the wonderful use of the dulcimer, which is definitely an underutilized instrument in modern music – such a wonderful sound.
If you enjoy acoustic folk music with a touch of psychedelic bliss, Us&& Them certainly know how to tickle your fancy. It's not always easy to do an album (even EP) of covers because there's always a danger of mucking it up. Us & Them have managed to stay pretty faithful to the original and still added their unique style as well.
The Rocktologist
http://www.therocktologist.com/us--them---summerisle.html

This is a seriously tripped out psych-folk reworking of the songs from 'The Wicker Man' a cult 70s horror film. Us & Them nail the creepy haunting moods with a mix of acoustic instruments and the mellotron which is probably the most amazing instrument on the planet. The whole thing comes off very ethereal and otherworldly. The 7" comes out Oct. 3rd so you have plenty of time to get in your order and check out the original film.
RAD Vinyl
http://radvinylrecords.tumblr.com/

Us and Them feat. Frobisher Neck 'summerisle' EP (fruits de mer). For those who've been carefully eyeing the release output of both the Bracken and Fruits de Mer imprints to date it may then be no small surprise that sooner or later their collective attentions would have encircled to harvest the strange delights as offered up by the hallowed soundtrack to cult folk horror 'the wicker man'. in fact our own surprise has been borne around as to how and why it hasn't happened thus far. But happened it has at last. On a personal level 'the wicker man' has always proven a source of fascination for on many a summer morn when we've ventured into the garden of delights and thought 'blimey wasn't there a fence there last time I looked' and proceeded to don our comedy folk facial furniture and with tambourine and stick with bells and bunting secured with floral coloured gaffa tape we've danced merrily around the washer line butt naked to the tempting strains of love kindled melodies and the waft of seasoned sausages cooking slowly on the barbeque in an attempt to woo the available fair maidens of the parish. Alas to date all we've got for our troubles is three death threats, two warnings from the police and a nettle rash in a sensitive place where believe you me its not advisable to acquire a nettle rash. Complaints, protestations and jokes aside the history of the 'Wicker Man' is as strange as the films content - lost to the occasional late night showing on terrestrial TV in the late 70's and early 80's as part of the BBC's once a year licence fee paying allowance to show naked bodies it featured the frumpish and puritanical God bothering jobs worth Edward Woodward (Peter Cushing legend has it was touted for the role by Mr Lee) pitted against the free loving dark Lord of the harvest dance Christopher Lee in a ritual pre Christian versus faith testing modernism head off. The film as said was nearly lost, seemingly unloved and poorly received on its release by the film houses new owners and somewhat amateurishly trimmed in length until lost reels surfaced almost as if by magic along the way (word has it that tens of dozens of reels featuring out takes and unused negatives where buried where what is now the M3), it grew in cult popularity from the late 80's throughout the 90's (ignore at all costs the absolutely woeful remake from a few years back featuring Nick Cage which being funded by a greedy anything to cash in on a stock converter Hollywood managed to not only totally miss the point of the original but as Fawlty Towers correctly noted many moons back still showed the yanks not quite getting to grip with that irony thing - in fact our own copy of said remake was summarily dispatched to ash and dust in our own specially commissioned effigy burning event) and is now heralded as a folk fear / horror classic that has outshone its elder siblings 'blood on Satan's claw' and 'witchfinder general'. As a child of impressionable years (seen going through my Mike Yarwood phase) I was most perturbed by the sight of facial furniture and crooked teeth in abundance, though depending on your 'thing' - 'the Wicker Man' was memorable for one of two things, the shock 'well I never saw that coming' moment of realisation as Woodward's hapless character after realising he's been duped and played by the prank loving parish of the island reaches the summit of the hill top and sees that he's to be part of a giant pagan barbeque or else the sight of a well toned Ekland bottom cavorting curvaceously engaging in a spot of sensual spell crafting (later of course to be revealed as a body double). Still as a youngster I still recall being traumatised by the sight of what appeared to be the Wurzels extended family let loose on an away day from the cider shed - all teeth and facial hair - and was most struck by their contrasting seemingly genetically modified near perfect offspring. Equal to the film was the score itself, sourced by director Robin Hardy and composed by the late Paul Giovanni and Magnet, blending beauty with the eerie it was a timeless tapestry cut finitely from melodic cloths that delved into traditional Gaelic sounds with nursery rhyme motifs, bawdy tavern songs and resplendent in Britain's lost folk lore. Limited to 500 copies all pressed up on coloured wax, upon this classic in the making seven inch release you'll find four such cuts re-traced by the fair hands of Sweden based acoustic duo Us and Them assisted ably on this occasion by Tony Swettenham on mellotron and dulcimer duties and of who is better known to the new psyched prog generation as Frobisher Neck who last appeared in listening shot giving us cause to swoon with his stunning re-appraisal of Neu's 'isi' on the recent sold out and acclaimed 'roqueting through space' FdM compilation. Opening with the traditional arrangement 'corn rigs' - this airy delight awakes from a daydream and unfurls with the self same soft intoxication as that that framed the opening moments of Douglas Gamley's genteel 'port and spring wine' soundtrack, the Gaelic florets and spring formed Cambridge folk hues imbibing a richly hypnotic flavouring of Fairport Convention and Pentangle essences. Drawing sharp contrast the shadow casting 'fire leap' is dimpled upon a timeless melodic seasoning that's traced back through the centuries, its Elizabethan courtship belies a subtle and sinister village fayre undercurrent that hooks upon the lost chilled sentiment provided by age old nursery rhymes as it merrily hops between the playful and the haunting. Featuring the boy / girl interplay of Britt and guest vocalist Ludvig Josephson and traced upon a mesmerising bed of looping floral madrigals 'gently Johnny' demurs to an erotic courtship all the time clipped to the breathless lilt and swooning sway of chiming cascades while 'willow's song' - perhaps the best known cut from 'the Willow Man' OST and by far the defining centre point of this particular release. Admittedly not as seductive as Seafood's re-cut of the same track from a few years ago, yet what it lacks in the seduction quotient is more than made up for in terms of its ability to enchant and mesmerise, Britt's softly alluring vocals woo and weave a Siren-esque spell craft all the time succulently carried afloat to the hovering hush of dissolving melodies eking from out of the shadow light, its subdued spectral calm eliciting an almost ghost like beckoning tryst that's quite simply something else. All said another classic in the canon of this cult cool crab obsessing imprint.
Losing Today
http://www.losingtoday.com/tales.php?id=375

"Taking the brave decision to tackle one of the greatest film soundtracks of all time are Us and Them, with a little help from Frobbisher Neck on his mellotron and hammered dulcimer.
The results are lush, dreamy and quite beautiful. Whilst the versions here are faithful and recognisable, there are subtle and tasteful new arrangements.
While the originals have a very live sound, these bather in studio warmth and depth. 'Corn Rigs', 'Fire Leap','Gently Johnny' and 'Willows Song' all get the treatment on this sweet little 7"."
Was Ist Das
www.wasistdas.co.uk

"Near perfection" - The Luck of Eden Hall ep reviews...

The Regal Crabmophone label have a new EP lined up for release shortly by US psych band Luck Of Eden Hall. It features four tracks - two cover versions and two originals. Love's 'She Comes In Colors' and The Association's 'Never My Love', are delivered competently enough (the latter with a hint of Eastern charm that always goes down well here at Heyday) but it's the original songs that have registered more with these ears. 'Chrysalide' and 'The Ottoman Girl' are worth the price of the EP alone! Near perfection actually - oh, the poor 'repeat play' button!
My only criticism is that they're both too short!
Lovely 'Revolver-esque' vocal treatments and hooks a plenty in the music which has always been my kind of psych.
I can't deny that I'm an admirer of Fruits de Mer/Regal Crabmophone, but honestly, I can't think of any other label putting out releases this good and consistently too. They've really got a good ear and it'll be pretty tough to be included on any future releases at this rate if you're not above average. Luck Of Eden Hall are, and no doubt will feature again sometime. Great sleeve art too. I'll give it 'foive'!
Nick Leese
Heyday Mail Order
www.heyday-mo.com

Chicago psych pop wonders The Luck of Eden Hall was formed in the 90's but they found their way to my heart only after their second album Subterrene in 2007. When the Clock Starts to Wake Up that was put out a couple of years later was a true masterpiece and in my books definitely one of the most interesting albums of 2009. Since then the band has hooked up with Fruits de Mer and this is a great combination. They got a bit wider exposure when they were included on the compilation CD that came with the April issue of Classic Rock Magazine. On their latest album Butterfly Revolutions Vol. 1 the band continues their gloriously melodic, catchy and pleasantly psychedelic style that has been influenced both by The Beatles & other psychedelic 60's pop bands and 80's paisley underground. The soft, harmonic and lysergic vocals work even better than before and the compositions are top-notch. Although you can call this pop music, there is also some more rocking stuff in there and occasionally also plenty of fuzz. The band really has a great sense for melody and they are capable of creating just unbelievable atmospheres.
The album includes 12 relatively short tracks. My personal favorites are the pretty fast and frisky opener 'Chrysalide' that also has organ, the bit mystical and psychedelic but groovy 'Medicine Queen', the slower and dreamy, amazing 'Jupiter', fast and energetic power pop blast 'She Falls Down' as well as the album's beautiful closer ballad 'Queen Anne's Lace' that has gorgeous Mellotron sounds among other things. I must say that there are no weak links in here to be found. I find myself enjoying the album more and more after each play and this is a good indicator for a truly great album. This really is just brilliant stuff and it's also great that Vol. 2 should be ready soon as well!
We will also be able to enjoy some fresh The Luck of Eden Hall in vinyl format since Fruits de Mer's side-label Regal Crabomophone will soon release a four-track EP by them. This disc will include two 60's covers as well as two originals. The excellent version of 'She Comes if Colours' by The Love works out really great and we get to hear a really psychedelic interpretation of The Association song "Never My Love" also featuring some sitar. This makes my head bubble! Their own material includes the CD opener 'Chrysalide' and a previously unreleased, slow, pretty and melancholic but occasionally more rocking 'The Ottoman Girl' that could very well be some forgotten psych gem from the 60's. All in all, this is a really great EP and it's recommended that you pre-order it before the 400 copies are gone.
DJ Astro Psychotropic Zone
http://www.unimeri.com/PsychotropicZone/reviews.en.php?subaction=showfull&id=1315898454&archive=&start_from=&ucat=3

The Luck of Eden Hall 'chrysalide' (Regal Crabomophone). Think you all know the deal now - Fruits de Mer off shoot imprint specialising in quality hallucinogenic headphonia all resplendently pressed on an ultra limited coloured wax issue. These children of the Crabomophone / Fruits family will surely need no introductions in these pages for they've flavoured the grooves of several Fruits de Mer releases in recent times with their fuzzily phazed fried Floyd follies with 'Chrysalide' in particularly getting attention in its own right earlier in this here extended missive (not to mention a copy of their latest opus 'butterfly revolutions volume 1' literally having only just found its way through our letterbox and with that primed constant critical play during this extended bank holiday weekend with an extected review to follow). Only 400 of these little darlings in circulation, a 7 inch featuring four freshly picked elder species of the psyche genre including two originals and a brace of originals. 'chrysalide' as previously hinted elsewhere in these pages is a dandified slice of day-glo dream woven hallucinogenia that swirls, swoons and swerves to a trip wired lysergic 90's sourced shade adorned Brit pop groove which after a dozen or so head hits still sounds to us like a stoned Jones obsessing Psychic TV munching magic mushies whilst radiating in the warmth offered by the gooey glow of the kaleidoscopic effervescence emanating from platters produced by the Dukes of the Stratosphear. Tuck in a faithfully skewed take of Love's much adored 'she comes in colours' here found replete in all manner of the whimsicality and fairy dust dressed velour of the original and here I'm thinking the kooky flute florets, that prevailing fluffily frazzled folk tweaked breeziness and the drop dead swooning baroque harpsichord forays - in short perfect. Perched upon an acid addled axis that separates a Barrett headed Floyd, Traffic and a 'SF Sorrow' era Pretty Things 'the ottoman girl' is succulently speckled in all manner of mind morphing psych seduction, not as fried as the PT's 'defecting grey' but undeniable traversing a similarly schizoid template that sees it veering from the fanciful to the freakish. Best of the set though by our reckoning is their re-trimming of the Association's lost love note 'never my love' whose original softly murmured west coast baroque purr is here refocused and fashioned through a psychotropic viewfinder and trimmed to a shimmering majesty that one would imagine resulting had Cheval Sombre tapped into the mindset of the Walker Brothers and dimpled their epic stateliness amid an amorphous mirage of mind weaving middle eastern mantras. Utterly transfixing and alone worthy of the entrance fee.
Mark Barton, The Sunday Experience
http://www.facebook.com/groups/155046445469/?view=notifications#!/thesundayexperience

The Luck of Eden Hall, stars of Chicago's nineties neo-psych movement, are two decades after their inception in great form weaving a sixties psych feel with modern rock influences. Their new EP contains two sixties interpretations alongside a nice pair of their own gems that are a welcome addition to their respected canon. It's challenging to place two self penned nuggets alongside a couple of genre defining classics but they more than hold their own. Kicking off with what feels like a musical call to arms 'Chrysalide' is a great band performance, psych pop of the highest order. It must be excellent live! 'The Ottoman Girl' goes back and forth from a slow psych start and into a rocking core beautifully.
'She Comes In Colors', Arthur Lee's masterpiece from Da Capo, is always going to be an ambitious choice and many bands would not be up for the challenge. The Luck of Eden Hall does not does radically revise Lee's classic but it's successfully sparkier and punchier – ultimately like hearing from an old friend who's sounding better than ever. Over in the US, The Association's 'Never My Love' is one the most popular tracks in music history. I have always found it a little too smooth and favoured The Casuals more baroque cover from these shores. The Luck Of Eden Hall go for an eastern flavour, rather like George Harrison guesting on sitar to psych the track up whilst retaining the timeless melody. Magical.
Another great release from the Fruits de Mer label and a perfect match up with The Luck of Eden Hall. The band boast Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins as a fan and the Strange Brew can definitely see why.
Jason Barnard
www.the strangebrew.co.uk

The Luck of Eden Hall is one of Chicago's finest psychedelic rock bands of the 1990s. They have released
a couple of albums over the years, including two volumes of Butterfly Revolutions. This time they decided to release an EP, contain two cover songs and two original pieces. She Comes in Colours is a piece originally by Arthur Lee's Love. The lads have added some nice elements to it (like flute), but the overall sound is still very much rooted in the 1960s.
Never My Love, originally by The Association, has an Eastern vibe with a lovely sitar present throughout. There is a pleasant mood throughout the song and like in the previous piece the guys have managed to keep the 1960s feel going).
Chrysalide(from Butterfly Revolutions Vol. 1) opens side B of the album. From the start, it's obvious that this is an original The Luck of Eden Hall number because it's totally different to the two covers. Here, their version of psychedelic rock is played in a more modern way.
The Ottoman Girl is another original (from Butterfly Revolutions Vol. 2). It is a fairly average rock song with a nice enough guitar solo, but definitely the worst of the lot here. The Luck of Eden Hall have served up some fairly light and easy to digest psychedelic rock. Don't expect any great psychedelic instrumental workouts because this sticks closely to the established song format. The two covers are quite old-fashioned sounding and the two new songs are fairly indie and more modern sounding.
With this EP, The Luck of Eden Hallhave definitely acquitted themselves as a very competent cover band, but I'm not so sure about their original compositions. I'm sure that if you hear them in a concept of a full-length album, they make more sense, but as it is, I'm not sure they have IT.
The Rocktologist
www.therocktologist.com/luck-of-eden-hall-the---she-comes-i...

Chicago's The Luck of Eden Hall have carved themselves out as being a fine psychedelic rock band and this year see's them release their EP 'She Comes In Colours' which features two original tracks and two covers.
The first of the two covers is of 'She Comes In Colours' by Arthur Lee's Love. Having stuck to the overall 60's psych vibe of the track and adding in some extra layers, including a flute and many layered guitars, they have stuck faithfully to the original track.
'Never My Love' which was originally by The Association and has the band reaching Eastwards with a psychedelic sitar playing throughout the track once again to bring about the 60's spiritual side of the track.
'Chrysalide' is the first of the two original tracks and it it very clear that they wrote this one. Whereas the previous traces were more rooted in psychedelia this one whilst still taking influence from that scene it has a more hard rock edge to it.
The final track is 'The Ottoman Girl' which is a fairly standard psychedelic rock song which much of the psychedelia taken out. It's a perfectly nice enough track but doesn't really go anywhere and you find yourself just not paying it any attention.
Despite them taking so much influence from the 60's psych traditions what was striking about this EP was how much it rather sounded like 70's prog than 60s psych. It is also a disturbing sign of a band when they release an EP of original and covers and it the song they didn't write that are better than their own. This isn't necessarily a bad EP but frankly you'd be better off investing your money buying a Love or The Association record instead.
Access All Areas
www.aaamusic.co.uk/2011/10/02/the-luck-of-eden-hall-she-comes-in-colours/

"Could easily be a great lost UK underground classic!" - Cranium Pie's 'Mechanisms' album reviews begin here ...

Now onto the weird and wonderful world of Cranium Pie! Veterans of the Fruits De Mer / Bracken labels and now the debut album release for their sister label Regal Crabomophone. 'Mechanisms Part 1' is out on vinyl only in September with 'Mechanisms Part 2' to add to it next year (the album will be presented in a lovely gatefold sleeve for this purpose).
'Part 1' shows just what this band is capable of away from the confines of a seven inch single. Being unashamedly a progressive outfit in the traditional 70s style, the album format suits them better, and this is one 'out there' experience to hear!
Apparently the CDR I've been listening to is taken from mp3s and are not the final mixes! There's even more overdubs and weirdness in store for the final product! (Nick's dead-right! ed)
Blimey, how did they find the room for all this craziness? Pass the brandy!
First few listens and I hear the influence of Pink Floyd, there's a little Nektar there too with a healthy dose of The Nice thrown in. This could easily be a great lost UK underground classic!
There's crazy guitar and organ leads pulling you every which way between the ears, plus weird voices too (oh, the memories of watching Dr. Who as a kid and running behind the sofa when the Daleks came on! Some of the voices remind me of the Daleks, but I'm all grown up now, and I'm not scared anymore – so there!!!) More voice overdubs are promised in the final mix though, so that could be a testing time for me - there's no sofa at Heyday!)
Yep, this is a total prog wipeout in the good old fashioned sense! It's a concept too, but as with the earlier '70s concepts this can mean everything and nothing - just dig the music!
The Bracken single 'Rememberr' and 'Mothership' is included and fits in well, but I am really enjoying the whole package, like you're meant to!
Really, this is one journey through space! I didn't think people could make albums like this anymore, and it's actually refreshing some people still want to! No pomp and ceremony with this one - "In Prog We Trust"
Nick Leese
www.heyday-mo.com

One word from me ... impressive.
CRANIUM PIE evolved gradually as a psychedelic progressive quintet since 2006, from the darkest subterranean caverns of Wiltshire, in the South West of England. They have released several singles via UK independent labels Fruits De Mer and Bracken, and finally they released this fascinating creation - 'Mechanisms (Part 1)'.
Via this whole album, we can realize CRANIUM PIE have been pretty influenced by Pink Floyd, and their Floydish essence can be found here and there. But simultaneously I'm sure they should not simply be an imitative project of Floyd. They have more garagey texture and, like a Japanese pride Far East Family Band, definite Oriental moonshine, blended with Floydish mellow and gloomy basis. Their versatile sense opens widely from the beginning of the first spacey track "This Was Now, The Awakening Of The Birds" (with such a meaningful title). Eccentric electronic emblems and keen kaleidoscopic kicks can be used so effectively that their cranial world with hypnotically delicious pie goes forward.
The following track 'Rememberrr' (previously released as an EP) obviously can remind us Pink Floyd in Syd period, and notify us also more spacey, more spicy seasoning with keyboard solo and fine synthesizer splash. Not a simple copy of Syd they've shot, but they've expressed high waves of cranial ocean in this tune I feel. Vaster and vaster their inner world and soundscape gets, leaning toward Far East Family Band ... at least for me. The former half of 'Drying In The Sun' is a dreamy desert. Not heard such a dry, but warm sound storm, that blows me into another shock. The last song 'Run To Survive' can throw us heavy blues touch with a bit pop footprints (my love). And yeah, the title track is a collective edition of CRANIUM PIE's sound essence - with heavy, deep riffs created by Dan's guitar solo, Steve & Julian's dark and strict rhythm section, Rob's flexible keyboard flood, Tim's addictive sound creation, and sticky, crazy voices - killa one.
Exactly a promising project, I'm looking forward also to their 'Part 2'.
Progarchives
http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=508046

"The Fruits de Mer record label have released some truly inspirational recordings in recent years, and now offer something new - not cover versions of old classics, but brand new material, in this case the astounding debut album 'Mechanisms (Part 1)' from Wiltshire's finest trip merchants Cranium Pie. Sounding a little like Porcupine Tree's first album, with a hint of Brainticket and a lot of proggy experimentation, the album opens with the analogue-fuelled sonic brew that is 'This Was Now - The Awakening Of The Birds,' before heading off into the Floydian songscape 'Rememberrr,' evoking 'Saucerful Of Secrets' in particular, but following its very own audio path. A really great trippy track this, with some outstanding Hammond and guitar work from chief cranial explorer Rob Appleton. 'Zones - Mothership (Reprise)' features more storming guitar work and lots of trippy sound effects, vocal interpolations, oscillating synths and more to create a headfirst plunge into psychedelic madness. Great! The cut then explodes into an arpeggiated sequence and distorto-voice climax. 'Drying In The Sun' matches doomy choral vocals, Floydian drums, acoustic guitar and more marvellous Hammond in another killer cut. The album's title track is a nine minute marvel, collecting pattering drums, wah-guitar and Appleton's ubiquitous Hammond. The progressive, dare I say it Canterbury-ish, element is stronger on this cut than the overtly late 'sixties psych experimentalism of preceding tracks, and it's a real joy to listen to such original, beautifully played and recorded music. 'Run To Survive' closes the album and is heavy, trippy and completely barking mad. For those of us who remember those halcyon days when Porcupine Tree were on Delerium Records and Steven Wilson didn't know what heavy metal was, this album will be an unalloyed delight. For musicianship and all-round psychedelic joy it comes with the highest recommendation"
Simon Lewis
from the rather wonderful Terrascope
www.terrascope.co.uk

Isn't it always the way? No concept albums come along for a couple of decades, and then two materialise within the space of a couple of months! In fairness, I am sure there are many concept albums I could have been listening to in this period, but I just haven't sought them out.
The two in question, Cranium Pie's Mechanisms Pt. 1 and White Hills' H-p1, are both equally obscure in terms of the underlaying concept, and unless like me you happen to have read the accompanying blurb beforehand, I'd be surprised if you were to have any idea what they were even after having heard the albums. Fortunately, they occupy common ground in that both are compositionally and musically excellent, and the lack of a fully defined narrative holds neither of them back in any way.
Indeed, Cranium Pie's view of a future dystopian earth is realised more through weird soundscapes and disturbing vocals than conventional story-telling devices. And, despite having listened to Mechanisms Pt. 1 through a dozen times or more, I am still struggling to pin it down musically, although the listener is carried smoothly (and swiftly!) along with some nods to Floyd and Zappa (think Joe's Garage) along the way. Organ and synthesiser are used to good (trippy/spacey) effect throughout, making for a surprisingly easy and pleasing listen for such intense, cerebral stuff.
Indeed, my only criticism of Mechanisms Pt. 1 is that you seem to arrive at the end a little too soon, feeling as it does like the first disc of a double album. A quick query to Keith of Fruits De Mer confirmed that part 2 is indeed planned for future release, although that information was accompanied with a statement to the effect that part 1 was several years in the making, so you're advised not to hold your breath between releases!
In summary, an excellent first album from cult vinyl label Fruits de Mer spin-off Regal Crabmophone. You'd do well to reserve a copy if you're interested as it is limited to a run of just 500 coloured vinyl LPs which are virtually guaranteed to sell out.
Funky Gibbins
http://www.funkygibbins.me.uk/?p=3935

"We're used to listening to bonkers concept albums here at the prog column. Comes with the territory, obviously. Having said that, we were still surprised by Mechanisms (Part 1). which tells the tale of a civilisation of lobsters (yes lobsters) rising up against an evil tyranny of robots. Off-the-wall subject matter aside, this is a masterclass in hyper-eclectic prog, with Rob Appleton (purveyor of "synths that the stomach turn inside out and your ears reach into inifinity") and space-ace guitarist Tim Bray excelling in their respective roles.
Opening track This Was Now -Awakening of the Birds sounds like Pink Floyd playing Riders On The Storm (thermi-Doors, anyone?); Rememberrr (sic) is based on a sprawling Caravan-style keyboard solo; Zones - Mothership (Reprise) reveals that when lobsters speak they sound very much like underwater Daleks. The album reaches a claw-clenching climax with the clunky Hawkwind-isms of Run To Survive (Scuttle, surely? - Ed).
conclusion? Cranium Pie are as mad as fishes. Well, crayfishes, at any rate." Geoff Barton (aka the godfather of prog)
Classic Rock Magazine

Cranium Pie 'mechanisms - part 1' (regal crabomophone). Now under normal circumstances an album - and a concept one at that - whose arrival is heralded by a bands own mission statement reading thus...
"from the radioactive dust of a post apocalyptic mecha-tyranny, simple life forms strive to fulfil the wishes of 'the blinking eye' and create the ultimate homunculus destined to fight for the right of organisms"
...may well have most self respecting record buying pundits scratching chins in collective puzzlement or else fearing that the new dawn of prog had hit the buffers under looming storm clouds with the excesses of its former self returning to haunt and send it freewheeling into another ice age like period of scornful obscurity to await another period in the distant future wherein it would be pardoned, paroled and let loose to play along with all the other personas of pop. Students, cider drinkers and cartoon network aficionados may well see matters differently and read into it a secret homage to sponge bob square pants. Whatever the case there was some serious bad weed at large when author and pen colluded to inscribe upon note paper that morning.
But then this is the by product of Fruits De Mer a label whose musical landscape is longing for the yesterday and is flipped upside down, tuned inside out, kaleidoscopically enhanced0 and dimensionally expanded and who if it were a TV show would be the Outer Limits skinning up backstage with the Old Grey Whistle Test all dandified and preening resplendently decked out in t-shirts sporting a hallowed and hip whispering warning 'do not adjust your turntable'.
Of course Cranium Pie are no strangers to these pages for they have delighted our listening soirees in recent ages with lysergic tipped rolled gold covers of tunes that once turned on wax heads in their original forms by the likes of Dantalion's Chariot, Brainticket and some obscure beat pop combo by the name of the Beatles. Purveyors of the strange and the leading lights of the (press release described) new wave of Wiltshire prog (was there indeed ever an old wave for the new wave to emerge and is the new wave merely a ripple - answers to these and other tantalising mysteries will be revealed at some point in the not to distant future).
And so to no stranger to these pages are the peculiar aural flavourings to be found on 'mechanisms' its coming marked out last year whereupon the last release for the celebrated Bracken imprint (older parent to the lysergic upstart fruits de mer) bade farewell to hi-fi's (see missive 261 for copious Floyd references) with a curtain calling two track teaser from the freaked psyche of Cranium Pie courtesy of 'rememberrr' and 'mothership' both of which feature here and which at the time were mooted for inclusion on a double album voyage with accompanying film. Between then and now there's been talk in various circles of a mythical bootleg gathering out takes and edits and the like that didn't quite fit the whacked out vibe of the finished concept - a copy of which we fear spontaneous combustion may visit upon us if we don't have, hear and hug in the foreseeable future. A free flowing tapestry of delights 'mechanisms' gathers together six wigged out treats of the psychedelically progressive variety, duly note that this is but 'part 1' of the musical odyssey for 'part 2' is rumoured to dock sometime next year. To the sound of the wave form ripples of tidal ebbs and flows 'mechanisms' opens genteelly to the soft parade of dissipating bird song chorus' and pinch picked flowery pastoral opines of 'this was now….the awakening of the birds' amid this a momentary hesitance of confusion enwraps our protagonists, washed ashore, lost and dazed the dream weaving montages evaporate and enter stage left the whiff of Barrett-esque Floydisms and the appearance of a merry prankster per 'rememberrr' - a would be cosmic shaman leading out some kind of psyched out pied piper / lord of the dance routine to a bliss kissed beatnik boogie-fied backdrop of woozy moogs mirages a la elektra's immortal wig flipping 'cosmic sounds' set albeit here as though narrated by an acid frazzled magic bus conducting Arthur Brown. From therein things get shall we say a little hairy - 'zones - mothership' sounding like a zonked out and wasted prog grooved variant of 'war of the worlds' re-envisaged by a seriously wired Camel that mid way through gloriously turns on its heel to morph into a head expanding slice of galactic ambience to which Floyd's 'wish you were here' is symbiotically fused to the shell of hyper gliding lunar leviathan commandeered by Tangerine Dream while 'drying in the sun' achieves enlightenment slyly lush toned to a breathtaking nautically induced lunar trimmed flute / moog carnival that touches base with an as were lounge lulled spacey Oldfield collage sprinkled by magic dust provided by Soft Hearted Scientists. From thenceforth embarking on the trip toned amorphous sub 10 minute voyage that is the centrepiece title cut 'mechanisms' - a Crimson-ite gemstone flanked by echoes of Caravan, Soft Machine and Triumvirat wherein all manner of space grooves, prog regality and fringe flipped mind altering montages are stirred up into a humungous psychotropic soup where roam whacked out and wonky wah wah workouts and hulking hypnotic riff solos so long in their gestation that beards grow which is just as well for the freakish and fried fuzzed out magic mushie munching 'run to survive' soars into a Hawkwind styled black hole oblivion. File under like tripping inside Waters' headspace.
Mark Barton
'The Sunday Experience' (myspace)

"currently loving the new Cranium Pie debut full length entitled 'mechanisms' via fruits de mer off spring Crustacean - so before I get overwhelmed in all the airy fairy woozy kaleidoscopic vibes and tales of - er lobsters - I must dash to get some medication..."
Mark Barton
www.losingtoday.com

The reviews of The Chemistry Set's brilliant new single poured in....

"The Psychedelic genre has taken just about every possible direction since its inception in the mid '60s. Fruits de Mer Records is doing their best to document a big piece of this ongoing scene and Keith at Fruits de Mer Records has recently launched a side imprint of his psyche label, Regal Crabomophone saying, "ok, now this is exciting - we've created the sister label we've long-discussed, with the intention of giving a few of our favourite bands the chance to premiere some of their finest new material on strictly-limited vinyl. We're going to do our best to ensure we keep up the standards we've tried to build over the last three years."
Their first release is from The Chemistry Set, who surprisingly broke up in 1991, are back to pick up the pieces of that Stone Roses, Happy Mondays acid house, post-shoegaze sound. A combination of psyche grooves, and repetitive ground rhythms to improvise the haze over, while keeping the focus relying heavily on the dance beats, it's one of those genres that arose out of an unlikely combination. The Chemistry Set is pulling those old beakers and flasks out of the closet to see what kind of bubbling, smoking beakers and accidental explosions they might get.
'Impossible Love' starts out with a reverse sounding harpsichord and a heavily sampled trip hop type beat comes right in immediately over this devolving looped sample. Taking the trip-house a step further they even introduce a horn section which takes off in the chorus along with the huge sounding backup choir. All the elements of classic psyche are present....heavy use of the tambourine, the hammond organ, guitar solo… along with a rolling along, heavy dub sampled beat. It's impossibly long at 6:40, this one has to be pressed at 33, but I'm glad they could find it in them to cut this down and held back in order to fit the 7" format...I hear a 12" dance mix rising out of the fadeout on this one.
Didn't get a chance to hear the B-Side but Regal Crabomophone says "The Chemistry Set's cover of The Rolling Stones' 'We Love You', renamed 'We Luv You' by The Set; if you think you know it and love it from their latest album, you haven't heard this remixed version - Manel Ibanez has psyched it to the max (which is 100% by the way, we don't go in for 110% and the like) to create the 'Put That In Your Pipe And Smoke It' mix - the perfect companion to 'Impossible Love'."
Going fast, better get this one imported from across the pond from Fruits De Mer Records (the little psyche label that can)"
Jason Dean - 7 inches blog
http://7inches.blogspot.com/2011/06/chemistry-set-on-fruits-de-mer-records.html

"The Chemistry Set are definitely no strangers to the world of music. They are considered veterans of the late 80's neo-psychedelic boom and are still considered to be a very influential band in the space rock continuum.
The single kicks off with Impossible Love, an interesting little ditty with a very nice pop groove, topped with some nice spacy guitar solos, a backdrop of keyboards, some electronic percussion and samples. The song is relatively simple in nature, but the experience of the band definitely shows in the crafty arrangements, which really make for a full sound (in particular the multilayered keyboards, guitars and vocals).
The B side of this single is filled with a Rolling stones number, a single from 1967. Their version is very different from the original. The Jagger vocal charisma is certainly not present, but the music is upgraded with some of their unique psychedelic touches and fancy modern tricks, which work in their favour. The Chemistry Set have shown that they're still relevant in today's musical world. They show that you don't really need to rediscover music to make an impact. It's enough to have a great melody and simply develop it to the point where the sound is so full that there's really nowhere else to go. And that's exactly what they've done here. They've taken some fine ideas and have spiced them up with their unique brand of psychedelic madness, modern technology and samples
The Rockologist
www.therocktologist.com/the-chemistry-set---impossible-love...

Lauded by John Peel and on the periphery of the Madchester movement in the late 80s, The Chemistry Set enjoyed minor success before going on an extended hiatus. The London outfit returned in 2008, having seemingly spent the intervening years in a state of suspended animation.
On the evidence of Impossible Love they're still blinking wide eyed in the new, unfamiliar landscape of grime and glitch-pop. The single cannons the listener straight back to the indie disco of 1990 when Stone Roses, The Charlatans and Happy Mondays ruled the airwaves. The six-minute groove is built around the trademark baggy drum sound, while its trippy neo-psychedelia layers wah-wah guitar and slightly monotone vocals. It's backed by a cover of The Rolling Stones We Luv You, which proudly cements their affection for psychedelic pop at a time when it's all but fallen out of favour.
The Morning Star
www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/.../105492

"The new Chemistry Set single is the first release on the new Fruits de Mer offshoot label Regal Crabmophone, and it's an interesting one. Apparently these guys are old Peel faves who've recently reformed with an updated sound. The A-side is a six-minute indie-psych number called Impossible Love. I believe the style of music I'm experiencing here is what used to be known as "baggy". You know, The Farm, Happy Mondays and the like. That's very much the groove they're hitting here, and they're hitting it for a long, long time, with the A-side clocking in at six minutes. It's hugely catchy and there's a girl doing some backing vocals and it's all very radio, and if I have a complaint here it's that it sounds kind of overproduced in that slick '90s way, but for all I know that's exactly the aesthetic they're aiming for. If so, job well done. On the flip we've got a take on We Luv You by the Stones in similar baggy style. If you're nostalgic for that era, look no further."
Norman Records
www.normanrecords.com

"I've never met The Chemistry Set. I don't even know what they look like. But I'm kind of envious of the world they appear to inhabit. One of A-sides, one of B-sides, one of coloured7"vinyl (on which 'Impossible Love' will appear later this month). A world where it's still 1968, but where the jukebox plays 'Screamadelica', 'Made of Stone', 'Exit Planet Dust'. Where skinny jeans and winkle-pickers are no doubt eschewed in favour of flares and desert boots. Like, cool, man. 'Impossible Love' is littered with reference points – the opening riff pilfers heavily from 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' and quickly becomes a kissing cousin to Paul Weller's 'Sunflower'. There are myriad whooshes and whirls of the sort John Leckie dusted all over The Stone Roses. And when, about a minute and a half in, the focus sharpens and an irresistible bassline kicks in, 'Impossible Love' coasts the rest of the way on the same languid groove as Primal Scream's 'Loaded'. So…go back and read those last few sentences again. Here's a song that in one swoop references The Beatles, The Stone Roses, Primal Scream and Paul Weller (in the 'good' solo years). What's not to like? Sure, it's two minutes too long and the lyrics won't be winning any poetry prizes (in common with those on The Chemistry Set's recent album 'This Day Will Never Happen Again', reviewed on Citylifers in January), but, in the minds of a generation of aging Baggy kids, 'Impossible Love' will spark a whole bunch of ecstatic memories"
Citylifers
http://citylifers.co.uk/2011/05/10/single-review-the-chemistry-set-%e2%80%93-%e2%80%98impossible-love%e2%80%99/

"Impossible Love" is the soaring, ethereal, groovy new single by The Chemistry Set. I would say based on the title, that this is a love song but honestly I don't have a clue because "Impossible love" is one of those rare songs where the melody and the groove are so enthralling that I found myself subconsciously tuning out the lyrics and just going with the flow of the beat. The song has no clear song structure but over the course of 6 minutes it flows seamlessly from one harmonious section to the next. After listening to some of The Chemistry Set's back catalogue I have fallen in love with their style- a blend of trippy pop, rock with hypnotic harmonies and a textured rich sound. There is no doubt that "Impossible Love" is one of their best yet. This single is a throwback to the 60's-but with a modern twist. With bands like MGMT and Temper Trap reviving the more experimental sound of psychedelic rock, "Impossible Love" would not sound out of place on the charts today."
Access All Areas Music
www.aaamusic.co.uk

"The Chemistry Set were very much part of the UK neo-psych revival in the late '80s, influenced by bands as diverse as Buffalo Springfield and early Pink Floyd. Outside a few ad-hoc flexi-discs, compilation appearances and late-in-the-day singles, they didn't release a great deal of material at the time, which, when combined with the fact they cut not one but two unreleased albums, has added immeasurably to their allure in the intervening years.
Now they've re-emerged with a single, which both confuses and dazzles. The A-side, whilst technically competent, layered indie-pop/trance, will confuse fans of the band's early, guitar-dominated sound. However, the B-side is a great update of the Stones' classic (retitled 'We Luv You' for some reason) that gives it the Screamadelica treatment with beautiful added harmonies. "
Richard Allen
Shindig!

"Fruits De Mer have a sister label Regal Crabomophone launching in May and the first release is by Heyday favourites The Chemistry Set, one of the best current neo-psych outfits around. 'Impossible Love' the a-side is a well produced, groovy piece of psych, in which I hear something new every time it's played. ChemSet certainly know their way around a studio. It's backed by a remix of one of the stand out tracks of their last album 'We Luv You' – Put That In Your Pipe And Smoke It Mix (their re-working of the classic Stones track 'We Love You') This is another 'Madchester - style' groover guaranteed to have toes a-tapping! I like this band! A fine debut release for the label too. Regal indeed! Long may RC reign! "
Nick Leese, Heyday Mail Order
www.heyday-mo.com

"Pop Genius have named it their track of the year so far. They might just be right. An infectious groove, driven by mighty beats, nails the whole thing down, as the band drive into lysergic territory, with absolute conviction and total mastery of this always relevant genre"
the Vinyl District/360 music blog
http://360dgm.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/march-30th-%e2%80%93-tvduk360dgm-track-of-the-day-the-chemistry-set-impossible-love/

"Just last week I was harping on about how much I love the recent album from The Chemistry Set. Turns out that the band has a new vinyl only single coming very shortly and quite frankly it is amazing.
Impossible Love is genius. It has a wonderful groove - think Stone Roses before the drugs took over - an instantly hummable tune yet it is massively ambitious with it - it goes on for six glorious minutes. This is the best mash up of Psychedelia and baggy beats for nigh on 20 years. Best of all it sounds so completely fresh with it. Best track of 2011 so far? I think so."
Pop Junkie
http://popjunkietv.posterous.com/the-chemistry-sets-amazing-new-single-impossi

"We heard cult indie pysch pop band The Chemistry Set on The Strange Brew last year with their amazing cover of "Silver Birch" – in fact their influences draw on many of the same nuggets from the late Sixties.
However, while they tap into the well of departed lost souls Syd Barrett and Arthur Lee The Chemistry Set bring what's best from today's music scene into the mix, reinventing the spirit of the era. No better example is their new track – "Impossible Love" the best new single I've heard in years. A perfect blend of rock, pysch, hypnotic harmonies and beats it deserves to storm the charts in much the same way as "Fools Gold" by The Stone Roses over twenty years ago. Out next month, let's hope that this one will be massive!"
The Strange Brew
http://thestrangebrew.co.uk/http:/thestrangebrew.co.uk/impossible-not-to-love

London's the Chemistry Set were fuelled by the late 1980's Madchester movement and frequently lauded by the late John Peel. Despite a hiatus in 1991, this quartet's LP 'Sounds Like Painting' (recorded in 1989), brought them back to their attentive fan base when it was finally released in 2008. Their first single, 'Don't Turn Away' soared up the charts in the UK and Spain, and their current single, 'Impossible Love,' which is being released on 7 " vinyl, is a reminder of their trademark richness. This six-minute, cinematic wonder is like the scientific "butterfly effect" set to sound. They have successfully merged the psychedelic wistfulness of the 1960s with the contemporary electro-magnetism of the present era.
This epic is six-minutes long and has, at its core, a brilliant, yet unpredictable ambience. At the onset, a tender melody rises and soon merges with thrashing drums. Is that a sitar followed by a thundering bhangra of horns? The variety of instruments used is infinite. The exquisite melancholia is driven forth by the gravitas of the vocals: "You left me lonely /just waiting there / my heart is broken, you didn't care." These heartfelt vocals rise up in petulant pitch. Amid a steamy swirl of paradoxical grounded madness, the atonal backing vocals flood the senses; both mood-enhancing and mind-expanding, 'Impossible Love' takes us happily away from the fast-food, traffic-jammed cultures that saturate our every day lives, and immerses us in sonic beauty.
Pennyblack Music
www.pennyblackmusic.co.uk

"The Chemistry Set 7 inch - debut label outing for sister imprint Regal Crabomophone - featuring a sub atomic Roses-esque ditty and a Stones nugget. " Losing Today
www.losingtoday.com

...as are the Earthling Society write-ups...

Earthling Society is a band that's one of the frontrunners in the new generation of space rock/psych bands. They've been around for a while now releasing original music, but for their single The Green Manalishi they decided to try their luck with two cover versions, with a great deal of success as well.
The A side of the single sees Earthling society tackle a pretty tough nugget, Peter Green's farewell piece from Fleetwood Mac, The Green Manalishi, which already saw Peter Green in a more psychedelic mood than usual due to his heavy drug use at the time, but Earthling Society take it a step further, where Fred Laird gives a fairly free interpretation of Peter Green's guitar heroics and gives a further space rock twist to this tale.
The B side features a cover of James Taylor Move's And I Heard the Fire Sing. James Taylor Move were a psychedelic band themselves, so this is a more obvious choice for a cover, but they were a relatively unknown band, so a much more interesting and original cover (The Green Manalishi had already been covered several times). The band again go into trippy overdrive, showing their amazing pedigree.
The star of the show on this disc is most certainly Fred Laird, who shows he has the perfect chops for a space rock guitarist and in such a short period of time. Of course, Earthling Society aren't exactly newcomers, but Laird always seems to come up with new and original ideas.
The Green Manalishi is a single, but a very worthwhile one, giving us two fascinating covers of one legendary piece and one less recognisable, but equally appealing.
The Rocktologist
http://www.therocktologist.com/earthling-society---green-manalishi.html

"In case you didn't know everything on Fruits De Mer are covers of classic psych tunes. This one is no different as this is a cover of Fleetwood Mac's The Green Manalishi, which I'm not familiar with but Ant here is as it's one of his favourite tunes. Apparently the Melvins did a kick ass version of this 'un a while back! The Earthling Society I've not heard of either (not doing well here I admit) but they appear to have Loop'd this one up a bit with big psych riffs and rocking drums. I've just listened to the original and I confirm this is reasonably faithful but it's more psychey as they've made the instrumental bit at the end well long! Nice! Also they include Fruits De Mer top trumps which I kinda like!"
Norman Records
www.normanrecords.com

Led by singer-guitarist Fred Laird, the English band Earthling Society is one of the greatest psych/space/kraut/acid/prog rock bands of recent years and they have also had this sort of pagan, esoteric folk touch in their music as well since the beginning. Written by Peter Green in his acid-induced madness, the haunting "The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Prong Crown)" was released as a single in 1970 and he left the Fleetwood Mac a few months later. The tune that also made it to the charts was again made popular by Judas Priest who took their very powerful heavy metal version into their repertoire at the end of the 70's. I must admit, that it was this version that made a huge impact on me as a young lad. Anyway, this song is also very suitable to be covered by Earthling Society, since the band is able to add some nightmarish masterpiece some new, amazing psychedelic elements. The vibe is chillingly heavy all the way, although hauntingly beautiful and melancholic, even Gothic at the same time. The little psych sounds and keyboards emphasize the song's mind-expanding levels in an excellent way and the playing and singing is very fluent. It has a very hypnotic and captivating atmosphere, way to go boys! Released at the end of this month in a very limited pressing 7" as is typical for Fruits de Mer, the single's B side will include more obscure stuff: Earthling Society's interpretation of a track called "And I Heard the Fire Sing" originally by an Australian blues/garage rock outfit The James Taylor Move. This is pretty heavy, fuzz-filled 60's psych stuff but cools down into a peaceful, Oriental drone in a magnificent way towards the end. This is another killer song and I had not heard it before! The cover of this single also looks very cool so I would recommend pre-ordering this future collector's item right away. Earthling Society will also be releasing a new full-length soon and I'm really looking forward to that one as well.
DJ Astro - Psychotropic Zone
http://www.unimeri.com/PsychotropicZone/reviews.en.php?subaction=showfull&id=1304422853&archive=&start_from=&ucat=3

"i suddenly feel all knowledgeable because for the first time Fruits de Mer are working with a band i have heard of. Blackpool's finest, Earthling Society step forward and tackle Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, laying down a scorching take in 'The Green Manalishi', full of raw power and psyche energy. On the flip they do a rowdy version of 'And i Heard The Fire Sing' by James Taylor Move. Great stuff."
http://wasistdas.co.uk/GreenEarthling.html
http://www.wasistdas.co.uk

Fruits de Mer deliver another ambitious cover with Earthling Society's searing take of Fleetwood Mac's "The Green Manalishi". Peter Green's tale of the devilish dangers of greed and financial excess is more relevant than ever. Fred Laird and the band propel the listener into a blistering six minutes of gothic feedback threatening to evoke the Dark Lord himself! The b-side is the band's version of Australian garage track "And I Heard The Fire Sing by The James Taylor Move" – brewing up Mark E. Smith and Jimi Hendrix into an end echoing Sam Gopal's Dream
Jason Barnard, The Strange Brew
..http://thestrangebrew.co.uk/
http://thestrangebrew.co.uk/http:/thestrangebrew.co.uk/the-green-manalishi

Let's talk first about Earthling Society's 7" single 'The Green Manalishi' / 'And I Heard The Fire Sing', because aside from this release we've the next ES album to look forward to in the summer (I understand from Dave at 4Zero, who will be releasing Stations Of The Ghost, that it will be appearing sometime in June) and I should have an interview with ES mainstay Fred Laird to conduct and post during the next couple of weeks. This one is 7" coloured vinyl and limited to 400 copies and should be available from 31st May as I understand it.
The A-side takes the sinister twists and turns of Peter Green / Fleetwood Mac's original and gives it Earthling Society's own haze and fuzz psych-gothic layers over which the lyrics are drawn and declaimed in a manner that is both whisperingly confidential and yet in keeping with the grotesquely imagined original, whether it be describing Peter Green's schizophrenic collapse, his monetary disputes with the other members of Fleetwood Mac (as Green himself maintained) or is a some form of LSD-fuelled reflection Green's own drug issues and struggles. ES's rendition is inspired, taking the song to a lower fidelity of delivery while managing to paint a vivid mysticism to the song, restrained and yet restrained as though there are both internal and external forces conspiring to hold this one in tight grasp. On the other hand, the label asks whether the flip side of this record is "Jimi Hendrix-meets-Skippy the Bush Kangaroo". Personally, I like to imagine Fred as possessing a near encyclopaedic knowledge of the most obscure psychedelia and chortling in delight at recreating near-forgotten sixties garage numbers, such as this one from Adelaide-based Australian band The James Taylor Move (hear the original here). How do Earthling Society manage this neat trick of being so fabulously flamboyant in performing their stylistically lo-fi interpretations? This is quite deliciously over the top and just so way out there, man...
Ian Abrahams, spacerockreviews
http://spacerockreviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/fruits-de-mer-records.html

"400 copies only on coloured vinyl 7" on fruits de mer records. it features a driving almost gothic rock take on fleetwood mac's classic 'the green manalishi (with the two-prong crown)'. the fleetwood mac classic still keeps it's eerie / mystic vibe while taking on a goth psych vibe with scraping guitars, pounding piano and ice rink mellotron. the obscure b side is a little known psych blues classic from down under that has been given a fall-esque make-over with a twist of an ending. it comes sleeved with garishly brilliant artwork and vinyl coloured in who knows what...this is a proper collectors piece"
Rough Trade Records
www.roughtrade.com

"Fleetwood, Lancashire's finest export deliver a superb, driving rock version of Fleetwood Mac's 'Green Manalishi' (note the subtle link), recorded with almost gothic undertones. The b-side features Fred Laird and the band's take on an obscure sixties Australian garage rock track by the James Taylor Move - 'And I Heard The Fire Sing'.
Nick Leese, HeyDay Mail Order
www.heyday-mo.com

"wonderful stuff"
Mark Whitby
Dandelion Radio

sorry, but we have to briefly indulge ourselves with a bit of flattery (no, really, we don't deserve it...) from Terrascope, Ptolemaic Terrascope's online offspring...

Vinyl-only specialists Fruits de Mer are in danger of becoming a UK national treasure. Their latest release and their first of 2011 is homage to "spacerock" in its loosest sense, and follows what is becoming a tried and tested formula whereby new(ish) acts get to reinterpret what has gone before. Not that Fruits de Mer are so lazy or unimaginative as to sanction any old retreads of often covered and over-familiar so called classics. The cosmic stew offered up on "Roqueting Through Space" consists of eight tracks by the likes of Vibravoid, Vert;x (a fuzz and wind tunnel romp through Julian Cope's "I Come From Another Planet Baby") and the criminally unsung Luck Of Eden Hall with their take on one of your reviewer's favourite Barrett/Floyd tracks, "Lucifer Sam". Neu! receive two treatments, including Helicon's righteous interpretation of "Hallogallo" complete with scratchy, almost reggae guitar. It's just a shame that I never ever wanted to hear "Telstar" again in any shape or form, even the version that is so wonderfully over-the-top and deconstructed as the one featured here. The CD promo also features a double A-side 7" single that may either delight Hawkwind fans or else reignite the Hawk wars (or both). Alpha Omega have cut and shunted the little known "Transformer Man" with "Paradox" from Hall of Mountain Grill (which Mugstar also covered to exemplary effect on the recent "In Search of Hawkwind" tribute – see January Reviews). It's heavy as hell and the female vocalist lends it a different dimension, but best of all they have the oscillators on full stun! Quite what aficionados will think of Sendelica's "Urban Guerilla" is a different matter. At first listen I thought it was more of a send-up, but I get it now -. It's as if the ex-Tibetan Ukrainian Mountain Troupers have teamed up with Spandau Ballet in the club style. It has a nice dance vibe and, moreover, features original Hawk, venerable Uncle Nik Turner on trademark honk. I loved it! www.fruitsdemerrecords.com [Ian Fraser]
Terrascope
http://www.terrascope.co.uk/Reviews/Rumbles_April_11.htm

now for pretty much everything that we've picked up on our 'Roqueting Through Space' 19-incher...

"Bloody good version of Urban Guerilla. Deserves to sell millions. Really enjoyed it. Congratulations to everyone!"
Michael Moorcock (oh yes!)

This first release in 2011 by Fruits de Mer Records specialized in 7"cover singles is a totally amazing compilation of mostly 70's space/kraut rock tracks covered by some of the best underground bands of our time. This is the second full-length album on this label and comes with a 7" single. Fruits de Mer gave the involved bands a freedom to describe space rock as they wished resulting quite varied material originally dating from 1962 to 1996!
The album is started by the world's best band Vibravoid who perform a groovy and mind-expanding cover of a 60's psych song "No Silver Bird" originally by Hooterville Trolley. I had not previously heard about this band or song but at least interpreted by the nowadays very productive Vibravoid things work perfectly and the space flight gets going in a marvelous way! The arch druid Julian Cope's "I Come From Another Band, Baby" gets a worthy rendering in the hands of Vert:x and Helicon delivers a great, over 10-minute-long version of the motoric Neu! classic "Hallogallo". At times the going gets pretty wild and heavy, excellent!
The first band on the B-side of the colour vinyl is Cranium Pie's Reserch Baking Station whose Brainticket cover "Blacksand" is a true homage to the cosmic music. There just has to be at least one song by Pink Floyd on a compilation like this and Luck of Eden Hall from the USA does a terrific job on "Lucifer Sam". I had not previously heard about London-based psychedelic electronic artist Frobisher Neck but the album's other Neu! cover "Isi" by him works very well. From Russia we've got The Grand Astoria and Can's "Oh Yeah" is maybe a bit surprising but very pleasant cover song by them. You should also check out their brand-new studio album. Diarmuid MacDiarmada is one of the album's artists that I was totally unfamiliar with before and The Tornados cover "Telstar" originating from 1962 and named after a satellite presents the earliest form of space rock on the album.
So the package also includes a 7" single that has some very tasty space candy indeed! It's impossible to even think about a space rock tribute without the music of Hawkwid and this single is dedicated to this band. The Australian group Alpha Omega has made a very interesting mix of songs "Transdimensional Man" and "Paradox" for this project and it's called "Transdimensional Paradox". This works out very well and rocks and has no shortage of space sounds! Sendelica who have released one great 7" on Fruits de Mer delivers a pretty exciting version of the single track "Urban Guerilla" that has electronic beat and features Nik Turner, the godfather of space rock himself, with his saxophone! Superb stuff by these spacey Welshmen.
I can already at this point say that Roqueting Through Space is one of this year's most interesting releases and you should really hurry up getting your copy since the Fruits de Mer releases tend to sell out very fast…
DJ Astro - Psychotropic Zone
http://www.unimeri.com/PsychotropicZone/reviews.en.php?subaction=showfull&id=1301318992&archive=&start_from=&ucat=3

"Long mooted, though seemingly reluctant to leave its orbit, the Fruits de Mer space rock compilation has finally dropped from the darkest edge of the galaxy and landed, still smoking from atmospheric re-entry, on the doormat of HFoS Towers. Yes, Roqueting Through Space is finally here and the question on the lips of all those discerning followers of FdM Records will be the one that lies behind 99.9% of what's etched here on a weekly basis: Is it any ruddy good?
Well hold back one second and give yourself time to ruminate on such a query, while HFoS provides the all important specs regarding the inter-planetary vessel known as FdM 18. Following on from the first commercially available Fruits de Mer album, A Phase We're Going Through, the label has once again fulfilled its unwritten remit to provide some of the finest tunes of yesteryear, re-imagined and laced with a little of what you fancy from some of the most esoteric bands doing the rounds today.
Through a fuzz of galactic debris, Roqueting Through Space soars across the celestial plains, harvesting tracks originally recorded by the likes of Neu!, Pink Floyd, Can and Brainticket. Liberties have been taken with the "traditional" definition of what constitutes space rock, with the inclusion of versions of The Tornados' 'Telstar' and Julian Cope's 'I Come From Another Planet, Baby'. Neither artist immediately lends themselves to the image of excessively hairy, chemically enhanced voyagers, embarking on a psychedelic trip to the furthest reaches of their mind, but as the FdM press release says, "… it [space rock] means different things to different people – spacey, spaced-out, sci-fi, electronic rock … We decided to drop the pretence of defining the genre, and instead allowed our chosen bands to decide for themselves what 'space rock' meant …"
Capital idea! And the end result is a suitably transcendental testament to all things beyond the reach of man and his rubbish inability to fly. Or something like that.
The roster of bands involved in Roqueting Through Space features regular satellites of the Fruits de Mer home world, such as Vibravoid, Cranium Pie, The Luck of Eden Hall and Sendelica, as well as one or two recently discovered life forms, including Frobisher Neck, Vert:x and The Grand Astoria. With the coordinates set to veer slightly in favour of 70s Krautrock (Brainticket, Can and two Neu! tracks), which in turn lends itself perfectly to the out-of-this-world atmosphere the FdM scientific team set out to explore, the answer to the question you were earlier left to ponder can only be a resounding "Yes". Cranium Pie's version of Brainticket's 'Blacksand' is a galaxy-busting treat, swimming in phased vocals, the fuzziest of guitar noise and intergalactic whalesong. Frobisher Neck and The Grand Astoria tackle 'Isi' by Neu! and 'Oh Yeah' by Can respectively, with riveting results, but it's Helicon's 10 minute crack at 'Hallogallo', also originally by Neu!, that impresses the most, fuelled as it is by a decidedly hypnotic Hawkwind vibe.
Away from the contingent of German songs, Roqueting Through Space continues on its five year mission with the determination of James T. Kirk sniffing out some extraterrestrial skirt. Luck of Eden Hall perform a spectacular and thoroughly dynamic version of the Floyd's 'Lucifer Sam', while the main album closes with Diarmuid MacDiarmada's souped up, spaced-out take on 'Telstar'; the 1962 instrumental relocated to a Native American campfire, somewhere near Area 51. Of course, there appears to be one glaring omission from this comp
ilation, one that would see Fruits de Mer expelled from Space Academy forthwith, were it not remedied on the additional 7" vinyl that accompanies the 12", housed in that most sacred of vessels, by which so many prog albums of the 70s were borne, the gatefold sleeve. The solar anomaly to which I allude is, of course, the apparent absence of any songs by the psychedelic warlords and cosmic voyagers extraordinaire, Hawkwind.
The 7" provides not just one, but three Hawkwind compositions, demonstrating the reverence with which the hairy, ever-changing unit are held in space rock circles. Alpha Omega knocks out a mash-up of 'Transdimensional Man' and 'Paradox' in fine style, while Sendelica tackle 'Urban Guerilla', roping in original Hawkwind member, Nik Turner, to inject his saxophone stylings into what is an astral cherry at the heart of the Roqueting Through Space macrocosm. As far as starts to 2011 go (although we're now into March), FdM 18 is a fine one. Raise a goblet of Klingon Firewine to many more such moments throughout the year. Roqueting Through Space goes on sale at the end of March. Pre-order a copy today from Fruits de Mer Records"
Headfullofsnow
www.headfullofsnow.com

"Those tough taskmasters at the label HQ asked a few of their favourite bands to record a 'spacerock' classic from a shortlist of titles selected by the label. The usual suspects of Neu!, Hawkwind, Pink Floyd and Can were included, alongside the lesser known Brainticket and Hooterville Trolley. There were also the inspired choices of Julian Cope and The Tornados.
So how does it all gel together? Fairly well in full flight…
I wasn't struck immediately, but playing the album over and over since, I've really grown to like it! It's actually a fine selection of tracks.
Worth mentioning them all, and the names of the bands too, for future reference. So, here goes…
FdM regulars Vibravoid open the album with a fuzzy romp through Hooterville Trolley's 'No Silver Bird', well executed as you'd expect, setting things up nicely for Vert:x to take on Copey's 'I Come From Another Planet, Baby' - another one of his excellent singles that deserved more attention. I'm happy that someone is acknowledging Julian Cope's talent. This version is a little rougher than Copey's version, but no matter, it's well delivered!
Onwards and upwards… Helicon's version of the legendary Neu! track 'Hallogallo' - now I love this one! Worth ten minutes of anyone's time.
Neu!, like Can, were all about the rhythm sections, but Helicon move away slightly from the bass and drums here and channel the energy through the guitars, particularly near the end. Quite an epic as it turns out - just as it should be.
FdM favourites Cranium Pie, as their alter ego Research Baking Station, space themselves out a little further (is this possible?) on Brainticket's 'Blacksand'. Interesting choice. Excellent version. Wonder when their album's due?
Luck Of Eden Hall decide to steer clear of the more obvious Pink Floyd choices of spacerock (were there any left after Vibravoid's FdM singles?) and deal with Syd's 'Lucifer Sam'. Not really spacerock to these cloth ears, more an out and out psych rock song, but how can you go wrong with this? Every psych fan loves it! To my mind no-one has ever bettered True West's version of this – forwards and backwards – but Eden Hall put in a solid performance. I'm beginning to lose count of how many versions I have of this track or 'Interstellar Overdrive' for that matter. As if I'm worried!
Frobisher Neck turn in a lovely version of the gentle Neu! track 'Isi'. It's another one of my favourite tracks on 'Roqueting' – a mellow interlude - tasteful, yes, very tasteful while Can's 'Oh Yeah' by Grand Astoria grooves along with a 'Bo Diddley' beat and the strangest vocal I've heard in a while! Pass the throat pastilles Betty…
Who though, could prepare the listener for the album's closer of 'Telstar' originally by The Tornadoes, here performed by Diarmund MacDiarmada? End the album back where spacerock began? I'm sure this was FdM's original idea, they're clever lads. Cool track programming fellas!
This version comes on like a slowed down 'Waiting For The Man' - it could even be the Velvets actually! The signature riff slides uncomfortably over the rhythm at first, until finally your ears adjust. You then begin to believe this one could last forever! In fact you want this one to last forever!
Honestly, this track could drive you insane in the nicest possible way if it could last longer!
The single with the album is a Hawkwind tribute of sorts with Alpha Omega mixing 'Transdimensional Man' and 'Paradox', and Sendelica - with the scoop of luring in Nik Turner on sax - with their take on 'Urban Guerilla'. Both tracks are worth the listen, but it's the album that holds the killer punches for me. Out there man!
FdM can do no wrong for me so keep 'em coming guys, and all of these new and interesting bands. I look forward to every release.
Nick Leese, HeyDay Mail Order
www.heyday-mo.com

"From Joe Meek to Julian Cope, via Hawkwind, Can and Syd's Floyd - could the journey ever be called anything other than space rock? This journey, however, is taken with a fresh crew of cosmonauts. That is the Fruits de Mer Records' way. They specialise in releasing brightly coloured 7" singles featuring new bands covering old spacey classics. Their releases are typically both wildly ambitious and startlingly successful.
On this compilation LP, you get a punked-out 'Hallogallo', a rocked-up 'Lucifer Sam', a country-fried take 'Oh Yeah' by Can, 'Telstar' sounds like it fell off the second Faust album, 'Isi' by Neu! is transformed into a lost track from Cluster's 'Sowiesoso' album. The madness goes on.
Yet, there is clearly method to the madness. Fruits de Mer seem shockingly well-informed as to who to invite to take part in these quixotic, exotic experiments. I had never heard of any of these bands prior to their Fruits de Mer releases and yet they all gracefully and respectfully reimagine these classic songs into their brave new versions. Even the packaging is special, with a big coloured LP and a separate coloured 7" for the Hawkwind interpretations.
"Roqueting Through space" sounds like an act of burning sacriliege but instead it ends up being a hell of a lot of fun. It's a testimony to the power of the originals, the talents of the interpreters and the vision of the record label".
Was Ist Das
www.wasistdas.co.uk

"Regular Strange Brew listeners will be familiar with cult record label Fruits de Mer responsible for releasing some of the greatest reinterpretations of classic and obscure tracks from the 60s/70s. Their first release of 2011 "Roqueting Through Space", presents a full 19 inches of spacerock and krautrock in glorious technicolour vinyl.
Covers draw from dawn of the space era – Diarmuid MacDiarmada's industrial take on "Telstar" to Vert:x bringing the spirit of Silver Machine to Julian Cope's nineties magnum opus "I Come From Another Planet, Baby".
There are also two sensational Hawkwind covers on a 7 inch single – including founding Hawklord Nik Turner featuring on Sendelica's rocking take of "Urban Guerillia". Fruits de Mer add another defining Pink Floyd reinterpretation to their roster with "Lucifer Sam" by Luck of Eden Hall – blasting crazy diamond Syd Barrett well into the 21st Century. Copies are limited to 500 so you'll need to grab them soon before they roquet into space!"
The Strange Brew
www.thestrangebrew.co.uk

"...really dig Vibravoid's cover to the max..."
Spiros Pelekis, Rumble Skunk magazine
www.myspace.com/rumbleskunk

"...It's so psychedelically space astonishing! Fruits de Mer did it again.......If this AWESOME release is the first in 2011 then what do I have to expect for the next ones!!!???????"
Timelord Michalis
Timemazine

"...on constant replay..."
Jason Barnard, The Strange Brew
www.thestrangebrew.co.uk

"...another cracker..."
Sean Forbes
Rough Trade
www.roughtrade.com

"...well dandy..."
Mark Barton
Losing Today

...now for Shindig! and its reviews of our late 2010 releases....

UNDERWATER MOONLIGHT - Three new dispatches from Fruits de Mer, the DIY label that keeps on giving
(from Shindig! Jan/Feb 2011)

SIDEWALK SOCIETY
"Fruits de Mer's latest bid for world domination comes courtesy of LA's anglophile mod-psych troppers, Sidewalk Society. Not content with having dazzled us with their take on The Bee Gee's 'Red Chair, Fade Away', on A Phase We're Going Through, the feerless trio have decided to further disorient us with authentically-realised romps through The Stones' 'Dandelion', Small Faces' '(Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me', The Kinks' 'Lazy Old Sun' and - possibly the best executed track here - The Remo Four's 'In The First Place'. The Sidewalks manage to retain the queasiness of the latter by employing as many , if not more, instruments than the original - the ham-fisted piano and parping Mellotron are present and correct.
A blinding version of The Pretty Thing's 'She Says Good Morning' will appear on a forthcoming FdM project with an album of original material promised. Bring it on."
(Andy Morten)

THE EDDIE COCHRAN INSTRUMENTAL EP
"Fruits de Mer's Andy Bracken has chosen a clutch of obscure Eddie Cochran numbers for his latest project and the results are just not like Eddie at all. Head South by Weaving kick off proceedings with 'Rain', which begins as a fairly straightforward interpretation - with the added bonus of some haunting backing vocals - before it elongates into a mesmerising reverb-drenched thrummer.
Next up is Vibravoid's 'Shotgun Wedding Theme'. With its menacing guitar soundcombined with sitar, Mellotron and theremin, this is a truly far-out nugget of garage psychededelia with a distinct Joe Meek style. The acid-drenched vibes continue courtesy of Baking Research Station and 'Jam Sand-Witch' provides a perfect finale - all shimmering keyboards and whooshing synth effects, like Booker T and the MGs spiked with STP.
The press release suggests Cochran was never shy of experimentation, but whether he would ever have been as experimental as this had he not met an untimely death is quite another matter. Full marks to Fruits de Mer then, for indulging us in the fantasy."
(Rich Deakin)

FRUITS DE MER ANNUAL FOR 2011
"Our favourite singles label gets a head start on 2011 with this fine double EP that solidifies their cottage industry of contemporary artists reinterpreting cherished classics. Barcelona's Stay return with a baggy-trousered Madchester romp through 'Tomorrow Never Knows', complete with requisite backward guitars that'd do Happy Mondays' freaks proud. Finnish psychonauts Permanent Clear Light use phasing and sleepy vocals to resurrect Clifford T Ward's 'Wherewithal', Welsh gothic folkies Zeuk offer a dreamy, emotional outpouring of bloated angst on Pete Hammill's 'Vision', and Maria Charles adds just the right touch of thereal medieval despair to Hi-Fiction Science's hauntingly ominous revival of THird Ear Band's 'Fleance' from their 1971 soundtrack from Roman Polanski's Macbeth.
Early orders come with a free postcard and fortune-telling character from The Flintsones! Why aren't all singles like this?"
(Jeff Penczak)
...thank you, Shindig!!!

here comes Classic Rock magazine and the godfather of prog, Geoff Barton, and his views on our Eddie Cochran ep - and he gives it a cracking 8/10!...

If there's one constant in the crazy world of prog, it's to expect the unexpected. Even so, we're doing our best to take this in our stride - an ep of mad and mischievious Eddie Cochran covers. Andy Bracken from the Fruits de Mer label explains the concept, "Cochran always sough somethin' else - something different. I invited bands i knew could skew the tracks and take them on in a way i though Eddie might have approved of".
Head South By Weving's rendition of 'Rain' (allegedly a song written by Cochran for Duane Eddy). starts off with some gentle, pastoral guitar and spooky chords, and then develops/degenerates into a jarring krautrock workout. Vibravoid's take on the 'Shotgun Wedding Theme' sounds like the James Bond Theme played on a sitar. Finally, Baking Research Station's 'Jam Sand-Witch' recalls Hawkwind's Dik Mik leading a jam session in a cocktail lounge.
To sum up, this is another terminally whacked-out offering from those mad-eyes psychos at Fruits de Mer.

Let's move onto Norman Records, who always tell it like it is...

The SIDEWALK SOCIETY ep.........
Now as far as 60s covers & the bands who ply that trade go, i’m usually not that arsed. I’ll happily roll around in the dewy grass of my mind to the originals thanks, preferably with a miniskirted fox for company blowing dandelions in my face & rolling me huge jazz fags into the equation ;0]. This American band make the prospect of 60s covers seem like a good idea again. One of the standout bands from the patchy ‘A Phase We’re Going Through’, they’ve got a really deep, rich authentic sound which sounds vibrant & spacious without compromising the strongly hazy psychedelic feel of the original songs. The Kinks, The Small Faces, The Stones & The Remo Four are the recipients of some really affectionate, brilliantly played tributes here. None of the choices are really the most obvious either (although not so obscure as to render them oblique to lesser 60s heads such as mesen) which endears them further. For people who like the more West Coast sound or even a muscular answer to contemporary Brit bands such as The Clientele – this 4 tracker is a cracker for the nostalgic & rose-tint spectacled amongst you.

Our 2011 ANNUAL.......
Covers - four of them! On two pieces of coloured vinyl and complemented by some kitsch insert things! 'Tomorrow Never Knows'.. aka The Beatles song that everyone thinks is amazing even if they don't really like The Beatles all that much. Probably one to leave alone as far as cover versions go but Stay do a respectful enough job on it, keeping faithful to the original but rocking it up somewhat. Permanent Clear Light tackle Clifford T. Ward's 'Wherewithal' which I'm not remotely familiar with so don't have any pesky preconceptions about, meaning that it's woozily phasing guitar psych-pop probably comes off the best of anything here, at least to my ears. 'Fleance' by Third Ear Band is the original closest to my heart and Hi-Fiction Science totally Fruits De Mer it up.. So fans of the label will be keen. Zeuk's take on Peter Hammill's 'Vision' is pure string-laden psych-folk and rounds things off here. None of it's particularly for me but as I say, I can't see the legion of Fruits de Mer lovers being disappointed.

www.normanrecords.com

Terrascope give our new releases the once over...

Recently released on Fruit De mer records are three 7” singles worthy of your attention. First up, welsh space-rock combo Sendelica turn “Venus in Furs” into a folk-rock song circa 1972, strangely this works really well, the band remaining true to to the songs roots whilst adding a new sheen. In a weird synchronicity, the band also cover “Maggot Brain”, with Pete Bingham doing a fine job on the guitar with a faithful version that is a fitting tribute. Avaliable on the single “A Nice Pear”. On the same label, a rather fine idea to get some modern psych bands to cover some instrumental songs by Eddie Cochran, mainly because label boss Andy bracken really loves 'em, which seems a good a reason as any. So, with the basic premise to make them “sound like they were recorded in 1969” Head South By Weaving got to work on “Rain” and, boy, have they done a good job, the beginning of the song remaining faithful to the original before it drifts slowly off into reverb-drenched heaven, Acoustic guitar motifs drowning in effects, the tension building as the band get hypnotic with just a small part of the riff, nice work indeed. Tackling “Shotgun Wedding Theme”, Vibravoid” seem to take 1967 as their starting point, creating a track worthy of those much loved Rubbles albums released by Bam Caruso, very trippy and psychedelic, man. Finally, Baking Research Station, take on “Jam Sand-witch” (originally, a halloween novelty record) turning into something that sounds like lounge on acid, a jazzy groove being distorted by rising synths and other weirdness. Excellent throughout, this could turn out to be my favourite Fruit De Mer release. Finally from the label, their take on the christmas annual we all enjoyed as kids, complete with free gifts, as they present The 2011 annual featuring four covers by four modern bands. First up Stay, from Spain, have a go at “Tomorrow Never Knows”, giving it a rocking edge which works fine, although this is such a well known classic, no-one is ever going to do it complete justice. That said, this version would be praised widely if it was a band original, as they have definitely nailed their take on the song. Next up, Finland's Permanent Clear Light, offer a lovely soft-psych version of “Wherewithal” originally recorded by Clifford T Ward, nice work indeed, with a lovely arrangement. Hailiong from Wales, Zeuk, take on Hammill, their version of “Visions” awash with delicate strings and a wonderful vocal performance. To round thing of Hi-Fiction Science cover “Fleance”, originally to be found on the Macbeth soundtrack by the Third ear band. Here another beautiful vocal performance, this time by Maria Charles, lifts the song into the realms of future folk-rock rarity, rounding of a well-rounded and varied collection
http://www.terrascope.co.uk/Reviews/Rumbles_December_10.htm

...now for a few reviews of our Eddie Cochran Instrumental covers ep...

HEAD SOUTH by WEAVING'S VERSION OF 'RAIN' PLAYED on BBC RADIO 6's FREAKZONE - THANKS TO STUART MACONIE and on TOTALLY RADIO (THANKS TO MIKE BRADSHAW, who also played Vibravoid's 'Shotgun Wedding Theme') sorry, we were showing off, the reviews start here........

"Their best release so far and possibly the most unusual too - The Eddie Cochran Intrumentals EP. The label contacted a few of the ever-growing FdM family and friends with an idea to re-interpret three obscure Eddie Cochran instrumentals. I know the Cochran hits, but I had no idea that he recorded so many cool instrumentals. It's all in the promotional material sent with the CDR - the whole story written by Andy at FdM with comments by the featured artists. This should be printed in its entirety on the sleeve - it's fascinating! Andy mentions a CD entitled 'String Fever' by Eddie Cochran containing the original versions featured on this EP. I've ordered a copy for myself and will definitely list it on the Heyday site shortly. I'm really quite intrigued to hear these recordings. So, the mystical sounding Head South By Weaving begin proceedings with 'Rain'. I first heard HSBW on the Christmas 2009 FdM promo cassette and was overwhelmed by the beauty of their sound. Oh, but you've gotta hear this track - It takes a short while to build up, but then - man, it's beautiful! Three or four passages of music joined seamlessly together to creating an eerie atmosphere. The haunting female vocal backing helps too. This one could go on and on - but sadly it has to end, and suddenly too! Next up are FdM faves Vibravoid, the German neo-psych outfit. They tackle 'Shotgun Wedding Theme' with, get this - sitar, mellotron AND Theremin along with the usual drums, bass and guitar. Obviously the kitchen sink was required in another studio at the time! The pace of the EP suddenly picks up, and the atmosphere becomes very lysergic. Turn on, tune - It's a hit! Finally, the track that really 'moves the furniture around' in my head is by the oddly named Baking Research Station (actually two members of the Cranium Pie) who cover 'Jam Sand-Witch' and make it sound like a groovy 70s Pink Floyd. There are some jarring guitar chords in here that really bounce the sounds around between my ears! Really, very good this one! And that's it, but not for me - I have the CD player on 'repeat' and hear the tracks over and over!!! Honestly, this EP is THAT good! Wonder what Eddie would have made of it all? By all accounts he was always heading in an experimental direction anyway, so he may have beat these guys to it! Get drowned in these sounds!"
Nick Leese, Heyday Mail Order
www.heyday-mo.com

"...the latest from the constantly excellent Fruits De Mer records - a label that specialises in psyched up modern versions of classic tunes. For release 15 they've focused on the tunes of Eddie Cochran with covers from Baking Research Station, Head South by Weaving and label faves Vibravoid. All three tracks are instrumentals and sound way more from 1969 than 1959 e.g. very psychedelic and strung out (in a very good way) All Fruits De Mer releases are vinyl only and limited edition so get in there quick from www.fruitsdemerrecords.com"
Monobrow
http://monobrow73.blogspot.com/2010/11/odds-and-sods-round-up-october-2010.html

"as can be expected from the FdM label, these are no straightforward cover versions. Anybody who remembers the interview conducted with Andy Bracken - one of the two disembodied brains that run the label from their flying saucer orbiting somewhere above 1967 – may recall he said Eddie Cochran was his all-time favourite and if it were possible to pull anybody from history into the studio, dead or alive, then Cochran would be the one. Well, even for a disembodied cerebral cortex trapped on a Heath-Robinson spacecraft that draws its power from the psychedelic energy generated by swinging London, that’s an impossibility. So FdM have opted for the next best option. Choosing three lesser known tracks from the Cochran canon, these instrumentals are given a spicy reinterpretation by Head South By Weaving ('Rain'), Fruits de Mer regulars Vibravoid ('Shotgun Wedding Theme') and two members of Cranium Pie going by the name of Baking Research Station ('Jam Sand-Witch'). First up is Head South By Weaving's take on 'Rain'. As I'm completely unfamiliar with anything by Eddie Cochran, other than the perennial 'C'mon Everybody', there will be no comparisons to the originals, just a verdict (albeit a 'highly qualified' one) of what's going on here. Rumoured to have been penned by Cochran for Duane Eddy, the direction Head South By Weaving had when it came to tackling their version was "make it sound as though it was recorded in 1969, instead of 1959"; Trilbies off for doing just that. Although it kicks off with the very tangible guitar sound practiced by the likes of Eddy, The Shadows and Dick Dale, it soon eases into something far more mystical. Cosmic energies are harnessed as though we are indeed in the late 60s and the steady loop of the guitar, the sparse keyboard and the ethereal female vocal waft the scent of an incense-fogged bedsit through the speakers. Shotgun Wedding Theme is an altogether fierier affair. Complete with frantic sitar, Mellotron and the beyond-the-grave weep of the Theremin, its driven on by a scorching guitar that suggests a fire blanket or a bucket of cold water should be kept at hand when listening, just in case Vibravoid's incendiary sound sends the curtains up in flames. A short and fast explosion of acid-rock. Last up is the curiously named 'Jam Sand-Witch', switching the pace up once again. Here interpreted by Baking Research Station as an almost prog excursion, the keyboards give it a mellow and relaxed vibe, not unlike some of the more listenable jazz-flavoured progressive voyages of the 70s, while a host of different sounds and effects wash over the track like the last psychedelic tide before judgement day. Overall, The Eddie Cochran Instrumental EP is a cracking good listen. Not being a fan of the man himself, I had expected to hate it; but surprise tickled me on the pleasanter side and this mix of psych, prog and a wee dash of rock & roll, is well worth a listen and set to ensure the Fruits de Mer UFO remains buoyant into 1968 (2011) and beyond. Set for a release in late November, The Eddie Cochran Instrumental EP is available for pre-order from the Fruits de Mer website"
Headfullofsnow
http://headfullofsnow.com/eddie-cochran-instrumental-ep-fruits-de-mer-vol-15/#ixzz14onjZ994

...here come the Sidewalk Society reviews....

A Modernist flavour with a refreshing 60s aftertaste!
It's great, mate...absolutely love it...keep up the excellent work on Fruits de Mer Records...NICE!
John Hellier, Small Faces expert, guru, flag-flyer, and the like
www.wappingwharf.com
www.myspace.com/wappingwharf

"U.S. band Sidewalk Society present four tracks of vintage 60s UK pop/psych - ‘Lazy Old Sun’ (Kinks), ‘Dandelion’ (Stones), ‘Have You Ever Seen Me’ (Small Faces) and ‘In The First Place’ (Remo Four). ‘Lazy Old Sun’ in the hands of Sidewalk Society becomes a really hazy affair with the use of phasing. I really like it! They also give ‘Dandelion’ a slight kick, so it loses a little of its English whimsy and lands nicely with an American West Coast feel. ‘Tell Me’ rocks along quite well, but the winner for these ears is the version of ‘In The First Place’ taken from the film ‘Wonderwall’. The original Remo Four version was helped along by George Harrison and has always been a favourite song of mine. It really is an overlooked 60s UK psych treat! Moody, dreamy...you know the score! Good choice guys!
Going by what I’ve heard here, I’m really interested in hearing more by Sidewalk Society - they have good taste."
Nick Leese, Heyday Mail Order

and now, a few reviews of Sendelica's single...

Geoff Barton, Godfather of Prog, Classic Rock magazine

"raw, erotic...from Wales, surprisingly."

"Another corker from Fruits de Mer...this has versions of The Velvet Underground's 'Venus in Furs' and Funkadelic's 'Maggot Brain'. The former totally corrupts the original (if such a thing were possible) with its Sandie Shaw style singing and as for the latter... look, just buy the sucker before it sells out, ok?"

Nick Leese, Heyday Mail Order, www.heyday-mo.com

Those nice fellows at Fruits De Mer kindly sent me a CDR of an upcoming November release of theirs by Sendelica. The band take on 'Venus In Furs' (Velvet Underground) and Funkadelic's 'Maggot Brain'. The female singer on the former track has a superb voice. She helps to take the song someplace else - which takes some getting used to after some thirty years of hearing Lou Reed sing it! They have practically made it their own. Why has no-one thought of 'sexing-up' this track before? 'Maggot Brain' on the other hand let's the band shine, and is a laid back instro. to cool down to! I believe there will be three more releases by Fruits De Mer in November too! Can't wait!

Psychatrone Rhonedakk (Scranton's very own...)

Starting out very folk-oriented Sendelica's Venus In Furs has a sly-seductive mix of acoustic instruments at first,...soon blooming into a full band mix during the song's chorus. The lead vocals are handled sweetly with a touch of Siouxsie ,although the singer here has much wider vocal range coming close to Grace Slick's power at times. I find this a very cool variation on this Velvets song. A bit more "temptation" is added here with the female vocal difference. Yes,I suppose I agree with the company "blurb"....this is as sexy as it gets! Just on a side note - is the "I am tired ,I am weary,I could sleep for a thousand years..." part of this song the whole basis of Neil Young's "Heart of Gold",...or is that just in my twisted mind? Ahhh,well.... This single must be the sexiest of this company's releases? Coming to side "B",this bit is "sexy" for guitar freaks! Here a cover of Maggot Brain is pulled-off perfectly. You've got to have a style that's tasteful and hot at the same time to get this baby right,and here is a cover that is stunning. Beginning with a bit of a "confession" and I DO mean a confession,....as in "It's now been 36 years since I last spoke to you lord....". Really it's a continuation of the original intro.....so,again,a great twist here! If you don't know this song,first,shame on you,...and then second,imagine finding thee great lost Hendrix solo(but really originally, actually played by Funkadelic's excellent Eddie Hazel) and you can be sure this will satisfy all you may imagine when dreaming what that sweet solo might be. It's been said that the inspiration for the original solo was George Clinton giving Mr. Hazel a tab of acid and saying to him ,"Imagine someone just told you you're Mother died..." ,then near song's end he said ,"now imagine you just found out she's alive!" It's perfectly sad and sweet....you can not go wrong hearing either version. That's as much of a salute I can give this band and track. You've done well,space children. Yes,it's another little vinyl disc that you should really dig,...and again from the folks I've been touting all along here. Get 'em while they're HOT(and "available") ,since there's something like less than a handfull available for you to race for. Be quick,or lose out.

"It must take some balls to try and cover the Velvets' finest hour. To decide you're going to back that up with a version of Funkadelic's 10 minute guitar frazzle is...insane. However, every release sent to me by Fruits de Mer has sounded batshit and overambitious on paper,,,and then they've gone and pulled it off, somehow. But covering 'Venus in Furs'? This might sound weird but Sendelica's version sounds like Fleetwood Mac covering The Velvets. I can't work out if it's a clever, audacious cover, or a very wrong piece of blasphemy, or both. Oddly, the Funkadelic version works very well, replicating the guitar work, editing it down to 7" length nicely and getting all etheral on us too. I'm still tortured by their Velvets cover, though. It makes me singalong with it, even though it's wrong. And i know I'm going back for more. Kind of apt.
Was Ist Das
http://www.wasistdas.co.uk/VenusBrain.htm

"Thanks to an elctro acoustic makeover, 'Venus in Furs' is turned completely on its head and transformed into a psych-folk of Sendelica's own making. Emasculated of much of the dark menace and intensity that complements the sadomachochistic overtones of the original so well, Alice Davidson's mesmerising vocals seem to add a naive innocense at odds with the lyrics, making it both sinister and erotic in its own way. 'Maggot Brain' on the other hand is pretty much a straightforward stab at the original, except it's half as long, has an updated "Mother Earth" spoken intro and the addition of choral-like female vocals at the end. Anyone would be hard pushed to replicate Eddie Hazell's iconic funkadelic workout with as much emotion, let alone better it! Full marks to Sendelica - it takes a brand band to undertakecovers of either of these sacred cows"
Shindig!

John Kearney (ex-editor, Twist'n'Shout magazine)

The Hausfrauen Experiment's Baby's On Fire, a cover of the effervescent Eno, is an orgy of fuzz laden psych that keeps going and going. Similar feel with the other three tracks. Cockney Rebel's Sebastian and Steve Harley's music in general hasn't aged very well (except for Make Me Smile), so attempting this song was a risk in itself but the Haushfrau trio pulled the psych rabbit out of the hat and injected new life into this forgotten gem. Covers of Hawkwind's Spirit Of The Age and Silver Apples' Oscillations round things out. Definitely chart bound – mission accomplished Fruits de Mers!

Scranton's psych guru...

THE HAUSFRAUEN EXPERIMENT is a double 7 inch EP and is #12 in the Fruits De Mer experience! The band is a three woman group and is electronic in bent.
First here is a cover of Eno's "Baby's On Fire" and the girls do a fine job of making this aleady strangely cold, sexual song a bit cooler,....possibly like the "devil's song" in the 1960's movie "Bedazzled" where Peter Cook drives all the girls wild with his nonchalant frigidity,only the women do it this time around! It's a really cool turn of play here!
"Ocillations" originally by Silver Apples is in this version more Delia Derbyshire and White Noise,than New York art-freak.The harmonies even sound a bit like Fifty Foot Hose too. It's a darker sound than the original and reverberates like a spider waiting in it's web,.....very calculated.
"Sebastian" is a cover of a song I have no past experience with by (Steve?) Harley. This is a bit like the Creatures if they were more spacious and had very nice harmonies. The voices intertwine here in the finest of ways. The vocal harmonies are quite beautiful ,coming close to Annie Haslam of Rennaissance (with synth backing,that is)!
Finally the last song is "Spirit of The Age" a future-paranoid freak-out from Hawkwind & Robert Calvert's pen and mind. Here lovers are stranded respectively in the future and past....one in space after hyper-space travel remembering their lover ,who by the time they wake from hyper-sleep will "long since be dead". Another line has the memoirs of a clone thinking what they are thinking is being thought by all of the other clones,....exactly, and at the same time. Here the Kraftwerk sound raises it's head once more. This version being more desolate and electronics-cold than the original ,...all the while the girls use a voice filter sounding like the vocals were phone-called in to the studio,in a perfect sound of emotional disconnect! A chilling vision of the future made even more barren. Makes you feel poor Robert Calvert's fears of the future even moreso. Chilling but perfect too.
The Hausefrauen Experiment ,for me,is a complete success. Twisting the familiar into interesting new experiences!

Psychatrone Rhonedakk

Read more: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog .view&friendId=33386560&blogId=538928144&actp=n%2b 0prKAebczfG13CmB%2fL170xxzjSK8k%2f19igSi%2f1c3uQLTXTYANJMky0qJd%2b 9I2kavzWgFgwz4Wh5a8LoWf2tWD381fjl794VxKiUAZ3m0Sz2y XQ1aaSocgLpY6kX4uxH4U49hZrRxurygERZVV3Br7UG9Bein1a w3xDTMVoXN5DPCkObOSzfqpqVo7%2bjqkDf79rqqDDdzraitr%2faVdNfSqHwKgP2nsA8K4aqrJ12 Nd7ev7hEdSQNSZ%2b%2b2M0Edgu#ixzz0yr9Z9nXe

from Terrascope - the online descendant of that great magazine Ptolemaic Terrascope - on Hausfrauen Experiment

...OK so let's end on a real high, courtesy of the very fine Fruits De Mer Records from Waltham-on-Thames, a small but perfectly formed vinyl-only label (though mercifully for your vinyl-free reviewer they provide promo-CDs)'Volume 12: The Hausfrauen Experiment' is a 2 x 7" vinyl release courtesy of them crazy Hausfrauens, namely Tracy, Vyolette and Lisa (who hail from the UK and not, as might be supposed, from Germany). Volume 12comprises of four magnificently playful retro/futuristic synth based reinterpretations of songs by Silver Apples ('Oscillations'), Hawkwind ('Spirit of the Age'), Eno ('Baby's On Fire') and Cockney Rebel ('Sebastian'). The Eno one is, if push came to shove, my favourite but the others are all excellent as well. If you can imagine a tasteful and tasty electro-stew of Kraftwerk, Death in Vegas and the Flying Lizards imaginatively as interpreted by French and Saunders and performed by mischievous sweethearts then not only does your imagination do you credit but you’re already half way to liking this somewhat atypical release from the usually psych-fixated Fruits people. Here, then, is a precious little offering hugely deserving of your love and attention. It certainly reduced me to a grinning fool. More please.
http://www.terrascope.co.uk/Reviews/Rumbles_August_2010.htm

more from Terrascope - 'A Phase'

Fruits De Mer Records have offered us psychedelic listeners some treats in recent years, and now present their first full album, "A Phase We're Going Through." Their promo contains only five tracks, but no doubt the album is all as good as this quintet of lovelies. The Luck Of Eden Hall do The Monkees' 'Love Is Only Sleeping,' The Swims do July's 'My Clown,' The Chemistry Set do Del Shannon's 'Silver Birch,' and Cranium Pie do Hendrix's 'Little Wing.' All great versions, with, natch, a lot of phasing. One to acquire if you love the best decade in music, from a quintessential record label... can you see what I did there, Keith & Andy?
http://www.terrascope.co.uk/Reviews/Rumbles_August_2010.htm

from Rough Trade Records - flying the flag for indie music and vinyl for...well, ages - on Hausfrauen Experiment

"trawling the ever-deeper depths of the undulating oceans of obscure sound, fruits de mer's latest release pulls together a sonic potpourri of songs originally recorded by silver apples, hawkwind, brian eno and cockney rebel. the standout is 'spirit of the age', the hawkwind song taken from their robert calvert-era, 1977 album 'quark, strangeness and charm'. it transplants the space rock sparseness of the original for a space synth sparseness and a cheerier version of a throbbing gristle-style industrial vibe"

email your reviews to us at info@fruitsdemerrecords.com and we'll post them alongside Record Collector, Shindig!, Was Ist Das, Mojo, Ice Cream For Quo and everyone else who has a good (or bad) word to say about us
...meanwhile, you can read our reviews to-date in the blog section at www.myspace.com/fdmer2

contact info@fruitsdemerrecords.com

magazines...websites...fans...positive...negative...
...we'll post them all here...

...so that you can get more objective views than we're ever likely to give you

TERRASCOPE GIVES OUR DECEMBER RELEASES THE ONCE-OVER...

Classic Rock presents PROG magazine has reviewed Cranium Pie's 'Mechanisms' LP..."the musical results are utterly fascinating"

"Typically essential" - the Fruits de Mer /Regal Crabomophone 2012 Annual - first review

"an essential purchase for any fans of acid/psych folk" - The Wicker Man/Summerisle ep reviews..."

"Near perfection" - The Luck of Eden Hall ep reviews...

"Could easily be a great lost UK underground classic!" - Cranium Pie's 'Mechanisms' album reviews begin here ...

The reviews of The Chemistry Set's brilliant new single poured in....

...as are the Earthling Society write-ups...

sorry, but we have to briefly indulge ourselves with a bit of flattery (no, really, we don't deserve it...) from Terrascope, Ptolemaic Terrascope's online offspring...

now for pretty much everything that we've picked up on our 'Roqueting Through Space' 19-incher...

...now for Shindig! and its reviews of our late 2010 releases....

here comes Classic Rock magazine and the godfather of prog, Geoff Barton, and his views on our Eddie Cochran ep - and he gives it a cracking 8/10!...

Let's move onto Norman Records, who always tell it like it is...

Terrascope give our new releases the once over...

...now for a few reviews of our Eddie Cochran Instrumental covers ep...

...here come the Sidewalk Society reviews....

and now, a few reviews of Sendelica's single...

magazines...websites...fans...positive...negative... ...we'll post them all here...

...so that you can get more objective views than we're ever likely to give you

TERRASCOPE GIVES OUR DECEMBER RELEASES THE ONCE-OVER...

Classic Rock presents PROG magazine has reviewed Cranium Pie's 'Mechanisms' LP..."the musical results are utterly fascinating"

"Typically essential" - the Fruits de Mer /Regal Crabomophone 2012 Annual - first review

"an essential purchase for any fans of acid/psych folk" - The Wicker Man/Summerisle ep reviews..."

"Near perfection" - The Luck of Eden Hall ep reviews...

"Could easily be a great lost UK underground classic!" - Cranium Pie's 'Mechanisms' album reviews begin here ...

The reviews of The Chemistry Set's brilliant new single poured in....

...as are the Earthling Society write-ups...

sorry, but we have to briefly indulge ourselves with a bit of flattery (no, really, we don't deserve it...) from Terrascope, Ptolemaic Terrascope's online offspring...

now for pretty much everything that we've picked up on our 'Roqueting Through Space' 19-incher...

...now for Shindig! and its reviews of our late 2010 releases....

here comes Classic Rock magazine and the godfather of prog, Geoff Barton, and his views on our Eddie Cochran ep - and he gives it a cracking 8/10!...

Let's move onto Norman Records, who always tell it like it is...

Terrascope give our new releases the once over...

...now for a few reviews of our Eddie Cochran Instrumental covers ep...

...here come the Sidewalk Society reviews....

and now, a few reviews of Sendelica's single...

magazines...websites...fans...positive...negative...
...we'll post them all here...