The point of these threads is to encourage people to look for new and interesting music. We do this by listening to and ideally discussing albums we've never heard before. Many of us already listen to new music daily, these people are in it to venture "out of their comfort zone" by listening to albums they otherwise wouldn't have, or just to have a good time.
I'll be posting my tourney's round one results later, so there's that to look forward to
John Richardson
:)
Angel Foster
>Stephen David Heitkotter - Heitkotter (1971)
What an experience. Actually, listeners should just listen to the much cleaned-up re-release from 2004 entitled “Black Orckid”. Psychedelic rock, jam band, garage rock, what ever you want to call it won’t do it justice because this is extremely otherworldly. Another one of Paul Major’s Real People discoveries: private press, clearly outsider. “Real People” May be a stretch in this instance, because Stephen David Heitkotter is much less a primitive musician than a clearly unstable guy. And this release doesn’t show bold musical choices as much as just an entirely overall bold move. Does it sound good? Some parts are there but this is consistently off-kilter and challenging in that respect. And none of that detracts from a genuinely interesting, effective listening experience. 6.5/10
has anyone else been using legacy captcha? and if they were, has it suddenly been removed from the settings section and forced you back to the current version of captcha with the image clicking and such?
Justin Nguyen
>Sun-Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra - Atlantis (1969)
This continues to be one of the most alien things I’ve heard, even within the context of free jazz. I’m certain this is all impromptu and compositionless outside of the vague framework of each track, e.g. long percussive sections that toy with the tension between order and chaos. I think what’s most baffling about this beyond it’s free-ness is the taste displayed: Sun Ra’s clavinet, tribal percussion, the sparseness. The effect, especially on the relatively less experimental A side, is oftentimes of cheapness. These aren’t typically jazz or (or often classical) instruments to be performed without an ensemble, the reason being that they occupy limited space on the sonic spectrum. Believe it or not, the cheap or esoteric arrangement in combination with this truly unhinged music contributes to a singular, hermetic atmosphere throughout.
With all that in mind, a line is tread between nonsense and genius. An overwhelming moment in the side-long title-track, for example, in which Sun Ra’s organ sounds like lasers beaming you up can lead into a sparser clumsy moment to break the spell. It’s free but that doesn’t mean it’s worth doing away with intuitive touch. 6/10
>Miles Davis - Water Babies (1976)
Outtakes from classic quint c. 67-68. Predictably impressive but inessential. Bogged down by uneventful compositions. 6.5/10
