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[Arpangel]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-EoJ97dXGQ

Been aware of this guy for a long time, he’s been on the modular scene for awhile too, I was just looking at this rack from 8 years ago, strange, it's a bit like my live rig used to be, and he’s got the truly amazing Equation Composer, that I used to have. The EC was the heart of my system, and I’ve been wrecking my brains thinking of how I can duplicate it with a combination of modules, but I just cant, I've advertised for one with no luck, they were quite unreliable, and mine eventually broke. There is so much crammed in to it, that’s why it's good live, there’s a synth, a drum machine, granular processor, effects, sequencer, but all put together in strange ways and it can be very random, and it's all voltage controllable.
I had a 104 HP 3U portable suitcase, the EC and a few Doepfer modules, plus a Zoom CDR70 for reverb, that was it.
If only I could replicate that set-up, it was perfect, but all I can do is try and think of ways to out together a more modular intensive Equation Composer.

[SafeandSound Mastering]

I have known of this guy since the late 90's, falls in to the electronica scene I think. I will have a listen as I have a mo before lunch. A name I have not heard for a long time. Though actually I recall having heard of him a few years back now, maybe on a new release ?

I recall he got his name from running recordings of radio recordings into his music found by using what was known back then as a scanner. Essentially out of the ordinary broadcast bands.

The back end of the 90s was a very fruitful time for experimental electronic music. Outfits such as FSOL, Autechre, Luke Vibert, Mouse on mars, Trans Global Underground, Squarepusher, Astralasia and more leftfield electronic based D&B kind of music. Often quite experimental. And all the Bristol Trip hop music. There were plenty of interesting and eclectic compilations.

There was so much interesting music being released from the "project studio" DIY contingent back then, it was almost too much to take it all in.

One of my favourites as it had gorgeous melody was a Swedish artist called Hab.. here is my fave track... beautfully melancholic, has that Scandinavian sadness in there. Still puts the hairs up on my forearms 03:37 onwards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTn1hf3 ... =HAb-Topic

[Arpangel]

I have known of this guy since the late 90's, falls in to the electronica scene I think. I will have a listen as I have a mo before lunch. A name I have not heard for a long time. Though actually I recall having heard of him a few years back now, maybe on a new release ?

I recall he got his name from running recordings of radio recordings into his music found by using what was known back then as a scanner. Essentially out of the ordinary broadcast bands.

The back end of the 90s was a very fruitful time for experimental electronic music. Outfits such as FSOL, Autechre, Luke Vibert, Mouse on mars, Trans Global Underground, Squarepusher, Astralasia and more leftfield electronic based D&B kind of music. Often quite experimental. And all the Bristol Trip hop music. There were plenty of interesting and eclectic compilations.

Definitely a worthy curiosity of its time.

There was so much interesting music being released from the "project studio" crowd back then it was almost too much to take it all in.

That’s right, I was in London then too, what a time, although we didn’t think we were involved in anything ground breaking, but that always happens, you can't see anything properly when you’re right on top of it, all I know is I'd love to be back there again, I had an 8 piece free-improv band, a mixture of electronics and classical players, plus other things, we put on festivals of improv, and played a lot at a place called The Club Room in Islington run by a guy called Richard Sanderson, got a chance to sit-in with some great people, the Bohman Brothers, Hugh Hopper, and some truly great unknown people, like me!
I met Scanner at a few modular meets, interesting guy.
There were also some great venues for left field music, little clubs that used to just pop up, unfortunately a lot of those people aren’t with us anymore, plus the scene changes, that's life.

[Martin Walker]

The back end of the 90s was a very fruitful time for experimental electronic music. Outfits such as FSOL, Autechre, Luke Vibert, Mouse on mars, Trans Global Underground, Squarepusher, Astralasia and more leftfield electronic based D&B kind of music. Often quite experimental. And all the Bristol Trip hop music. There were plenty of interesting and eclectic compilations.

One of my favourites as it had gorgeous melody was a Swedish artist called Hab.. here is my fave track... beautfully melancholic, has that Scandinavian sadness in there. Still puts the hairs up on my forearms 03:37 onwards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTn1hf3 ... =HAb-Topic

Aha - Robin Rimbaud. Yes, a name attached to an illustrious career in electronic music.

I still remember first hearing FSOL in a record shop (remember those?) when it was being played on the house system. I was gobsmacked, and bought 'Lifeforms' on the spot - it still sounds fresh today, 30 years since its release.

It's also interesting that you mention Astralasia - its leader Mark (aka Swordfish), lives a few doors away from me here in Cornwall, and I've contributed to a couple of his recording projects over the years.

Oh, and that link of yours to HAb is lovely, and it reminds me a little of 'Zero Time', from Tonto's Expanding Head Band (which is now over 50 years old)!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNn3NFwlCZU

[SafeandSound Mastering]

Cool anecdote Martin. I think they play whirly-gig/Whirly-fayre fairly frequently. I have been to the festival a few times, super friendly and a bit of a old skool love-in of which there is absolutely nothing wrong with. Puts your faith back. I have seen them play live a few times and they were great.

I have quite a few of the FSOL albums, ISDN, Dead Cities. All amazing. Also love the track..."My Kingdom" with the weird London video. I had a similar experience with Ozric Tentacles in a Camden record shop where I was sifting through the CD's and wondering what the hell I was hearing through the speakers. Never heard anything like them, a genre unto themselves.

I have took the foot off the festival gas the last few years but was attending a fair old few from 2016 through 2021 until the dreaded lurgy. Now I manage about 1 a year just to feel that atmosphere.

[ManFromGlass]

Over here I have been attending the Electric Eclectics festival for years now. They bring in a wonderful assortment of experimental musicians and bands mostly from N. America but a few wonderful guests from Europe.
Yesterday was the last day and I managed to experience the full 10 hours of wild, wacky and thought provoking fueled by only 1 beer and numerous coffees.
I was the designated driver.
Great to see the youngers both onstage and off pushing the envelope of exploration along with the older established folks!
Sounds like you have quite the scene over there.

[Arpangel]

When I was at uni there was a guy who was massively into Ozric Tentacles, we used to play together and have these long "freak-outs" where he would play "glissando Guitar" and I had the uni's EMS Synthi.
I'm a big Gong fan, and being in Kent that was their home at one point, there were a couple of festival venues here "The Farm" near Canterbury and Ephraim Gardens, but never got the chance to go to them.

[Martin Walker]

I've got the album 'Arborescence' from the Ozrics in my CD collection, but have more from one-time Ozrics drummer Merv Pepler, whose output as Eat Static is particularly quirky

[SafeandSound Mastering]

I love the Arborescence album, very much one of their more ambient inspired works and the title track Arborescence especially. It is a tad weird you mention that specifcially as that track has feature in mind a lot this year and I dug the CD out for a listen.

That trck is pretty much archetypal ethereal for me.

So beautiful it almost makes me weep. They certainly have the knack of capturing beauty and ethereal feelings in their music. Anyone could enjoy that it is so smooth and nice to listen to. Ed makes you wait for the incredibly well measured, perfect solo at the end. This music will be with me all my life, it's very touching.

Back on track a bit...with 90's artists and modular etc. there was a video I spotted about Merv and modular synths live.. just the other day which should fit right in this thread.. now the problem is where did I see it ? I will try and find in my history, hold on a mo.

Here we go, respect to anyone who lugs that around for live.. a big undertaking! Must have a decent van for it all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bpv4z8ioz0

Anecdote alert, I recorded him playing live at a Red Bull stage at Bestival, Isle of Wight, when I started working freelance for a short period doing pretty much anything sound wise, about 15 years ago. Just to stereo, recorded the entire stage output for the weekend onto a Fostex FR2LE / Zoom H2 back up, with match sticks, to keep my eyes open.

[Arpangel]

I love the Arborescence album, very much one of their more ambient inspired works and the title track Arborescence especially. It is a tad weird you mention that specifcially as that track has feature in mind a lot this year and I dug the CD out for a listen.

That trck is pretty much archetypal ethereal for me.

So beautiful it almost makes me weep. They certainly have the knack of capturing beauty and ethereal feelings in their music. Anyone could enjoy that it is so smooth and nice to listen to. Ed makes you wait for the incredibly well measured, perfect solo at the end. This music will be with me all my life, it's very touching.

Back on track a bit...with 90's artists and modular etc. there was a video I spotted about Merv and modular synths live.. just the other day which should fit right in this thread.. now the problem is where did I see it ? I will try and find in my history, hold on a mo.

Here we go, respect to anyone who lugs that around for live.. a big undertaking! Must have a decent van for it all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bpv4z8ioz0

Anecdote alert, I recorded him playing live at a Red Bull stage at Bestival, Isle of Wight, when I started working freelance for a short period doing pretty much anything sound wise, about 15 years ago. Just to stereo, recorded the entire stage output for the weekend onto a Fostex FR2LE / Zoom H2 back up, with match sticks, to keep my eyes open.

I just listened to Arborescence, hhhmmm? not much variation or depth.
I remember listening to the Tentacles at the time and thinking, its alright, but it hasn’t got the depth or imagination of a band like Gong, and it sounds a bit cliched.

[SafeandSound Mastering]

No accounting for taste really. That just is.

I listen to them on their own terms without comparison, all music actually. Not that it requires justification but on a personal level the Arborescence track is about an expansive, warm, open hearted feeling rather than especially complex musical expression.

Beauty and a touch of melancholy, it is more sparsely arranged and yet the beauty in it is persistent throughout despite being a more simple track by Ozric standards.

You could always try their other 20+ CD's

[Arpangel]

No accounting for taste really. That just is.

I listen to them on their own terms without comparison, all music actually. Not that it requires justification but on a personal level the Arborescence track is about an expansive, warm, open hearted feeling rather than especially complex musical expression.

Beauty and a touch of melancholy, it is more sparsely arranged and yet the beauty in it is persistent throughout despite being a more simple track by Ozric standards.

You could always try their other 20+ CD's

Sorry Safe, just in a weird mood right now.
I think the Tentacles are what they are, completely different approach to say a band like Gong.
I find the Tentacles heavier, more up front, edgy, compared with Gong, who’s sounds are much more spacey, and acoustic too, more laid back, if you get what I mean.
Strange, there are sounds about every band that attract us in, its like walking past a wallpaper shop, you go in by what's in the window, that initial texture, it’s either us, or it isn’t.

[SafeandSound Mastering]

They were 20 years earlier, so it was a different technology available and the end result of course different. There is some clear inspirations but for Ozrics the digital synthesis, effects processing, sampling and guitar effects processing were turned up to 11 for Ozrics.

Fearless in their use, along with what seems to be copious boost of the highs from Trident desk EQ. Unless all the sparkle was added in mastering.

A common strand between the 2 being virtuousity.

[Arpangel]

A common strand between the 2 being virtuousity.

So far out in one respect, but so far in regarding others, a common factor during those early times, musicianship was the backbone, then technology became more dominant, and in some ways enabled us to do a lot with less technique, musically, its the same ends, but in a different way.

[SafeandSound Mastering]

MIDI sequencing was an obvious one for Ozrics tracks that I missed. Gong was before that time, though that did not stop any amazing analogue synthesis work. My favourite Gong album was "You".

I would say from a musical ability and composition perspective they were both truly on the top level of skill that anyone could reasonably achieve.

[Arpangel]

My favourite Gong album was "You".

Mine too! it has everything that inspired me, and Tim Blake's synthesiser work on that is pure heaven. Recorded at The Manor too, like a few of my favourite albums, that was a truly magical place.