Record Reviews

APHRODITE`S CHILD ~ END OF THE WORLD ESOTERIC 2205 (Barcode: 5013929730540) ~ GREECE ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1968 Released: 2010 1st album by the brilliant Greek Prog band Aphrodite`s ChildFind albums by this artist, which was the first and to this day most famous band from that country to break the cultural boundaries and reach international audiences. Originally a quartet, the three group´s members: keyboardist and primary composer Evanghlos O. PapathanassiouFind albums by this artist (later to become the renowned VangelisFind albums by this artist), bassist and lead vocalist Demis RoussosFind albums by this artist and drummer Loukas SiderasFind albums by this artist, left their native country following the military coup d´état, which left Greece paralyzed artistically and culturally. The group wanted to reach the UK, but for various reasons got stuck in France first, where this, their brilliant debut, was recorded. A classic of the Psychedelic era and an early Prog attempt, this album remains to this day as a formidable achievement. Vangelis´ superb feel for melody and lyricism and Roussos´ extraordinary vocal abilities create a wonderful atmosphere, unparalleled by most other groups at the time. The group enjoyed a European mega-hit with the song "Rain And Tears", included here, but overall their music was not hit oriented and overtly much more ambitious that most of the hit songs of the era. It´s also interesting to emphasize the role of Greek folkloristic motifs present in their music, with the grand tradition of Rebetiko at the helm. Definitely worth discovering and a great trip down the memory lane sparkling with gems like this one!

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APHRODITE`S CHILD ~ IT`S FIVE O`CLOCK ESOTERIC 2206 (Barcode: 5013929730649) ~ GREECE ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1969 Released: 2010 2nd album by the brilliant Greek Prog band Aphrodite`s ChildFind albums by this artist, which was the first and to this day most famous band from that country to break the cultural boundaries and reach international audiences. Originally a quartet, the three group´s members: keyboardist and primary composer Evanghlos O. PapathanassiouFind albums by this artist (later to become the renowned VangelisFind albums by this artist), bassist and lead vocalist Demis RoussosFind albums by this artist and drummer Loukas SiderasFind albums by this artist, left their native country following the military coup d´état, which left Greece paralyzed artistically and culturally. The group wanted to reach the UK, but for various reasons got stuck in France first, where their brilliant debut album was recorded. They finally reached UK a year later to record this, their follow up. A classic of the Psychedelic era and an early Prog attempt, this album remains to this day as a formidable achievement. Vangelis´ superb feel for melody and lyricism and Roussos´ extraordinary vocal abilities create a wonderful atmosphere, unparalleled by most other groups at the time. The group enjoyed a European mega-hit with the album´s title song, but overall their music was not hit oriented and overtly much more ambitious that most of the hit songs of the era. It´s also interesting to emphasize the role of Greek folkloristic motifs present in their music, with the grand tradition of Rebetiko at the helm. Definitely worth discovering and a great trip down the memory lane sparkling with gems like this one!

CD 1 Oversampling Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

MIKOLAJ HERTEL ~ DZWIEKI DALEKIEGO SWIATA GAD 052 (Barcode: 5901549197686) ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 1985 - 1988 Released: 2017 This is a reissue of the cassette only album with a compilation of material composed and performed by Polish keyboardist / composer Mikolaj HertelFind albums by this artist in the mid-1980s. This beautifully remastered edition is expanded by five additional tracks originating from the same period and presents in total twenty two pieces of his music. This is the second chapter in a series of reissues of the music by Hertel on the GADFind albums on this label Records label, following the "Epizod AFind albums with this title" album released a couple of years earlier. The music is similar to other electronic / ambient creations popular at the time the world over and is every bit as good as anything recorded by Rick WakemanFind albums by this artist, Jean-Michel JarreFind albums by this artist or VangelisFind albums by this artist. Hertel is a wonderful weaver of sublime melodic themes and his synthesizers create a rich tapestry of sonic vistas, which although a bit nostalgic, still sound relevant today. His themes are more concise and coherent, and as a result the music never gets boring, repetitive or droning. Fans of synthesizers should enjoy this stuff immensely but basically everybody interested in the ambient / electronic genre should check this out, especially people outside of Poland, who were never exposed to this excellent music. Highly recommended!

Updated: 13/04/2017Posted: 13/04/2017

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WLADYSLAW KOMENDAREK ~ SZAFIROWA CHIMERA GAD 110 (Barcode: 5903068120527) ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 1995 - 1996 Released: 2019 This is a reissue of an album by Polish electronic music pioneer and prolific composer / recording artists Wladyslaw KomendarekFind albums by this artist. This album represents his work form mid-1990s, which was his most fertile period. This remastered edition adds one bonus track, which was previously unreleased. Although Komendarek never managed to gain such international acclaim and recognition as other Electronic / Ambient composers / performers like VangelisFind albums by this artist or Jean-Michel JarreFind albums by this artist, but he is certainly in the same class of foremost Artists of the genre and his extensive recording legacy easily proves it. Using his impressive array of synthesizers and other electronic devices Komendarek manages to create sonic vistas of epic symphonic scope, with complex multi-layered melodic themes and polyrhythmic tempi, which are fascinating and absorbing. Some of these compositions offer an extended, suite like scope and continuity. The music on this album adds certain elements, which were not part of his earlier offerings, such as certain World Music accents and New Age meditative influences, but in retrospect the music remains typically Komendarek´s own. In retrospect the music remains as fresh and universal as it was at the time of its creation, with its intrinsic beauty and aesthetic values completely intact. For the many fans of Komendarek´s fans and for Electronic / Ambient music, which offers Artistic contents and not only gimmickry, this album is of course highly recommended. Kudos to GADFind albums on this label Records for keeping Komendarek´s work alive and available; this is the sixth reissue of his albums on the label and hopefully more are to follow soon.

Updated: 14/03/2020Posted: 14/03/2020

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WLADYSLAW KOMENDAREK ~ WLADYSLAW KOMENDAREK GAD 021 (Barcode: 5901549197273) ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 1984 - 1985 Released: 2014 This is a reissue of the eponymous debut solo album by Polish keyboardist / composer Wladyslaw KomendarekFind albums by this artist, which was originally released only on cassette. The newly remastered reissue adds four bonus tracks, which were recorded at the same sessions as the eight tracks which were included on the original album. Komendarek, who was the keyboardist of the legendary Polish Prog group ExodusFind albums by this artist, recorded this music after he left the group, using only an array of synthesizers. The music was composed in a secluded location far away from "civilization" and recorded later at the Polish Radio studio in Warsaw. Komendarek, who is still active today, three decades after this music was recorded, is undoubtedly one of Poland´s most important composers of electronic music of the same status as internationally known figures such as VangelisFind albums by this artist or Jean-Michel JarreFind albums by this artist, as this album clearly shows. His versatility and imagination as a composer are simply staggering and his ability to create multi-layered sound vistas is exceptional. The compositions presented on this album are all well structured and based on solid melodic themes, which are progressively developed in time. Komendarek uses the array of synthesizers to produce a rich orchestral sound and his Jazzy improvisations keep things interesting at all times. He also manages to avoid the bombastic approach, which was often used by his contemporaries, which simply produced a wall of sound that became increasingly intolerable. This music keeps a certain level of intimacy, which allows the listener to relax and let the music slowly draw him into the sounds. Of course due to obvious technological limitations the album suffers from the dreaded 1980s synthesizer sound, which hunts most of the music created in that period. The fact that this music is not only listenable but also quite enjoyable and even challenging proves that Komendarek is definitely blessed with an unusual talent. Bringing this music back to life (who owns a cassette player these days?) is unquestionably a great idea, which produces a fascinating document of the history of Polish electronic music, which should be available to both old fans and new generation of musicians and fans as well. As usual hats off to GADFind albums on this label Records for another great idea!

Updated: 13/04/2017Posted:

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PATRICK MORAZ ~ HUMAN INTERFACE TIME WAVE 011 (Barcode: 604388670529) ~ SWITZERLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1987 Released: 2006 This is the eighth album and another solo effort with all the music composed by Patrick MorazFind albums by this artist, who also plays all the instruments. By the time this album was recorded the electronic instrumental genre was no longer the uncharted territory, with VangelisFind albums by this artist and Jean-Michel JarreFind albums by this artist presiding. Moraz managed to maintain his individual touch both as a player and a composer, by using a more distinct classic influence than his “rivals” did in their work. Some of the compositions on this album rank amongst his strongest works and his playing is brilliant as always. The bonus tracks are also quite interesting, as they were recorded live at the Abbey Road Studio in London, where the album was mastered. The album’s atmosphere is much more serene that most of his earlier works, which can be perhaps explained by natural maturing and seasoning. In any case this is a must have for all Moraz fans and a pleasant surprise to those who are unfamiliar with his works.

Updated: 13/04/2017Posted:

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SOCRATES ~ PHOS ESOTERIC 2287 (Barcode: 5013929738720) ~ GREECE ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1976 Released: 2011 This is the 1st album by the great Greek Prog band SocratesFind albums by this artist, which alongside Aphrodite`s ChildFind albums by this artist was the most famous and successful band on the small Greek Prog Scene. The group, which started as a trio, recorded this album in London, where they were joined by keyboardist VangelisFind albums by this artist, who also produced the album. Although little known outside their country, they were truly great musicians and this album is still a minor masterpiece of the genre, losing nothing of its charm and depth over the years. A must to any serious collector of Prog albums, especially the more esoteric among those!

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