Three more albums as the cherry picking goes on (and on and on), this is a non-stop operation and there is no time for an editorial at the top of the page, we have places to be, paint to throw, holes to dig, more music to listen to. Last time we mention that last Friday, an ordinary day around here, saw 176 pieces of music submitted by bands, labels and their PR people. We do listen to everything, we do cherry pick though, and well sometimes question things, we could actually do a lot more of that if there was time and yes I know this was all said last week but who reads the bit of the top? Go explore the music, here’s the new Apparitions album…

Apparitions – Volcanic Reality (Deathbomb Arc) – What can possibly be said about experimental drone metal trio Apparitions? This is the follow up to their 2022 debut, Eyes Like Predatory Wealth. on that debut album they did it a different way, it was unorthodox, the process involved designing and following outlines, general concepts and an idea in terms of duration, then recording each of their parts solo, without the benefit of hearing the others. In this way, each piece on that record was a collage of drums, guitar, and modular synth.

On this new album Volcanic Reality, the band have taken a more direct approach, this time they’ve recorded it all together at the same time in one studio, however they haven’t thrown off  that need to be a little different and the mountainous drones, the beautiful feedback, the powerful drums, and throbbing synth machines and the sound of a Convulsing Earth are all there, it feels more claustrophobic this time, it surrounds, it is a big as last time, it is as big as anything out there in the land of things like Sunn o)))

“This is an album concerned with excess” according to the band. Aren’t most albums about excess? It is intense, it is compelling album, if it is excess then it isn’t too excessive, not sure if the experience is enjoyable? It is very nearly almost a merciful release to turn it off and drink in the air of silence, that is not meant as a negative, far from it, surely there are many great albums or pieces of art that aren’t enjoyable. This is volatile, this is an energy, an experience, it is a indeed a study in the relationship between consonance and dissonance, between composition and improvisation, between peace and unrest, between the extreme and the divine between many things… (sw)

Bandcamp

A handful of weeks back we mentioned Jerzy Mączyński, a saxophonist and producer, we said that he’d just announced a new sci-fi jazz odyssey album DO 555PS (via Vibrasjon) and asked “who doesn’t like a sci-fi jazz odyssey album? He’s just shared a video for a new single off the album that caught our ear more than most things that have landed in our in box so far this week. Here it is…”

“Saxophonist and producer Jerzy Mączyński fuses utopian electronics and organic improvisation on sci-fi jazz odyssey, ‘DO 555PS’ released 7th March via Vibrasjon. Conceived as a sonic manifesto for an imagined planet – a tabula rasa for humanity to start afresh, live in harmony with nature and build a more idyllic society – ‘DO 555PS’ is Polish saxophonist, producer, and composer Jerzy Mączyński’s most ambitious project to date”.

We have the whole album here now….

Jerzy Mączyński – DO 555ps (Vibrasjon) – “Saxophonist, composer and producer Jerzy Mączyński fuses utopian electronics and organic improvisation on sci-fi jazz odyssey DO 555PS. Now I’m not sure where the Sci-fi is, I’m not really feeling space or planets or even starting afresh or “a more idyllic society” but then I’m not in Poland and next door to Ukraine and under the attack of the Russian/United States axis right now and the sun is out and we have a glorious early Spring day here, it is a kind of idyllic, it probably is our calm before the coming storm and actually this sounds really good in the East London Spring sunshine and the first Bees of the year. Bees at the start of March? That’s not right either, this sounds hopeful though, strangely hopeful and awkwardly difficult to pin down  (which is how we surely want it?).

“Conceived as a sonic manifesto for an imagined planet – a tabula rasa for humanity to start afresh, live in harmony with nature and build a more idyllic society – DO 555PS is Polish saxophonist, producer and composer Jerzy Mączyński’s most ambitious project to date”. I guess it could be a “sci-fi jazz odyssey”, it is extremely enjoyable, complex, considered, never throwaway, there’s depth here, considered depth, if it is improvisation then it comes with lots of consideration, warmth, with precise care, a musician and artist with deep understanding of his craft, everything placed in the right way, space to breathe when needed…  This is just really good to listen to, to go back to…  Recommended.   

Bandcamp

Vibrasjon is the label of Norwegian electronic composer and DJ Eivind Vullum. The label has an all-genre policy and will be releasing music in limited pressings on different formats as well as digital releases.

Alan Davey – Electrum (Savant Guarde Records) – The first solo album from from the Ex Hawkwind Bassist and Vocalist/Songwriter Alan Davey in something like eight years is kind of what you might expect it to be, not that that is to be taken as a negative, far from it. What we have here is a healthy mix of gently paced forward moving space rock, some nice slide guitar blues and yes, of course there are lots of Hawk flavoured moves along with the with the hints of Pink Floyd as well as other pink things, Fairies, Pinkwind and such. The Hawkwind flavours are thankfully just healthy flavours, not space rock autopilot, and when there are vocals, lyrics then they do sound like a healthy addition to the mid/late 70s West London catalogue, that Pink Fairies, Robert Calvert, Dave Brock, (very) early Motorhead feel that always has had roots in that West London, Ladbrook Grove, Notting Hill counter culture of the 70s, it is something unique and it is always there wherever the players may make their albums these days, it is a West London thing. 

“Alan just isn’t slowing down, and 2025 just might be Alan’s finest year yet. Electrum boasts a guest appearance by ex-Hawk Simon House on Electric Violin. All other instruments and Vocals are done by Alan; however, the mastering is done by legendary classic rock producer and Rockfield studios man Paul Cobbold. The album cover is hand painted by Alan Arthurs”.  

Most of the album is instrumental, there are several long instrumental passages that could have been made by early 80s prog rock bands, guitars are leading things more than keyboards or synths, this is very much a guitar album there are healthy keyboard moments, right now Green Gold is sound rather like early IQ  or Quasar before heading towards a space rock flight somewhere over there. Electrum might be a little dated but who cares about that? This is a fine album, an album that you’d very much expect Alan Davey to make for himself as much as for anyone else. (sw)

Bandcamp / Savant Guarde Records