From the Top Drawer XLVI - The Irresistible Force

Paradox - "What happens when an unstoppable (irresistible) force meets an immovable object?"
Well, in this case you get some excellent chill-out ambient music courtesy of a producer and DJ called Mixmaster Morris, the man who came up with the great quote - 'It's time to lie down and be counted'. A very influential figure in the UK underground electronic scene, and a chillout room pioneer.

 

 
Here's his bio -

Mixmaster Morris started Dj-ing in 80s at indie gigs and then on pirate radio/tv station Network 21. Opened his first club in 1985, Toured as DJ with The Shamen, then signed with Rising High Records for the albums Flying High & Global Chillage. Joined up with Pete Namlook to record two albums as Dreamfish. Did two sessions for BBC’s John Peel. Residencies at underground clubs like Lost and Megatripolis. Remixed Coldcut’s Autumn Leaves which went on to become a classic. Played at Love Parade and Glastonbury festival throughout the 90s.

Wrote for NME, Mixmag and i-D magazine, presented The Chill Out Zone on Kiss FM.Toured Europe, USA and Japan repeatedly, made mix CDs like The Morning After, Abstract Funk Theory, God Bless The Chilled. Signed with Ninja Tunes and made the album Its Tomorrow Already and singles Nepalese Bliss & Fish Dances. Got involved with the Big Chill at the very beginning in 1994 and played every year since for them. Appeared in the cult movie Modulations. Recorded an album in Japan with Jonah Sharp and Harry Hosono of YMO. Made a TV commercial, soundtracked a play on Radio 3 and remixed the Dr Who theme for the BBC. Talked about Brian Eno on C4. Moved his Nubient club to Big Chill Bar. Won Ibiza Chillout DJ of the year – twice. Did two mixes for Rob da Banks show on Radio 1. Remixed Anne Garner and 6th Sense. Made an Altermodern podcast for the Tate Britain. 2010 won Best Downtempo DJ again, and started new job running Apollo label as part of R+S…

Dating from the early 1990s (September 1992 amd October 1993 respectively) here are the two sessions that Morris recorded for the John Peel radio show which I recorded myself directly from a stereo FM tuner onto chrome cassette so the sound quality is fairly well preserved (although some of 'Spiritual High' suffers from tape damage - apologies for that).

The first session features different, slightly truncated versions of 'Spiritual High' and 'Mountain High' which appeared on the 1992 album 'Flying High', released on Rising High Records (a fine groundbreaking label while it lasted), as well as the non-album cut 'Space Is The Place'.
The second features two tracks that I think only appeared on compilation albums - 'Lotus Position' and '(I Left My Hardcore In) San Francisco'.
All are perfect examples of Morris' user-friendly, soothing, twinkling, playful style from this period.

So -
John Peel session broadcast on 19 September 1992
- Spiritual High (some slight tape damage)
- Mountain High
- Space Is The Place
&
John Peel session broadcast on 11th October 1993
- Lotus Position
- (I Left My Hardcore In) San Francisco

Ripped @320kbps as individual tracks

Get it HERE

(I've started to use 7-Zip to archive the files as it's a good free open source piece of kit)

http://mixmastermorris.net/

Winter Solstice 2012

Everybody still here?
Or have you evaporated / raptured / ascended / lined up with Galactic Centre / moved into the next dimension / surfed the accelerating Novelty Wave to TimeWave Zero....etc etc

No? Here's a nice picture for you if you decided to stay - if you've gone I'll catch up with you later...

From the Top Drawer XLV - Evil Edna's Horror Toilet!

Allegedly the mutant brainchild of Joie Hinton (Ozric Tentacles, Oroonies, Ullulators, Eat Static, etc) and Jane Bradfield (Magic Mushroom Band, Ullulators, etc), this tasteful curiosity may also feature guest appearances from other members of those related bands.

Heavy on the dub and experimental psychedelia but not without its more pastoral moments, this collection of tracks works well as an altered state listening experience, but any culinary ideas suggested by the title of this work should be avoided by those with a less than iron constitution.

Tracklisting as above.

Ripped @320kbps as two side-long tracks, 

get your bowl and spoon ready and help yourself to a serving
HERE

A taster...

From the Top Drawer XLIV - Vibrasonic

For this outing from the Top Drawer there's a double treat in store for fans of classic 1960s style garage/psych/pop and surf music.

Based in the Brighton, UK area Vibrasonic were inspired by their love of such US acts as The Electric Prunes, The Seeds, The Misunderstood, Love and The 13th Floor Elevators as well as UK psychsters like The Smoke, Blossom Toes and Dantalian's Chariot. The core of the band was based around songwriters, home recording enthusiasts and multi-instrumentalists Victor K. Fitch aka Prof. Vic Vibrato (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion) and Simon Paul Jones aka Dr. Tremolo Jones (guitar, sitar, bass, drums). The use of authentic vintage equipment was an important ingredient in their tasty sonic brew.

After issuing several singles in the early 1990s, they released their first full-length album in 1995 on Yep! Records, simply titled 'Vibrasonic'. The two main men were joined by friends guesting on various additional instrumentations to add to the already multicoloured soundstage.

Vibrasonic (1995)
Tracks: The Sea Of Stars/Don't Leave Me Tired/Tijuana Marijuana/The Perpetual Motion Machine/All That Matters./Cloudburst/The Twango/The Unloved Insane/The Surfin' Secret Agent A Go-Go/Kingsley J

Ripped @320 kbps

Light the incense, turn on that lava lamp and dig it HERE

Soon afterwards another single was released called "Into Sunshine", as well as a second album on Yep! in 1997, 'Instrumental Vibrations'. The latter was a purely instrumental affair, heavily influenced by the band's other interests in surfing sounds and twangtastic reverb, and featured a mean version of 'If I Were A Rich Man' from Fiddler On The Roof.

Instrumental Vibrations (1997)

Tracks: Aquabeat/Ali Baba/Sweeney Todd/Latin Vibrations/If I Were A Rich Man/Blue Tremolo/Latin Reprise/The Vibratremble/Blast Off To Splash Down/Night Train

Ripped @320 kbps
Get sand between your toes and groove on it HERE

Live @ The Garage, London 28.03.1995

Many thanks to Prof. Vic Vibrato for the files and permission to post.

Full article and history of the band 
Vibrasonic at Psychedelic-Music.net
http://www.myspace.com/vibrasonic
http://www.myspace.com/profvicvibrato

From the Top Drawer XLIII - Trilogy

  Before exploring the delights offered by the free festival/underground gig circuit of the 1980s and looking around for fresh musical experiences, I dabbled in the burgeoning so-called New Wave of Progressive Rock that was hitting the clubs of the UK. Some of those bands went on to fame and fortune, such as Marillion, and to some degree IQ and Pendragon, all of whom are still functioning today. My particular tastes at the time ran to bands like Twelfth Night (RIP Geoff Mann - a great frontman who left the band and later became a priest!), Pallas and Trilogy.

  Trilogy were a three-piece act from Essex (?) who I saw a few times playing in London at venues such as the Marquee in Wardour St which was a regular gig for many of the bands mentioned here. Very much influenced by Rush circa 'Permanent Waves' and 'Moving Pictures', they were excellent musicians who recorded a session broadcast on the BBC Friday Rock Show and shopped around for a major record deal but unfortunately never received one, folding sometime around 1985.

  This 1983 four track cassette EP 'Arctic Life' (the only one I have, alas) is a good representation of what they were capable of live. Highly recommended to those who like late 70s and early 80s Rush, give it a miss if you don't ;-)

 The line-up for this tape was: 

Paul Dennis - Guitar, Keyboards, Bass Pedals, Vocals

Mark Bloxsidge - Bass Guitar

Nik Szymanek - Drums, Percussion

*** Seems like the copyright warriors are on my ass again so before I lose my MediaFire file-hosting account, I'm gonna have to take this one down - sorry folks! ***

Trilogy have a website HERE
 (from where these pictures come)

and there is a good review of their career on THIS page

From the Top Drawer XLII - Lapwing

A recording from the audience of this short-lived band who played just a few gigs before breaking up and moving on to different projects. Lapwing were curiously named after the bird seen above ;-)

Somewhat of an underground 'supergroup', Lapwing on this occasion featured James Vane (Vane, Ring Of Roses, etc) on vocals, Dan Carpenter (Ring Of Roses, Webcore, Another Green World, Thunderdogs, etc) on saxophone, Gavin Griffiths (Ozric Tentacles, Ullulators, Thunderdogs, etc) on lead guitar, plus other bods whose names escape me - I simply don't remember...doh. A high energy upfront set with a psych/glam/goth tinged edge to the songs as the charismatic style of Jimmy Vane comes through.

Taped at the Sir George Robey pub in Finsbury Park, London, on 6th May 1988 - I'm not sure whether this was a Club Dog night or not but after checking that this was on a Friday night, it's quite likely this was a canine event - woof.

No track titles available for the set, but knowledgeable types will recognise a great version of the psychedelic classic 'Kites', a 1967 hit for Simon Dupree and the Big Sound.

Ripped from a chrome cassette @320kbps and slightly edited to preserve quality.

Grab a copy HERE

I, Pet Goat II by Heliofant

Have some of this...;-)