From the Top Drawer XLVIII - Astralasia

Back in the saddle again after a bit of a hiatus, here we are with a new post.
Happily I have been lent a box of cassettes by an old friend (thank you Michael!) which contains a number of gems from back-in-the-day and I shall be ripping them to upload over the next months along with scanned artwork etc. (filehosting and copyright claims permitting!).

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Astralasia are a dance and ambient act who started off as an offshoot of the Magic Mushroom Band, a well-loved group who played many psychedelic gigs and festival appearances from 1982 into the 1990s.

Soon after Marc Hunt (aka Swordfish) replaced drummer Jim Lacey in 1989, members of the band began to explore Ambient-Dub (and eventually Goa/Trance/House) territory with Astralasia. While the members still considered themselves mainly as being the Magic Mushroom Band, Astralasia was a huge success from the start, and they soon spent more time on the side project than on the original formation until Astralasia took over and as far as I know, the (affectionately known) Mushies have been 'on hold' since 1995.

'Originally founded as a dub-oriented side-project to the UK's legendary psychedelic rock-ensemble Magic Mushroom Band, Astralasia have quickly gone on to outlive and creatively outflank their former mothership. The group's music is a high-energy concoction of trance-infused electronic wizardry, intoxicating live-grooves and well-chilled moments of sheer sonic bliss. In 1993, the project garnered international attention thanks to their classic remix of Porcupine Tree's breakthrough track 'Voyage 34' and since then, the six-piece have never ceased to further develop and refine their sound.' (from their own website - http://www.astralasia.co.uk/)

'Vol.2' is an early but ahead-of-its-time 1990 cassette release from this ambient/dance act who have gone from strength to strength and sophistication over their more than 20 years existence. It features an appearance by David Jackson of Van Der Graaf Generator on sax & flute.

('Tracklisting is very similar to that of the "Astralasia" album. "Astralasia (ambient mix)" appears as "Astralasia Pt.2" on that release.' Discogs)

Ripped as two side-long tracks @320kbps

Get a copy HERE  

Habemus Papam!

From the Top Drawer XLVII - The Ullulators

This almost totally electronic 1994 studio release from the Ullulators sees them exploring the world of 1990s dance culture with excursions into ambient techno/trance, trip-hop, samples and loops and what would later come to be known as IDM (Intelligent Dance Music).

Diehard fans of their earlier, guitar-based organic style and those likely to be offended by any extended series of repetitive beats may be disappointed by the changes, but anyone who has ears to listen will be rewarded by some finely crafted tunes which still retain the Ullulators' signature vision of playful spacy experimentation topped with world music overtones...

Ripped from an original cassette as two side-long tracks @320kbps - tracklisting as above.

Get a copy HERE

Lights in a Fat City live at Club Dog, London 1990

'Not sure who filmed this but this video captures fab didgeridoo-based combo Lights in a Fat City (Stephen Kent and Eddy Sayer) in full swing at Club Dog. 2nd didgeridoo player Cyrung, who later co-founded Tribal Drift features in this performance. He was with the band for about a year in 1990. Cobbled together from a rough one-camera shoot with some sequences re-used along with some atmospheric shots from the same night inserted to fill the space where the camera was pointing at the floor! Sound is as recorded from the camera mic, glitches and all. The Robey just like we remember it!'

Thanks to Michael Dog who uploaded this.
If you fancy some more of the same, click HERE for the first tape release from LIAFC, then still known as Mandorla Mu.

GMO A Go Go!

GMO A Gone soon hopefully...

R'ha

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/