Mooch

Artist: Erich Z. Schlagzeug, Mooch
P: 2010
Behind the “Erich Z. Schlagzeug” pseudonym is everything but pure gravity. The subject is war, and the music is dizzying and narcotic. The three long excursions are nightmarish trips where you grope in desperation after foothold. These fuzzed guitar mosaics inspire no hope of reconciliation - the crystallized drum salvos are indignantly erratic, while the mediating bass guitar just incites more conflict. It is truly brutal. Need I say more than that this stuff is damn good? (Even with a large portion of Jutland modest) Erich Zamphyr Schlagzeug was born on 21 March 1967 in Munich, Germany, the only son of Hans and Lottie Schlagzeug. In 2006 came a life changing event for him. Walking across the Welsh Bridge in Shrewsbury he bumped into Steve Palmer. Discovering that Erich was a drummer, Steve invited him to work on the seminal Mooch album "Dr Silbury’s Liquid Brainstem Band," which Erich did under the pseudonym Mr Sopht. Thus a musical bond was formed. Erich drummed thereafter on every new Mooch album, and on Steve’s solo work. In 2009 he asked Steve to assist with "Krieg" (War), his debut solo work.

Artist: Mooch
P: 1994
'3001' was the recording that spawned all the mid-nineties Mooch albums. Steve used the basic method of recording a changing rhythm on one track, adding many guitar, instrument and short wave radio fragments on the other tracks, using a digital delay at mixdown to achieve the final effect. Because the guitars and other sounds were in time with the rhythm track, marvellous spacey effects could be created during these live, organic mixdowns.
During the production of '3001' and lacking a synthesizer, Steve used educational music software available at North London Collegiate School For Girls, where he worked, to create the rhythm and sequencer tracks on the album. Over this he laid multiple guitars, ocarinas, radio sounds, ethnic percussion, and much more.
'3001' had a science fiction theme running through it, telling the cosmic tale of a laser sail starship travelling toward first contact with aliens of the star system beta Hydrii.

This is the last CD version copy.

Artist: Mooch
P: 1998
This album marked a change to more sequenced compositions from the band, and featured the electric guitar of Pete Wyer. The music of Mooch fits the SF scenario perfectly, with its washes of spacey keyboards that sometimes touch on the planet Tangerine Dream and then float away to ambient beaches where traces of tribal dance can be heard. On the track "Acid Drenched Symphony" the guitar soars with the spacey effects that constantly ebb and flow at you through your speakers. At just 20 minutes this track is a masterpiece.

Here the last copy of the original CD Version!

Artist: Mooch
P: 1994
'Extended Life' begins with what sounds like an out of tune radio full of bleeps and static before calming down to pulsing echoing tones. A high hat and bass drum rhythm start up. There's all sorts of weirdness going on in the background giving it something of a fevered dream feeling. Nearer the end some gentle guitar licks add a little detail. The title track uses looped ethnic percussion and bells to set the scene before rhythmic space guitar, a good bass line and steady drumbeat whip up quite a groove. There's a touch of Ash Ra Tempel about it all from around the 'Seven Up' period. Real freaked out stuff. Things momentarily subside to gentle percussion until strange vocals can be heard rising and falling then the psychedelic montage of guitars and electronics return. Another break for weirdness which becomes increasingly 'spaced out'; electronics, flute and more ethnic percussion combining to conjure sounds from some ancient Buddhist temple. What a wonderful contrast to earlier in the track. Running water and a rapid looped dulcimer type sound, effectively forming a sequence, initially acts as the backbone for 'Winged Beings'. A slow melody unwinds as the dulcimer subsides. It's all rather tranquil but also moody. The dulcimer sequence returns once more to finish. An infectious head nodding rhythm strikes up for 'Biomass Transputer'. Some sort of processed wind instrument wails over the top whilst snatches of ethnic sampled chatter come and go underneath. We finish this disc with the over twenty minute 'Human Euyyueh'. Chimes ring out then very gradually cosmic twitters arrive, a bass beat and all manner of additional syncopation upping the pace. Little echoing guitar licks add a real tripped out feel as does some unintelligible, faintly Eastern sounding vocal colouring. It's sort of like early Hawkwind meets Manuel Gottsching, or even 'Inside' type Eloy but without the vocals. The chimes return in the eighteenth minute and take us to the end.
Here the last copy.

Artist: Various Artists
P: 2006
This is the nice collection of Ambientlive with new tracks by the listed artists.
 

Artist: Various Artists
P: 2006
"Deep Ambient Drift"
This album contains Ambient tracks, in a continuous mix.  Nick Robinsons's track recorded live at Cambridge Loop Festival 2005. Mooch's track is a companion to "Out There" on the album "Gothic Ships". This compilation has the more ambient style tracks of 2006 included.

Artist: Various Artists
P: 2007
Journeys in Space and Time. 14 new tracks by all the artist listed. Most of them are really Berlin School style.

Artist: Various Artists
P: 2010
A double album of mainly Berlin School tracks.
With some different and new tracks too.
 

Artist: Various Artists
P: 2012
"Ambient Mythology"
Once again the "point 5" Ambient album is a 2 CD set.
Both discs contain Ambient tracks in a continuous mix.