RARITIES

Artists: Asana
P: 1998
LTD
Extended remixes. "Touch Beyond" previously unreleased. This version of "Children of the Earth" originally performed live at Jodrell Bank Planetarium 15 March 1997.

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Artists: Asana
P: 1994
With the many artists, labels, and sub-genres as there are under the electronic music umbrella, it isn't surprising that sometimes a CD or artist might slip past you. This is the case with this musician and myself. The fine folks at Neu Harmony are allowing me to rectify this situation by starting at the beginning with this debut album. This is the work of David Barker, a British musician, who is new to me in spite of his resume. This particular work has been a best seller on Synth Music Direct, I am told. I must say that with a name like Asana, I had expected more of a "New Age" content. This music has been described as "ambient / electronic crossover", and may well have been ahead of its' time for this style. Whatever that description means, it's all here, stratospheric soundscapes, contemporary beats, ambient tones, sequencer runs, vocal samples, and the occasional ethnic percussion flair. Ascent is an example of that intermittent ethnic beat and exotic melody lines. Except for the vocal samples I would envision camel caravans and desert winds in this one. The next track, Jupiter, not surprisingly tends to be a bit more ambient in texture while still backed with a steady beat.
Scan F, a humorous title for C programmers, is a good example of what is in store on this recording. Soft lilting atmospherics lead into a steady beat. This provides the background for the spacey melody line as it cycles through. Shrine is the longest cut on the disc at around 12 and 1/2 minutes, and allows Barker to stretch with gentle melodies overlying enchanted soundscapes. Halfway in, this gives way to a floating flute filled examination of "Time" and "Space". Topping off the package, the cover has the entertaining appeal of a 60's sci-fi novel complete with shambling hominids and a bewildered heroine. Also, gear-heads will enjoy seeing the equipment list used by this artist. Much of what's on this disc is not cutting edge new, but then again, the disc is half a decade old. Still, it holds its' own with many current releases. It is the testimony of a performer's first foray in this guise. A bit of history that has me looking forward to hearing more from this band.

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Artists: Asana
P: 1997
Very good Trance-Electroic crossover from its time.
Instrumentation: EMU ESI 32 Sampler, Korg Wavestation SR, Novation Drumstation, Novation Basstation Rack, Roland Jupiter 6, Roland A33, Korg X3, Soundcraft Folio Rac Pac, BBE Sonic Maximizer 462, Behringer MDX2000 Composer, Zoom 9120, Roland Dep 5, Atari STE running Notator SL.

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Artists: Ash Ra Tempel
P: 1994
Soundtrack of Le Berceau De Cristal directed by Philippe Garrel.
All composed by Göttsching / Ulbrich except 2, 3, 4 composed by Manuel Göttsching.
Musicaly "Le berceau de cristal" is dominated by pure electronics from the seventies, electric organs,guitar echoes...put together to create delicate and peaceful soundscapes.

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Artists: Ash Ra Tempel
P: 1973 / 1994
Starring Rosi, is a less intense album, but with a great feel-good atmosphere and amply demonstrates the startling changes of style this band would go through. Laughter Loving has an upbeat bouncy atmosphere with some great fluid guitar from Gottsching. Day-Dream is a gentle psychedelic vision with Rosi's vocals painting some beautiful images. Schizo is a slow instrumental that features the classic Gottsching lonely guitar sound over dreamy wah-wah rhythms and is probably my favourite track on the album. Cosmic Tango is a deceptively simple tune which builds into a great guitar-piece over a thumping tango beat. Interplay of Forces starts with Rosi reciting some poetic lyrics alternately in German and English and then melds into a really joyous guitar outro. The Fairy Dance is a quite delicate instrumental, with a vaguely folksy/celtic feel to it. Bring Me Up closes the album in brilliant style, with a rocking memorable theme and great guitar accompaniment.

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Artist: Ashok Prema
P: 1997
Good electronic music that reminds on Wavestar, inspired by Tangerine Dream.

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Artists: Ashra
P: 1977 / 2002
Since the release of thie music way back in 1977, the music fascinats the listener. The Music is timeless and therefore voted to the ultimative best releases in electronicmusic ever.
The 6 Tracks are perfectly arranged and include the best guitarsound Manuel Göttsching ever has produced. The slow sequences and the effects are the missing link, that fullfill this music with the best athmosphere ever.
Everything fits, everything works... perfect!

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Artists: Ashra
P: 1989
This time ASHRA experiments with the complexity of the concentrated use of certain instruments per song, as in using only two keyboards for one song, only six voices for another, or only 12 samples for another. The powerful result is a startling, yet faintly familar sound made up of arid keyboards, charming crystalline sequences and finally, the resounding bent-sustain guitar notes that ASHRA fans have grown to worship. [...] More than simply satisfying, this release is a breathtaking growth for the band, expanding the group's root talent into new regions.

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Artist: Astral Dance
P: 1992
Astral Dance is Pelle Handen, a Swedish synthesist who has always proved his worth as both an exemplary synthesist and composer. Here, on his third release, he reveals himself as a multi-instrumentalist of great adeptness. All in all, this is certainly his most varied and inventive album to date, cutting across and blending a wider range of styles most effectively. A sense of atmosphere plays a key role here and thus an energetic soundtrack-like mood is created. Structural simplicity and complex shifting timbres animate all thirteen pieces in this collection. What sets Pelle apart is not just that he's using new musical tools, it's how he uses them. You hear it in the sensitivity of interaction with each element, balance of timbre, texture and mood. "Dreamscape" will show a new, more innovative side of Handen's work, i.e. the purely electronic sounds. Additional musicians on the CD are Bjorn J:son Lindh on flute, Irene Tuomaninen on backing vocals and Kent Strom on additional keyboards. I found it fascinating, hypnotic and transfixing right to the end.

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Artist: Astrogator 
P: 2006/ 2007  
LTD 50
Astrogator is Stephen Humphries (Create) and Jez Creek and Dreamlight is their second opus, which is the fruit of evenings of improvisation, while doing the rehearsals for the Awakenings festival of June 2006.
Divided in 2 parts, Dreamlight is a mix of Berlin School with analog savours and a progressive EM that join RMI’s structures. From Tomita to Schulze (Body Love), the intro of Part 1 is splendidly floating, without being annoying.  

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