Stegzy's Music Project

A commentary on Stegzy's album collection

Apr 14

Jardin D’Eden – Arom [#647]

by stegzy

Album Cover Back before the great internet download free for all of the early noughties and way before iTunes, Amazon Prime and Spotify, pioneers of the internet created diverse websites which fostered creativity instead of stifling it. One such groundbreaking website was called Peoplesound which encouraged and facilitated unsigned bands to release their music through the site who would curate and aggregate their works to potentially new fans.

For many bands this would be their first foothold into the world of music, indeed, a number of former Peoplesound artists went on to be hugely popular for example Sugarplum Fairies to name one. But more on Peoplesound in the future.

One of the Peoplesound artists I fell for was a french group called Arom. Now, if you’re ever thinking of starting a band, can I suggest that you use a word or phrase that is Googleable because Arom brings up all sorts of results, very few if any, relate to the band Arom. Or, for that matter, the band Arom I’m writing about, as it appears there have been several other bands with the same name.

The particular itteration of Arom we’re interested in today is one, possibly from France, maybe Canada or Belgium,  who have a bit of a “Bjork meets Portishead” sound. I actually have two versions of the album – the Peoplesound EP and the official album which is available on Apple Music.

The Peoplesound EP (2000ish) features 5 tracks, 3 of which, after much post-production, made their way to the official album (2007) which features 11 tracks – all of which have been heavily processed and, in my opinion, have lost the haunting focus of the EP.

Jardin d’Eden by Arom is available on Apple Music and Amazon

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2007 Arom Etheral Wave Fairplay Peoplesound Trip Hop

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May 18

Insane Times – Various Artists [#634]

by stegzy

 

61FhX7u36eLInsane Times: 25 Psychedelic Artyfacts from the EMI Vaults is a compilation album of really odd music. I’d say completely odd but the inclusion of Bonzo Dog, Yardbirds and Kevin Ayres kind of bring the oddness down a bit. It is though, very much the Psychadelic Rock version of the folk anthology Gather in the Mushrooms. 

Amongst the bands appearing in this compilation are Mandrake Paddle Steamer, Simon Dupree & the Big Sound, The Lemon Tree and The Orange Bicycle with some oddly familiar yet new to many songs. I saw this compilation as a gateway to new-to-me and interesting acts from the psychedelic era, about the time when the Beatles were farting about with Sergeant Pepper and lots of drugs and indeed, there are subtle beginnings of some huge prog acts within this album and bands in which young prog stars cut their teeth.

Very much an interesting selection.

2007 Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band compilations Psychedelic Syd Barrett Various Artists

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Apr 26

In Rainbows – Radiohead [#624]

by stegzy

Never really been a big fan of Radiohead, Creep and Paranoid Android were my limit. They were always one of those bands people told me that  I “should like”. Like it was some edict from above. “You should like Radiohead”.

I didn’t.

Despite having their “Best Of” I still really don’t get the whole Radiohead thing. Maybe it’s one of those “You had to be there” kind of things. I was there though, I just didn’t pay attention.

In Rainbows was the first pay as you feel album I bought. I paid £1 for it purely because I wanted Nude which was also £1 and I’m such a stiggler for a bargain. Though to be fair, I only wanted Nude because of this video.

 

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2007 Alternative Rock Dream Pop Pop Rock Radiohead

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Mar 6

I Swear by All the Flowers – Life Towards Twilight #603

by stegzy

a1910193660_16.jpg Experimental weird shit from American weird shit music makers Life Towards Twilight.

I guess if you’re into weird shit or if you like listening to someone playing a toy piano while also playing old gramophone records then this will really float your boat. Moreso if you want help to summon dark entities like Slenderman or the Gibberman to join you in your drug-fuelled slaughter fest.

Me? I guess I’m now too old and sensible to appreciate the aural artistry incumbent in this release. Maybe in 2007 when I downloaded the album for free, I was in a better frame of mind, appreciation-wise. But with the wife leaving the room in disgust during the listen for this entry, that is surely a sign that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

2007 Industrial Life Toward Twilight

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Mar 26

God is Not Dead for the Birds – Lux Interna [#530]

by stegzy

41pN1uSvmWL._AA160_Take a substantial lump of Nick Cave, add a liberal amount of gloomy acoustic guitar, mix in a teaspoon of Sandy Denny or Barbara Gaskin (what ever you have to hand). Leave to fester for a few years and you might  just be able to recreate something similar to Lux Interna.

I discovered Lux Interna through the much touted Looking For Europe neofolk compendium and was able to source a copy of this, their fourth album from 2007. Again, unfortunately due to the time of life I discovered them, I have been unable to devote as much attention to them as I had hoped. Yet every time I do listen, I’m always rewarded by a rich tapestry of sonic gloom.

2007 Lux Interna neofolk

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Feb 8

Fragile Army – Polyphonic Spree [#496]

by stegzy

TFArmyCoverI’d heard of Polyphonic Spree in rumours, whispers and the occasional collaboration with other artists like Yoko Ono and  I wanted to hear more. So, during the Great Internet Download Free-for-All of 2007-2010 I was able to obtain a copy of Fragile Army.
I’ve always liked the concept of an ever increasing band, the community of music and the celebration of creativity fostered by bands like Polyphonic Spree and British folk band Bellowhead. Added to this, the open airiness and audible joy that emanated from what I’d heard of Polyphonic Spree’s music (notably You and I with Yoko Ono and Love My Way). However my joy was short lived as I started to realise that Polyphonic Spree was run like some sort of sinister cult like the Moonies or Hari Krishna led by a quasi-David Koresh figure. Furthermore, the sound becomes repetative, too similar and tracks become difficult to distinguish from.

That’s why my interest in Polyphonic Spree seems to tail off towards the middle of the album. Shame really.

2007 Polyphonic Spree

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