Dave Corwin - Many Hands

This is a fascinating fusion of classic progressive rock and funk combined with a heady and extensive exotic tribal percussion. sound, that just sweeps you away into areas of mystery and wonder. Lyrically, Mr Corwin digs deep into what appears to be an extensive array of personal demons and uses his music to help exorcise some of them.

If you were looking for an easy vocal compariosn the Newleyish mannerisms of early David Bowie spring to mind, but without the affectation of said Zowie. So called world music gets a bad press through the heavy handedness of the likes of Peter Gabriel, but this CD goes way above and beyond that.

It's rare to find a sound that is unique to its creator nowadays, but this melange comes close. Best tracks: Kicking The Rain and Shaolin Master. Highly recommended

 

Church Of Hed - eponymous (Eternity's Jest Records 2002, EJ0024)

Cue a wide array of drummer jokes, for this is a solo album by Paul Williams, drummer from Quarkspace. Fortunately, Mr Williams also knows his way around a bank of keyboards, and with Quarkspace having some down time, here's the result..

At first listen, things seemm more robotic, less organic, and if there is a constant them, it appears to be one of alienation, with electronic beats to the fore throughout. If Quarkspace fans are looking for an easy way in, then they should start with Track 7, "Cathedral Ice Revival", an old stylee Quarkspace soundalike and program the rest of the CD around it.

With a few helping hands to round out the sound, the Archbishop of Budweiser (aka Stan Lyon) on bass and spacecow, Sister Mary Haruspex (aka Lynnette Shelley from the Red Masque) on backing vocals, Monsignor Nomuzik (aka Carl Howard from Nomuzic) on analog box, Teop Dlrow Eht Moht (aka Thom the World Poet) on spoken words, Father Viv Bleating (aka Jay Swanson from Quarkspace) on freaky synth, and Cardinal Weimerheiner (aka Chet Santia from Quarkspace) on backing vocals, this veers from electronic freakbeat through traditional spacerock before heading off into intense, fiery riffology.

Sometimes dazzling, sometimes mesmering, there is a lot for spacerockers to get their teeth into, be it blanga, trance or pure prog. An excellent offering.

 

Exit Terra - eponymous

Keeping the spacerock feel going, here's Exit Terra, unknown to me, but the originators of one of those jaw dropping CDs that make this whole music thang worthwhile. The opening track, "Return to Planet Slatus", won't be leaving the decks of death for quite some time, Over eleven minutes, this goes from slow, beautiful and dreamy, sidesteps into Kraftwerkian electrobeat before crushing your senses with an intense synth attack. Awesome.

If the other tracks pale slightly it's purely due to the sheer wonder of the ceedee opener. "Next Phase" comes close, but slightly overstays its welcome, at twenty minutes. If improv, fusion, spacerock and electrobeats moisten your glands, then you should really be checking out Robert Noble, Spatial K and MC Ear. Tremendous.