Страна Игр №3 (март 2011)

Deepest View (Archive Volume 3) (2011). Following closely in the footsteps of their first two archival releases, Space Debris return with a third volume of live recordings and bits and pieces. Starting off in an unusually subdued mood, with moody acoustic piano, the 10-minute opening cut Mary-Joe-Anna nonetheless gets going eventually into another heavy jam from the band. The shorter Reprise of the Sun features some nice electric piano. Off course, throughout is the sterling organ work that is something of a signature sound for Space Debris, provided on some tracks by current keyboardist Winnie Rimbach-Sator and on others by former keyboardist Tom Kunkel. But let’s not forget the tight rhythm section of Peter Brettel (bass) and Christian Jäger (drums) and the endlessly creative guitar playing of Tommy Gorny…

UK band Nth Ascension was formed in 2009, originally using the moniker Nth Degree, and solidified as a band unit in 2010. An initial demo was released in 2011, and in 2014 they signed to UK label Sonic Vista for the release of their official debut album "Ascension of Kings". In 2016 they left their former label to sign up for US label Melodic Revolution Records, who released their sophomore production "In Fine Initium". Nth Ascension is very much an English band, exploring landscapes and sounds that were invented and developed on the British Isles. Melodic, powerful progressive rock is the name of the game here, and then by and large explored inside a neo progressive general context. Their take on the genre is one that relies heavily on alternating, contrasting arrangements and a striking lead vocalist further enhancing the dramatic aspects of the compositions.

Not long into the ceaseless promotional parade for Born This Way, Lady Gaga’s second full-length record and easily the most anticipated record of the 2010s, a certain sense of inevitability crept into play. It was inevitable that Born This Way would be an escalation of The Fame, it was inevitable that Gaga would go where others feared to tread, it was inevitable that it would be bigger than any other record thrown down in 2011, both in its scale and success…

Since Charly Records began working with the catalog of the fabled Texas label International Artists Records, they've released a steady stream of material by Lone Star psychedelic pioneers the 13th Floor Elevators, beginning with the definitive 2009 box set Sign of the 3 Eyed Men. But while Charly's releases have been beautifully assembled and annotated, they've also been created with serious fans in mind, rather than someone looking for the band's basic oeuvre. While a four-disc box set might seem a bit much for someone who just wants the basics, The Albums Collection is a thorough but elegant collection that delivers the Elevators' essential repertoire in one package…

Since Charly Records began working with the catalog of the fabled Texas label International Artists Records, they've released a steady stream of material by Lone Star psychedelic pioneers the 13th Floor Elevators, beginning with the definitive 2009 box set Sign of the 3 Eyed Men. But while Charly's releases have been beautifully assembled and annotated, they've also been created with serious fans in mind, rather than someone looking for the band's basic oeuvre. While a four-disc box set might seem a bit much for someone who just wants the basics, The Albums Collection is a thorough but elegant collection that delivers the Elevators' essential repertoire in one package. The Albums Collection includes the four albums the Elevators released in their lifetime - The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators, Easter Everywhere, Live, and Bull of the Woods - all in remastered form…

A new and fresh musical project has just arrived from the heart of Mexico. Luz de Riada offers more than only music, their compositions share a concept which makes the listener create their own images and stories. Their musical style may be difficult to define and label due to the richness of sounds, in Luz de Riada you will listen to a wonderful mixture of jazz elements, experimental music, avant-garde and progressive rock (among others) that create an eclectic and very original sound. In 2011, they released their debut album entitled "Cuentos y Fábulas", which has received positive feedback from Mexican press and fans.

Ron Carter is one of the most recorded bassists in jazz. In his mid-seventies at the time of these sessions, he is very much still at the top of his game as he leads the first big-band date of his own, with potent arrangements by conductor Robert M. Freedman and including some of New York's busiest musicians, including Jerry Dodgion, Steve Wilson, Wayne Escoffery, and Scott Robinson in the woodwind section, brass players Steve Davis, Douglas Purviance, and Greg Gisbert, plus pianist Mulgrew Miller and drummer Lewis Nash, among others. Freedman's charts are short and sweet, all of them under five minutes, with much of the focus on imaginative writing and Carter's melodic bass central in the mix. The material spans from the 1920s to the present, played with imagination…