Aranysas From 2008 06

Since the late 90s, Amorphous Androgynmous AKA The Future Sound Of London AKA Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans have been weaving together two-hour broadcasts of their favourite records that could be loosely classed as 'Cosmic Space Music'. After ten years of messing with our heads via the wireless, they now pick their choicest mind-melting moments on what promises to be a fine series of double CDs. It's a collection that perfectly runs the gauntlet from kitsch (Lord Sitar's I Am The Walrus) to uber cool (Miles Davis or Can). Donovan, Osibisa, Can, Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Hawkwind and many more.

The sun has set, it’s cocktail hour and you need some sounds to help you settle into the evening. These are those sounds. More than four hours of the very best after-hours jazz around. Whether sultry saxophone, cool singing, muted trumpet or relaxed piano, this Late Night Jazz is the perfect accompaniment to your wee small hours.
Stan Getz, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Carmen McRae, Jimmy Scott, Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, Donald Byrd, Kenny Barron and many others.

Abdullah Ibrahim's followers likely have preferences for his big-band, large-ensemble, trio, or solo works, but any of his fans will agree that all of his projects display a unique melodic touch that is immediately recognizable and pleasant. Well into his golden years, Ibrahim still proves he has the Midas touch on this collection of 22 solo acoustic piano pieces. It's a mix of familiar songs and new material, all referencing the elements of life, nature, hearth, and homeland that have always been central themes in what he calls storytelling, not mere music-making. On this triptych through memorable experiences, the pianist weaves his way through many short snippets of phrases that have served him well, and a few extended discourses that define his career and its struggles to come out triumphant…

Songs From the Lighthouse (2008). With their 2008 release Songs from the Lighthouse, Italian band Moongarden have created a highly appealing album. Symphonic rock is the name of the game on this one; most compositions dominated to a greater or lesser extent by layered keyboards and synths, creating dreamlike atmospheres easy to sink into and soothing for the mind. Some nice guitarwork adds a lot to the tunes, the acoustic guitar being chosen just as often as the electric guitar; the last which is used to good effect to create haunting and epic atmospheres in chosen parts in selected tunes. What ties many of the songs together are the vocals though, in tunes like My Darkside and Dreamlord the slightly gritty but also fragile-sounding and melodic vocals very similar to Seal adds a lot to the tune, often covering over weaknesses in composition…

"My name is Christopher von Deylen - and I am Schiller." At some point during every Schiller concert, von Deylen speaks these ten words and the crowd goes wild. Schiller’s ethereal “global pop”, as his fans and the press have coined the style, gives the listener a feeling of floating in a dream world. Inspired by electronic classics such as Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, and Jean-Michel Jarre, von Deylen is known for creating visionary sounds that are way ahead of their time.

Better known as founder and leader of the progressive Canadian band Sense, Stéphane Desbiens makes no compromises on "Shimmering Lights" (2006), offering us an exceptional and unconventional musical experience. Calling on its various influences, from blues, hard rock to jazz and classical music, this amazing guitarist makes no excuses as he proposes a very personal and alternative view of progressive rock music. Tomas Bodin (Flower Kings), Martin Orford (IQ) and Fred Schendel (Glass Hammer) have all contributed to this very special project…

Not all the singles are here, but The Singles does include 18 of Daryl Hall & John Oates' best-known songs. It covers the mid-‘70s (beginning with 1974’s “She’s Gone”) through the late ‘80s (ending with 1988’s “Everything Your Heart Desires”) and contains 15 of the duo’s 16 Top Ten singles; “Did It in a Minute” is the lone omission in that respect…

German musician Frank Dorittke, aka F.D. Project, is originally a guitarist from the Dinslaken-based band Imagine. He got interested in electronic music around 1991, and became influenced by the music of Tangerine Dream. The versatile and accessible music of F.D. Project is not that simply to depict as it’s influences range from Tangerine Dream to Mike Oldfield, at other occasions keenly blending elements from the Berlin School and guitar riffs. At times it can be melodic and up-tempo, then switching to captivating atmospheric textures and soundscapes.

Look no further than the title to summarize this New Orleans veteran's music on his first studio set in nearly a decade. Bookending the album with the two-part "Shake Your Booty/Funky Thing" ensures that the proceedings start and end with the rump-shaking, horn-propelled R&B that, along with jazz, soul, and blues, makes Walter "Wolfman" Washington's music so much a part of his Crescent City home. He's never been particularly prolific, but after the long span between releases - partially due to the effects and aftereffects of Hurricane Katrina - the Wolf sounds electrified and inspired here. The second track, "I'm Back," tells that story against an urgent groove that keeps the party atmosphere while recounting the hurricane's devastation and his attempts to get the city and its people to return to a place that will never be the same…