Going Om (2021)

Years ago when Jeff and I were in a band together, I always insisted that our records could not have any liner notes. I was enthralled with the idea that imparting any information beyond the music itself was heresy. As if whatever the sound didn't convey needed to be left to the listener. Somehow, I was able to hold this opinion while simultaneously voraciously consuming every record jacket, CD cover, cassette J card and whatever else I could get my hands on regarding any music that interested me. Many years and finally the making of my own album forced me to confront my cognitive dissonance and recognize context can help the audience find their place in the art that they enjoy. That context is especially necessary when the artist is as under-appreciated yet influential as Jeff Parker.

75th anniversary album out now! Sigmund Groven has been a musician and composer for several decades. This is now celebrated with the release of Sigmund Groven In Concert, a special compilation mostly featuring previously unreleased live recordings. From Sigmund’s own compositions to famous classical music, and from Norwegian stages to international concert halls, In Concert offers no less than 26 tracks. This is Sigmund’s first live album, an album that also contains several studio recordings that have not been released digitally before.

Mixed by Grammy Award-winning mixer/engineer Paul Hicks, overseen by Dhani Harrison and remastered and cut at Abbey Road by Alex Wharton, All Things Must Pass is George’s spiritual high, a true classic and unquestionably one of the greatest albums ever made.

To celebrate two decades of creating ambient and downtempo electronica under the name Banco de Gaia, Toby Marks put together this enjoyable if slightly uneven two-disc set, a retrospective of sorts that takes a fresh look at his past rather than simply gathering and recapitulating it. On the first disc, he reinterprets both his own work (longtime fans will get a particular kick out of his Euro-trance reconstruction of "Soufie") and that of others - Hawkwind's "Spirit of the Age" is given a long, luxurious interpretation that incorporates elements of house, funk, and ska, while King Crimson's "Starless" gets an even longer - and frankly rather plodding - arrangement of its own. His most ambitious experiment on the first disc is a rendition of Pink Floyd's "Echoes" that lasts fully 22 minutes - an impressive feat, and one that does a fine job of blending Marks's own personal electronic vision seamlessly with Floyd's unique sound…