The Lost Gods: The Maya Гибель Богов. Майа (2005)

Although Johnny "Guitar" Watson had already recorded some sides for Federal (including the astonishing instrumental "Space Guitar"), the majority of those tunes featured the piano-playing Young John Watson. It was when he began recording for the Bihari Brothers' RPM subsidiary of Modern Records that he "became" Johnny "Guitar" Watson and his amazing legacy really began. The songs are solid West Coast blues, but they're brought to the next level by Watson's impassioned vocals and his incredible biting, staccato guitar solos. Watson's tenure at RPM was short-lived (as were most of his label relationships) and all these tracks were recorded in 1955, but they were wildly influential on a number of great guitarists and still hold their power 50 years down the road…

The Fourmost were a British merseybeat band from the 1960s. They, like many similar bands from Liverpool, signed with Brian Epstein in 1963 and ended up on the Parlophone label, with George Martin as record producer. With some John Lennon-Paul McCartney compositions, the Fourmost had some success, especially with John's 'Hello Little Girl'. Their biggest hit was 'A Little Lovin' (#6 in Britain in 1964). After that, though, the lack of a songwriter within the band kept the Fourmost from achieving the same popularity that others achieved during the late 1960s, and they soon stopped recording, instead touring on the cabaret circuit. This 33 track single CD features the two afore mentioned tracks plus lots more.

Thomas Fanger brings his exquisite sensibility to bear on Parlez-vous Electronique?, his first solo release. The contrasting tonalities and fascinating interplay of sequencer patterns prove a compelling foundation for his melodically pure lead lines and harmonic motifs. The works are enlivened by Mellotron themes, warm pads and shimmering cosmic effects as intertwining patterns of synth tones race with each other across a galactic ocean of emptiness. The complex and detailed electronic rhythms build and then unravel as a unique space surrounds the listener. This album resembles the classics as Fanger summons the spirit of electronic invention to realize nine tracks drawn from the influential foundation of German Spacemusic…