Atlaas Obscura

Look to the East, Look to the West, the new album by Camera Obscura, is a revelation. The Tracyanne Campbell-led outfit, reuniting with producer Jari Haapalainen (Let’s Get Out of This Country, My Maudlin Career), have crafted an album that simultaneously recalls why longtime fans have ferociously loved them for decades while also being their most sophisticated effort to date. It is also the most hard-fought album of Camera Obscura’s career. Following the 2015 passing of founding keyboardist and friend Carey Lander (to whom the penultimate track “Sugar Almond” is addressed), the band went into an extended hiatus.

Obscura is a progressive rock band from Mantova, Italy. Obscura may seem new to us prog fans, but they have actually been around for over ten years. The website suggests a very ethereal, and poetic concept of the band. They seem to take influences from all that is encountered. However, Italo Calvino's work seems to be a primary inspiration. They enjoy a mysterious collective personna, and even wish to remain visually obscure (thus no band photo). Obscura was born in 1996, founding members were Massimo Tabai (keyboards - composer), Matteo Cavallari (guitars - lyrics), Matteo Pinfari (bass), Marcello Ricci (drums), Barbara Mazzola (flute) and Luca Palleschi (vocals). The band played live gigs that year, and in 1997 started recording tracks for the first cd "Le Città Invisibili", inspired from a book by Italo Calvino…

2nd part of live 1980 gig - Limited release. This rare recording for broadcast by WKSU, Kent, Ohio is from Daevid's solo US Divided Alien tour in the of summer 1980… These CDs are in matt black card covers with silver and white printing. This is the ninth of a 20CD series, each release a limited pressing of 1000 copies only - no more will be pressed…

Great sounding unreleased studio demos. Funkier, wilder and more relaxed than the released high studio gloss versions these well-known tracks are great fun and totally recommended to all who appreciate Daevid's late '80's/early '90's solo and non Gong band output. This is the most hi-fi Obscura release so far. In February 1990 Daevid returned to Melbourne from the UK where this spontaneous demo session took place at Harry Williamson's Spring Studio in St. Kilda. The all electric treatment given here by Daevid and Harry with Kangaroo Moon violinist Eliet Mackerell and the Mothergong rhythm section throws a new light on the songs. These CDs are in matt black card covers with silver and white printing. This is the tenth of a 20CD series, each release a limited pressing of 1000 copies only - no more will be pressed.

Daevid Allen was one of the founders of the British progressive rock band the Soft Machine in 1966. After recording just one album with the group, he became the founder/leader of Gong, which he left in 1973 to begin a solo career (though his first solo album, Banana Moon, was released in 1971 while he was still in the group). Allen explored his quirky, folky take on rock throughout the '70s and '80s on albums like 1976's Good Morning and 1983's Alien in New York. His solo work also included collaborations with underground rock impresario Kramer like 1993's Who's Afraid? and 1996's Hit Men, which was released on Kramer's Shimmy Disc label. Allen returned in 1999 with Money Doesn't Make It, followed a year later by Stroking the Tail of the Bird. Nectans Glen also followed in 2000.