Thorens

I'm not a big fan of post-Soft Machine/Ninesense Elton Dean, generally, since his free blowing requires more patience than I have. But he is in fine (and restrained) form on this album. Keith Tippett is also very good. The music here is in the Coltrane vein.

The band seeks to recreate the psychedelic atmosphere of the mid 1960's while blending hard rock, jazz, oriental and even some folklore into their music. … The next album to follow is the same-titled Purple Overdose introducing the flute (Vasilis Kapanikis) and elements of jazz, and a further move towards more progressive compositions. … Purple Overdose have created the sound reminiscent of the 1960's while managing to produce modern, unique compositions to great effect, experimenting with a wide variety of sounds and styles. Flower power lives on!

Quasar in 1980 is the first release of Mythos as a solo project of Stephan Kaske. The intro sounds like an electronic version of Jethro Tull. Although the dominant instrument is the synthesizer, Quasar is not like the classic '70s epics with 20-minute tracks and no clear structure. Vocoder, flute, synthesizer, and occasionally distorted guitars are used in some tracks. Most songs have a dark mood, with chirping and chugging sounds, strong leads, and rhythmic basslines and drum grooves.

Moments of Genesis are as spooky and arty as those on Abacab – in particular, there's the tortured howl of "Mama," uncannily reminiscent of Phil Collins' Face Value, and the two-part "Second Home by the Sea" – but this eponymous 1983 album is indeed a rebirth, as so many self-titled albums delivered in the thick of a band's career often are. Here the art rock functions as coloring to the pop songs, unlike on Abacab and Duke, where the reverse is true…