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Crystal Machine

SKU: ECLEC2578
Label:
Esoteric Recordings
Category:
Electronic
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New remastered edition of the classic electronic album from Gong's keyboardist Hi T. Moonweed.  Arrives with bonus tracks!

"Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of a newly re-mastered edition of the classic 1977 ambient masterpiece “Crystal Machine” by Tim Blake. Tim first came to prominence as a member of Gong where his synthesiser experimentation and mastery was demonstrated on albums such as Flying Teapot”, “Angel’s Egg” and “You”. He would also join Hawkwind from 1979 – 1980 and from November 2007.

After departing Gong in 1975 he teamed up with French lighting designer Patrice Warrener to form Crystal Machine, pioneering the use of lasers and synthesisers in a live setting.
Blake’s debut album, “Crystal Machine”, was originally released in 1977 on the French experimental label Egg and featured two pieces recorded live in the UK and in France.

Now regarded as a truly pioneering work, this edition of “Crystal Machine” has been newly remastered and includes three bonus tracks. ‘Surf’ was recorded in 1976 at Chateau d’Herouville studios in France and issued as a very rare single under the pseudonym Saratoga Space Messengers. The reissue also includes both sides of the rare Spanish single ‘Synthese Intemporel’ as bonus tracks.

The booklet features a new essay and fully restores the original album artwork."

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  • Weird that they call this an EP when its nearly 80 minutes long!!"The EP contains two real time live compositions from the Tangerine Dream. Recorded at the classic concert hall Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg in February 2018 and Volksbühne in Berlin in November 2017.""The Sessions series is published in memory of Tangerine Dream's legendary member Edgar Froese ("our musical hero" as the band stated) who sadly died on January 20th in 2015, with the current line-up Thorsten Quaeschning (synthesizers, piano and sequencer), Ulrich Schnauss (synthesizers and sequencer) and Hoshiko Yamane (electric violin and viola). The first edition Sessions I contains recordings from concerts in Budapest and Hong Kong early 2017. The second version entitled Sessions II was recorded at the annual Dutch EM festival KLEM in October 2017. And this third effort entitled Sessions III was recorded in the German citiesHamburg and Berlin (in 2018).This CD Sessions III is my first musical encounter with the post-Edgar Froese Tangerine Dream era. And I am pleasantly surprised, to me the music sounds as a wonderful blend of 75-80 Tangerine Dream sound (my favourite TD music) and ambient. Both tracks are very long (in the old days this would have been a double vinyl album) but succeed to keep my attention, due to flowing shifting moods and tasteful work on the synthesizers, sequencers, percussion and electric violin/viola. The one moment it's soaring strings and Mellotron flutes, a hypnotizing blend of violin/viola, synthesizers and sequencers, dreamy with piano or a distorted (like wah-wah) electric violin solo. The other moment we can enjoy pulsating sequencers, tender violin/viola and assorted percussion or mellow piano and percussion and final parts with dreamy strings and beautiful violin/viola play. Worth to discover, I am looking forward to listen to the Sessions I, II and IV" - ProgArchives  
    $15.00
  • New remastered edition of the classic electronic album from Gong's keyboardist Hi T. Moonweed.  Arrives with bonus tracks!"Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of a newly re-mastered edition of the classic 1977 ambient masterpiece “Crystal Machine” by Tim Blake. Tim first came to prominence as a member of Gong where his synthesiser experimentation and mastery was demonstrated on albums such as Flying Teapot”, “Angel’s Egg” and “You”. He would also join Hawkwind from 1979 – 1980 and from November 2007.After departing Gong in 1975 he teamed up with French lighting designer Patrice Warrener to form Crystal Machine, pioneering the use of lasers and synthesisers in a live setting.Blake’s debut album, “Crystal Machine”, was originally released in 1977 on the French experimental label Egg and featured two pieces recorded live in the UK and in France.Now regarded as a truly pioneering work, this edition of “Crystal Machine” has been newly remastered and includes three bonus tracks. ‘Surf’ was recorded in 1976 at Chateau d’Herouville studios in France and issued as a very rare single under the pseudonym Saratoga Space Messengers. The reissue also includes both sides of the rare Spanish single ‘Synthese Intemporel’ as bonus tracks.The booklet features a new essay and fully restores the original album artwork."
    $15.00
  • Rubycon was the follow up to Phaedra and was also a success.  It wasn't as dark an ominous as its predecessor but the two side long tracks as classic examples of sequencer based electronic music.  You dig Mellotron?  Froese is all over it on this album.  Amazing stuff.New edition includes a previously unreleased track : "Rubycon (extended intro)" mixed by Steven Wilson
    $13.00
  • This is one of the great albums from the Tangs.  It was recorded live in 1975 and features the classic Froese/Franke/Baumann lineup.  At this point they were at the pinnacle of their evil powers.New edition includes (as a bonus) the album remixed by Steven Wilson - so you get the original mix as well as Steven's.
    $13.00
  • Reissue of the 1976 collaboration between keyboardist Michael Hoenig (Agitation Free) and guitarist Manuel Göttsching (Ash Ra Tempel).  One continuous 48 minute piece of meditative music that ebbs and flows.  Great interaction between the analogue keyboards and echo guitar.  Quite beautiful and highly recommended.From the liner notes by Manuel Göttsching:"My earliest reminiscence of Michael Hoenig goes back to the year 1970 or 1971. I entered public bus no. 4 in Berlin, and there he was, sitting at the back of the bus, clutching his 'treasure' on his knees. It was a black aquare bo that looked more like an old-fashioned attache case, but in fact it was an EMS Synthi A! He was on his way to Thomas Kessler's Beat Studio to play a session with the legendary Berlin band Agitation Free. Kessler's studio was an influeantial and well respected place in Berlin between '68 and '72. In retrospect, many bands and musicians seemed to have found their 'ear' in that studio, laying the foundation for what would later be called 'The Berlin School'. Michael, as far as I recall, played the synthesizer directly in the beginning, no keyboards, only obscure external control devices -- so you may call him a genuine electronic musician indeed. He performed and recorded with Agitation Free for several years, and then briefly with Tangerine Dream and also Klaus Schulze for some concerts, before beginning to work on his first solo recording Departure From The Northern Wasteland in 1976.That same year I was recording an album of compositions for keyboards and synthesizer, called New Age Of Earth. This production pushed me to explore new grounds, having started my musical life as a guitarist. I had found ways to extract nearly every possible sound out of a guitar, nut Michael's help in the final mix of that album was invaluable. In autumn 1976 I was asked to play a tour of France to promote the release of New Age Of Earth. Of course I invited Michael to join me, and for three weeks we rehearsed at his Aura studio. Unfortunately some of the concert dates were not confirmed in time and we had to cancel the complete tour just on the day before we wanted to leave for France. On that evening, nevertheless, we recorded our last rehearsal 'just in case'. It turned out as a flowing harmonic piece, reflecting much of the optimistic air of 1976. Michael made his 'departure' to Los Angeles in the early< eighties. He built up a new studio and now composes music for films and produces for a variety of new media. When we met again in November 1994 I proposed to release this old track of ours. Michael took the original tape to Los Angeles, lovingly restored it and -- well here it is, 19 years later, a taste of Early Water back from 1976." - Voices In The Net
    $18.00
  • New reissue of a beautiful album that was originally released in 2000 and has been out of print for many years.Friendship marks the long awaited reunion of Manuel Gottsching and Klaus Schulze.  While there have been off and on collaborations over the years this is the first full length album they have done under the Ash Ra Tempel moniker since Join Inn.  The album consists of three epic length tracks that showcases what they do best - Schulze's lush synthesizer beds and rhythms juxtaposed by Gottschings liquid guitar lines.  Highly recommended.
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  • On their new album Raum, Tangerine Dream develop the concept of its precursor EP (Probe 6—8) further. Composed and produced with full access to Edgar Froese’s Cubase arrangements (and Otari Tape Archive with recordings from 1977-2013), Thorsten Quaeschning, Hoshiko Yamane and Paul Frick deliver late-night real time compositions combined with classic studio productions, sequencer driven haunting soundscapes alternate with anthemic warm synthesizers. Composed in a time of social distancing and cancelled shows, the tracks cannot exactly be recreated (or will at least need significant re-instrumentation for a live performance). With the 17-minute ‘In 256 Zeichen’ they lay the fundament of this record. ‘Continuum’, with its repetitive sequence and broken beat shows glimpses of acid sounds and increasing choral atmospheres. ‘You Are Always On Time’ is built on PPG wavetable sounds and eerie field recordings. The title track ‘Raum’ makes a nod towards the early live studio performances like ‘Zeit’ and ‘Phaedra’ - the melody accompanied by a chorus-like Roland Jupiter 8 part. An ambient rave Moog Minitaur sequence highlights the final peak, till the violin slowly transports the listener out. A heavy Moog bass marks the beginning and the end of this 15-minute piece. ‘Raum’ is the band’s second studio album after the passing of the founder Edgar Froese in 2015. With deep respect for the sound of the previous five decades, this record continues in the ever-evolving pathway of Tangerine Dream. 
    $15.00
  • New remastered edition with bonus tracks of the second Tim Blake solo album.  The original CD version has been out of print forever.  Esoteric has cleaned it up, added tracks and new liner notes.  New Jerusalem is a little bit different from Crystal Machine in that it has a more song oriented approach with some vocals but its got the familiar Crystal Machine celestial synth sounds that Blake does so well. In many ways its actually a better album than Crystal Machine.  Maybe a bit more prog and a bit less electronic - overall a great balance."Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of a newly re-mastered edition of the classic 1978 ambient masterpiece “Blake’s New Jerusalem” by Tim Blake. Tim first came to prominence as a member of Gong, where his synthesiser experimentation and mastery was demonstrated on albums such as Flying Teapot”, “Angel’s Egg” and “You”. He would also join Hawkwind from 1979 – 1980 and from November 2007.After departing Gong in 1975 he teamed up with French lighting designer Patrice Warrener to form Crystal Machine, pioneering the use of lasers and synthesisers in a live setting.Balke’s debut solo album, “Crystal Machine”, was originally released in 1977 on the French experimental label Egg.Tim followed this with arguably his finest work, “Blake’s New Jerusalem” in 1978. Unlike his previous work, the album featured songs and the lengthy title-track would dominate the album’s second side. “New Jerusalem” also featured the guest appearance of Jean-Philippe Rykiel on mini-moog. Tim Blake would later perform both “Lighthouse” and “New Jerusalem” as a member of Hawkwind when he joined the band the following year.Now regarded as a truly pioneering work, this edition of “Blake’s New Jerusalem” has been newly remastered and includes three bonus tracks previously unreleased on CD; ‘The Woodland Voice’ ( B-side of the ‘Generator Laser Beam’ single) and ‘From Outta Space’ and ‘Jupiter to Jerusalem’ – home demos recorded at the time of the album and released on the cassette “Waterfalls from Space”.The booklet features a new essay and fully restores the original album artwork."
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  • The complete works of Earthstar from 1978 to 1982 plus previously unreleased recordings including an extensive booklet on the band's history."Earthstar was an interesting project of the American musician Craig Wuest. The band was classified as electronic and ambient. Although the musicians came from Utica/N.Y., many journalists and fans called their style "Krautrock".The band outed themselves as ardent admirers of that genre as well, especially German electronic artists like Neu, Cluster, Roedelius, and especially Klaus Schulze. Craig Wuest contacted Klaus Schulze and he was so impressed with Earthstar's talent that he invited the band to move to Germany to record and promote their music. The first Earthstar album "Salterbarty Tales" (1978) was released on the US label Moontower Records, parts of the second album "French Skyline" were recorded in Utica, but the final album was released in 1979 on the renowned German SKY label of Günther Körber. Earthstar and Klaus Schulze worked together until 1982, after which the musicians returned to the States and went their own ways. The band Earthstar was history.Until today. All 4 studio albums ("Salterbarty Tales", "French Skyline", "Atomkraft? Nein Danke!", "Humans Only") will be released as "Collected Works" for the first time on CD and digital. Plus, as a bonus: the previously unreleased album "Sleeper The Nightlifer", which Sky had passed on because it was too different from what listeners were used to from Earthstar. What an interesting discovery!"Track ListingDisc 1:Splendored Skies And AngelsSerindego (Including - Rapid Of HU)Salterbarty OuvertureWee Voices TouchBroken Chain of EuphoriaCanyon Nebula (Including - Rapter Relcafe, Sunspots Theme, Rapter Releafe Reprise - Final.)Night TonesSunsetsShadesDisc 2:Latin Sirens Face The Wall - Part I: SirensLatin Sirens Face The Wall - Part II: The AmazonLatin Sirens Face The Wall - Part III: Flourishing IllusionSplendored Skies And AngelsFrench Sky Lines Suite - Movement I: Morning Song (For Iris And Richard)French Sky Lines Suite - Movement II: Sources Change, including "The Movement"French Sky Lines Suite - Movement III: 3 Demensional MusicFrench Sky Lines Suite - Movement IV: Wind And Sky Symphonie / Reprise: Morning SongDisc 3:Golden RendevousSonntagsspaziergangGarden's EndWind MillsCafe SequenceCafé Exit (Incl. March Of The Flanged Angles)White CloudSolar MirrorsJet Sets (Atomic Fallouts, Flash To Ash)Forest Floor - (Part I: Atomkraft? Nein, Danke! - Part II: Aras)Disc 4:Rainbow DomeDon't You Ever WonderIndian DancesOne Flew Over The RidgeTV FunkTip Toe Funk - (a. Umbrey Flowing Lights - b. Arrival Places)Disc 5:Razor's EdgeBillows EditSilent OnesWater DanceIndian DancesGolden RendevousChiarascuroEmbroiderySleeper Garden Path 
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  • This is the one - the masterpiece.  1974's Phaedra featured the classic Froese/Franke/Baumann lineup.  The music became a bit less freeform as they started to rely on sequencers, creating what would be termed the "Berlin school" sound.  Dark and mysterious - an album to be played high or straight late at night.Remastered edition from the original master tapes.  Includes 2 bonus Steven Wilson remixes.
    $13.00
  • Volume 6 in this amazing series is a 3CD set that covers the time period 1976 through 1979. Arthur Brown appears on the performance culled from a gig in Brussels in 1979. Awesome!
    $17.00
  • Edgar Froese is gone but he seems to have left Tangerine Dream in good hands.  This is a 2CD set of live improvisations from a 2017 show in The Netherlands. "THE SESSIONS II EP contains instant live compositions (about 95 min of music) from the current TD line-up of Thorsten Quaeschning, Ulrich Schnauss and Hoshiko Yamane recorded at the Saturday and Sunday concerts at the E-Live Festival in Oirschot, the Netherlands in October 2017. Tangerine Dream are very much enjoying their new respectively revived concept of performing an improvised session at the end of their concerts. We hope that you will enjoy these spontaneous and exceptional live tracks - inspired by the location and a great audience - as well.""In their imperial years of the 1970s, Tangerine Dream's live concerts were an electronic exploration, improvised and different every night, with little or no relationship to their smash hit albums, which were similarly esoteric. As the 1980s dawned, their recorded work contained more recognisable themes and they scored some of the biggest films of the decade (Risky Business, Firestarter, Near Dark, Thief, Sorcerer). Now, they are returning in part to those pioneering days, and every show includes a section of improvisation, different every night. The best improvisations are being released as Sessions, and Invisible Hands Music is proud to release them out on deluxe double CD mastered at Abbey Road by Miles Showell.Tangerine Dream members Thorsten Quaeschning, Ulrich Schnauss, Paul Frick (of Brandt Brauer Frick) and Hoshiko Yamane are all active online during lockdown, including streaming live performances, keeping the band in the spotlight."
    $18.00
  • "Jean-Michael Jarre is a tease. A tease with the album title. A tease with the album artwork. A tease with the sounds that he uses (repeats?) on Equinoxe Infinity. The recent surprise announcement of this new album, hot on the heels of the forty-one track Best Of Planet Jarre, has had fans positively frothing at the mouth. Fans will need to introduction to the 1978 original, Jarre’s fourth album has seen him develop a sound that was unique to him – dynamic, rhythmic and employing bassline sequences it initially received a harsh critical response but has since become one of the most instantly recognisable pieces of electronic work ever via the likes of Equinoxe Parts 4 and 5.With Equinoxe Infinity comes ten brand new tracks (or movements) which cleverly follow the path of the original album. Breaks of thunder and lightning with bubbling and running water are repeated with synths sounding ‘vintage’ but with a modern twist. Jarre often teases with lead-ups which could break into versions from the original album at any one time and this, is perhaps when his genius shines through.Equinoxe Infinity may not hold much appeal to the newcomer unless they are of a particularly inquisitive nature but it is worth remembering perhaps that the likes of Vince Clarke et all owe a massive amount to the work of Jarre. Without him, the bouncy pop of Erasure, Pet Shops Boys, and many others may simply not have existed with huge chunks of 80s pop non-existent.The opening track, The Watchers induces a sense of wonder, inquisitiveness, fear even as the characters from the original album artwork move from cartoon to monolithic oppressors and track two Flying Totems introduces the gurgling bassline of Jarre that has become synonymous with his sound.Treated voices on tracks like All The You Leave Behind and If The Wind Could Speak offer more than a passing resemblance to years gone by and the title track Infinity is nothing short of a master at work creating a track that could quite easily sit beside its original contemporaries. At just less than forty minutes, Jarre has transformed what many would consign to disaster into a clever work which is both as tender and sympathetic to the original as one would wish it to be. A dream come true for Jean-Michel Jarre diehards and maybe an insight into an electro mastermind for others." - Louder Than War
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  • Who is Wolfgang Bock?  Is he Wolfgang von Pappritz?  Is he Peter Flieger?  Apparently he's all three.In 1980 Telefunken released a great Berlin School electronics album from Wolfgang Bock called Cycles.  It was produced by Klaus Schulze. It fell into obscurity but fans of this style of music were well aware of it and spoke of it in hushed voices.  (I'm talking to you if you are fan of Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze).It never saw a CD release and vinyl copies have gotten more expensive over the years.  About 10 years ago I tried to reissue it as a Laser's Edge release.  I could not locate Wolfgang Bock.  I did find out that his real name was Wolfgang von Pappritz....or was it.  I reached out to him but never received a response.  I heard through the grapevine he had no interest in a reissue.  I let it go...2022 finally finds us with a CD reissue of the album.  The bio doesn't mention Wolfgang von Pappritz.  Instead it says that Wolfgang Bock is actually Peter Flieger.  Is it important?  I guess not but I find it all weird.Here is what I can tell you about the album  It opens with the 19 minute title track.  It fits the classic Berlin School sound.  Layers of keyboards with tons of Mellotron built up over a rhythmic section of synthesized bass and real drums.  What was the second side consists of shorter pieces but still in that classic mode.  There is actually a bonus track included which you can read about in the label hype below.If this is your style you will hear none finer.  BUY OR DIE!!"The electronic-musician Wolfgang Bock comes from the environment of Klaus Schulze and his debut "Cycles", released on vinyl in 1980, is strongly influenced by him.The title track, which takes up the entire first side of the original vinyl edition, is still completely in the tradition of the Berlin School. Slowly wafting sound arcs and mystical mellotron choirs determine the opening of the track. After some time, the characteristic sequencer rhythm sets in, supplemented by real drums, and the track is taking up speed.On the second side of the original album, however, Wolfgang Bock then hits more independent tones. The first part of "Robsai" consists mainly of powerful organ sounds, the second part on the other hand reminds a bit of some works by Vangelis (like "Albedo 0.39" or "Spiral"): Rejoiced synth sounds accompanied by heavy drumming. About halfway through the track, the synths fade away, and the rest of "Robsai Part II" is a pure drum solo.As bonus the album contains the track "Wir fliegen ins All", which Wolfgang Bock aka Peter Flieger recorded in 1981 in Berlin's Paragon Studios and which was released as an EP in 1982 under the pseudonym Helicopter."Cycles" is released in remastered and digital form for the first time since 1980."
    $18.00