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viewing 1 To 25 of 52 items
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LP
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MENT 034LP
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Heavy psych insanity from 1989, featuring Monster Magnet founding members John McBain, Dave Wyndorf, and Tim Cronin plus Shaune Kelley (Ripping Corpse) and Joe Paone (hellSausage). Long tracks with raw and in-your-face lo-fi sound, wall of fuzz-wah guitars, caveman drums, echo-laden treated vocals. As John McBain said: "We sounded like Amon Düül with Uli Jon Roth sitting in." Originally released as a private cassette on Tim Cronin's Cool Beans "label", here's the first ever "real" release. Unearthed by Steve Krakow aka Plastic Crimewave, the Acid Reich cassette is a cool testimony of the origins of Monster Magnet and the Cool Beans label, a vehicle for McBain, Cronin, and Wyndorf to experiment with homemade four-track cassette recordings, influenced by their love for '60s garage/freakbeat sounds and '70s space/hard-rock. Using a couple of four-track cassette recorders plus an array of vintage Orange and Ampeg amps, fuzz and echoplex pedals, Danelectro guitars, etc., many fake bands and side projects were created, some of them recorded between rehearsals of their "main band", Dog of Mystery (pre-Monster Magnet). Acid Reich was born when they decided to record something "very heavy, weird and raw". They recruited a couple of friends, Shaune Kelley and drummer Joe Paone. The result was Mistress Of The Perpetual Harvest, a cassette comprised of four long tracks (including a freaked out cover of Pink Floyd's "Set The Controls From The Heart Of The Sun"). Insert with liner notes by Plastic Crimewave; edition of 300.
"A couple of mics thrown up in the rehearsal room + some free time = Acid Reich, the Cool Beans Super Group. What a fucking lo-fi mess." --Tim Cronin
"We will sacrifice Puff The Magic Dragon to the great God, Sandoz, while speeches by the founding fathers, Leary, Owsley, and Hoffman fill every home with the power of the Revolution. Heil Sandoz. Long live the Reich." --Greg Chapman (Ugly American fanzine).
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12"
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MENT 032EP
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First ever reissue of this sought-after punk-funk/no wave/electro post-punk 45 from 1979 by post-Wayne County & The Electric Chairs, produced by David Cunningham (Flying Lizards). In 1979, Wayne County & The Electric Chairs -- the legendary punk-rock band - recorded their third album, Things Your Mother Never Told You, in London. It was produced by David Cunningham of the Flying Lizards, famous also for his work with This Heat, Michael Nyman, etc. He also played synthesizer on some of the tracks. Often compared to Bowie's Low (1977) and Iggy Pop's Lust For Life (1977), the album combined the no-frills punk-rock sound of the band with the experimental production of Cunningham, showing his love for dub music and cut n'paste/electronica. After a tour promoting the album, vocalist Wayne County along with guitar player Eliot Michaels departed the band and returned to New York, where County later emerged as Jayne County. The remaining Electric Chairs members -- Val Haller, JJ Johnson, and Henry Padovani (ex-Police) -- decided to continue under the Electric Chairs name. Their record label gave them just a month to find a replacement singer and write material for an album. After rehearsing with a few singers, none of which were suitable, the trio decided to go into the studio and record some tracks with Cunningham as producer. The result was the "So Many Ways"/"J'Attends Les Marines" 45, released in November 1979 by Safari Records. Here, Cunningham applied his most experimental production techniques, using electronic treatments on drums, rhythms, and vocals. "So Many Ways", featuring Val on lead vocals, was far from anything else the band had previously done: an hypnotic punk-funk/no wave/synthetic pop hybrid that still sounds years ahead of its time. In 2013, it was included on the compilation Under The Influence by famous DJ, James Glass. "J'Attends Les Marines" was a rework of "Waiting For The Marines" from the Things Your Mother album but adding a cool dub / experimental touch. Here's the first ever vinyl reissue of this sought-after punk-funk/no wave 45, featuring the original artwork but expanded to 12" format for maximum sound quality and including two exclusive edits/reworks by Electric Chairs fan and mix/edit wizard Gareth Goddard, aka Cherrystones.
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12"
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MENT 033EP
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Pyramid was an underground/homemade label created by Toby Robinson and his friend Robin Page (the Fluxus artist) while they were living in Cologne, Germany, in the '70s. Toby -- aka The Mad Twiddler, aka Genius P. Orridge -- is well-known to krautrock collectors as one of a number of engineers working at Stockhausen's WDR and Dierks Studio in Cologne in the mid-1970s, where he assisted on recordings by many famous kraut bands such as Can, Birth Control, Mythos, or Dzyan. Pyramid was home to a series of fascinating homemade albums by impossible and lost-in-time kraut-kosmische bands like Cozmic Corridors, Golem, Nazgul... all of them reissued by Mental Experience in the last years. One of the most celebrated tracks from the Pyramid catalog is "Interstellar Shortwave" by The Astral Army, originally included on the Cologne Curiosities comp (MENT 005CD/LP, 2016). It's a heavy-disco-kraut-groove, DJ friendly, Hawkwind-inspired track recorded circa mid-70s, and it's presented here in its original version -- pressed at 45rpm for maximum and expanding sound quality -- and also as an edit by Gareth Goddard, aka Cherrystones, who also offers another edit of "The Dead Marshes", one of the tracks included on The Nazgul album (MENT 016CD/LP). Here, Cherrystones transforms the spooky, avant-garde sound of the track into a kind of cinematic, horror spaghetti western soundtrack. To round up the 12", there's an experimental Cherrystones rework of "Daruber", a dark ambient/kosmische classic by Cozmic Corridors. Includes download card; edition of 300.
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LP
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MENT 031LP
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Basking Sharks are one of the unsung heroes of the original minimal/synth-pop/wave era. Formed in 1980 in the North of England, members Adrian Todd, Ged McPhail, and Martyn Eames used an array of home-made electronic instruments plus customized second-hand synths to provide unique sounds. On stage they always played "live" without the use of backing tracks. Their stage act included a slide show, films, and computer visuals synced into the stage performance. Their music merged electronic pop with European influences and experimentation. During their existence, they toured extensively throughout the UK, did a session with John Peel and produced a single, an EP, and an LP plus numerous videos and live recordings. Here's their first ever vinyl retrospective, including a selection of tracks from their sought-after album, Shark Island originally released in 1983, the complete Diamond Age (1983) and Thrill Of The Game (1983) singles plus fantastic previously unreleased recordings. Master tape sound and insert with detailed liner notes and rare photos. File under: electro-pulp-mega-pop-fizz-bang-boom-flip-crash.
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CD
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MENT 030CD
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Mental Experience present the first ever reissue of Bomis Prendin's Clear Memory, originally released in 1984. Formed in 1978, Bomis Prendin is a collective of experimental "noisicians" from Washington DC, pioneers within the DIY, Industrial, cassette culture, and experimental electronics scene. Using cassette recorders, mutated musical toys, electric guitars, bass, rewired circuitry, analog pedal effects, and cheap keyboards, they recorded and released in the late '70s a couple of astounding flexi-discs (Test and Phantom Limb) which led to them being included on the infamous Nurse With Wound list. Clear Memory was originally released in 1984 only on cassette (50 copies) and it's an incredible example of DIY mutant psychedelic pop and homemade electronic weirdness which sounds years ahead of its time. "Clear Memoryreveals a wonderland of sense-expanding psychedelic potentiality lurking below the surface." --Mutant Sounds "Their music features an incredible variety of sounds, images and structures that places it somewhere between slightly mutated rock and roll and pure experimental composition." --Gary Indiana (Modern World) RIYL: Residents, Chrome, Cabaret Voltaire, Faust, Throbbing Gristle, Cluster, Olivia Tremor Control... Master tape sound. Four-page insert with liner notes by Klemen Breznikar (It's Psychedelic, Baby). CD version includes one bonus track.
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MENT 030LP
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LP version. LP version includes digital download card; includes CD bonus track. Mental Experience present the first ever reissue of Bomis Prendin's Clear Memory, originally released in 1984. Formed in 1978, Bomis Prendin is a collective of experimental "noisicians" from Washington DC, pioneers within the DIY, Industrial, cassette culture, and experimental electronics scene. Using cassette recorders, mutated musical toys, electric guitars, bass, rewired circuitry, analog pedal effects, and cheap keyboards, they recorded and released in the late '70s a couple of astounding flexi-discs (Test and Phantom Limb) which led to them being included on the infamous Nurse With Wound list. Clear Memory was originally released in 1984 only on cassette (50 copies) and it's an incredible example of DIY mutant psychedelic pop and homemade electronic weirdness which sounds years ahead of its time. "Clear Memoryreveals a wonderland of sense-expanding psychedelic potentiality lurking below the surface." --Mutant Sounds "Their music features an incredible variety of sounds, images and structures that places it somewhere between slightly mutated rock and roll and pure experimental composition." --Gary Indiana (Modern World) RIYL: Residents, Chrome, Cabaret Voltaire, Faust, Throbbing Gristle, Cluster, Olivia Tremor Control... Master tape sound. Four-page insert with liner notes by Klemen Breznikar (It's Psychedelic, Baby). CD version includes one bonus track.
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CD
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MENT 029CD
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Mental Experience present the first ever reissue of Steve Piccolo's debut album from 1982, Domestic Exile. A hidden gem of minimalist beauty, mixing a post-punk/DIY/lo-fi aesthetic with art-rock and spoken poetry. Steve Piccolo has been in active since the mid-1970s in music, theater, performance art, sound installations, video and film soundtracks. In 1979, he started with the Lurie brothers the "fake jazz"/no wave band, Lounge Lizards. Domestic Exile was recorded one year after the seminal Lounge Lizards debut, at a time when Steve was living a kinda schizophrenic existence: working at Wall Street by day and going to clubs and art spaces almost every evening (he was one of the artists filmed for the no wave documentary 135 Grand Street New York 1979). Early on, he was influenced by Mose Allison, Tom Lehrer, Randy Newman, and "people who put thoughtful witty lyrics onto rather standard pop music". In just two weeks, Steve wrote the collection of songs which would form Domestic Exile. Somebody described them as "Neurotic City Folklore" as the lyrics dealt with living in NYC, urban angst, isolation, yuppies, nuclear paranoia. The recording took place at the ZBS Foundation in New York, engineered by Bob Bielecki (a collaborator of Laurie Anderson and La Monte Young). Steve sang, played electric guitar, bass/double bass and percussion. He was joined by Lounge Lizards bandmate Evan Lurie on Farfisa keyboard and G. Lindahl on synth. Although one of the tracks, the catchy "I Don't Want To Join A Cult", was an underground hit in Manhattan -- even Debbie Harry (Blondie) wanted to do a cover version -- no one expressed interest in releasing Domestic Exile. Soon after, Steve went to Italy and Domestic Exile was finally released on a local label. The result was a minimalist art-rock masterpiece which could be described as a lo-fi version of John Cale's Music For A New Society. Sadly, the quality of the original pressing was not very good and there was a mistake with a couple of song titles/running order. These issues have been fixed for this new reissue. Carefully remastered by Gak Sato. Includes insert with detailed liner notes and track-by-track comments by Steve plus lyrics.
"I was always fascinated by society's total dropouts, and by the idea of surviving completely outside the system, without an identity, papers, money, job, family. But not without friends... that would be unthinkable, unnecessary cruelty." --Steve Piccolo
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LP
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MENT 029LP
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LP version. Mental Experience present the first ever reissue of Steve Piccolo's debut album from 1982, Domestic Exile. A hidden gem of minimalist beauty, mixing a post-punk/DIY/lo-fi aesthetic with art-rock and spoken poetry. Steve Piccolo has been in active since the mid-1970s in music, theater, performance art, sound installations, video and film soundtracks. In 1979, he started with the Lurie brothers the "fake jazz"/no wave band, Lounge Lizards. Domestic Exile was recorded one year after the seminal Lounge Lizards debut, at a time when Steve was living a kinda schizophrenic existence: working at Wall Street by day and going to clubs and art spaces almost every evening (he was one of the artists filmed for the no wave documentary 135 Grand Street New York 1979). Early on, he was influenced by Mose Allison, Tom Lehrer, Randy Newman, and "people who put thoughtful witty lyrics onto rather standard pop music". In just two weeks, Steve wrote the collection of songs which would form Domestic Exile. Somebody described them as "Neurotic City Folklore" as the lyrics dealt with living in NYC, urban angst, isolation, yuppies, nuclear paranoia. The recording took place at the ZBS Foundation in New York, engineered by Bob Bielecki (a collaborator of Laurie Anderson and La Monte Young). Steve sang, played electric guitar, bass/double bass and percussion. He was joined by Lounge Lizards bandmate Evan Lurie on Farfisa keyboard and G. Lindahl on synth. Although one of the tracks, the catchy "I Don't Want To Join A Cult", was an underground hit in Manhattan -- even Debbie Harry (Blondie) wanted to do a cover version -- no one expressed interest in releasing Domestic Exile. Soon after, Steve went to Italy and Domestic Exile was finally released on a local label. The result was a minimalist art-rock masterpiece which could be described as a lo-fi version of John Cale's Music For A New Society. Sadly, the quality of the original pressing was not very good and there was a mistake with a couple of song titles/running order. These issues have been fixed for this new reissue. Carefully remastered by Gak Sato. Includes insert with detailed liner notes and track-by-track comments by Steve plus lyrics.
"I was always fascinated by society's total dropouts, and by the idea of surviving completely outside the system, without an identity, papers, money, job, family. But not without friends... that would be unthinkable, unnecessary cruelty." --Steve Piccolo
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LP
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MENT 014LP
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LP version. Mental Experience present a reissue of Galactic Explorers' Epitaph For Venus. Another album from the Pyramid label shrouded in mystery and produced by Toby Robinson in Cologne, circa 1974. Kosmische and head sounds with plenty of Minimoog, analog synths/keyboards, effects, loops, tape manipulation, treated percussions, etc., courtesy of Galactic Explorers, an electronic, minimal, ambient krautrock trio featuring Reinhard Karwatky (Dzyan). Take a trip to the inner regions of your mind, see ancient solar systems forming, and listen to cosmic winds and vibrations while sine waves of pure bliss will give you total peace of mind. RIYL: Terry Riley, Popol Vuh, Sand, Peter Michael Hamel, Tangerine Dream, Baba Yaga, Cluster, Cozmic Corridors, Brainticket. 24-bit domain remaster from the original tapes; Insert with liner notes by Alan Freeman, head boss at Ultima Thule and author of The Crack In The Cosmic Egg (1996).
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LP
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MENT 027LP
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Mental Experience present the first ever vinyl reissue of Thomas Hamilton's Pieces For Kohn, originally released in 1976. Pieces For Kohn, as the title suggests, included four electronic pieces composed by Tom Hamilton as musical responses to 3D geometric paintings by artist Bill Kohn. A renowned audio producer and electronic composer, among other many things, you've probably have seen Tom Hamilton's name in the credits of many albums by Robert Ashley and on releases from labels like Lovely Music, Pogus Productions, New World Records, etc, Tom was first introduced to electronic music in 1965, while he was an undergraduate in Milwaukee, thanks to a lecture by Vladimir Ussachevsky illustrated with examples of electronic composers of the day: Bülent Arel, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Henry, Milton Babbitt. Encouraged by his teacher, Thom David Mason, Tom started to build audio circuits and battery-operated boxes that produced or modified sounds. In 1969, Tom moved to St. Louis. After graduating at Washington University, he was offered a job to design, purchase, and build an electronic music and recording studio there. He now had continuing access to commercially built synthesizers and by the mid-1970s, Tom found that working with electronic music was more satisfying to him than other musical endeavors. The idea for the Pieces For Kohn album came from a studio visit with St. Louis artist Bill Kohn. Tom was an admirer of his work, which combined vibrant color combinations to fulfill 3D geometric and architectural compositions in paintings, prints, and watercolors. Bill proposed that Tom composed music for his art exhibition opening at a famous St. Louis gallery and Tom decided to simultaneously release that work on LP. Tom picked four of the paintings that he liked the most and titled his four pieces correspondingly. The recording took place at the Washington University Electronic Music/Recording Studio -- the studio that Tom designed and first built in 1971 and then moved and rebuilt in 1974 (where it resides to date). The original tapes were performed at the opening of Bill Kohn's exhibit at the Terry Moore Gallery in St. Louis, in January, 1976 and then Tom did a limited pressing of the album on his own label, Somnath Records. Spaced-out bleeps and bloops, and wild ARP synth freak-outs make up this cult electronic album '70s. RIYL: Terry Riley, Morton Subotnick, Vladimir Ussachevsky. Master tape sound; Includes insert with liner notes by Tom Hamilton and photos.
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CD
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MENT 028CD
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Mental Experience presents a reissue of Care Of The Cow's Dogs' Ears Are Stupid, originally released only on cassette in 1983. The album is a fascinating blend of psychedelic folk, minimal electronics and post-punk weirdness. Acid fuzz guitar, incredible vocal harmonies, drum machines, and analogue synths make it one of Chicago's best kept secrets, with a history that goes back to 1974. A trio formed by Victor Sanders, X Baczewska, and Sher Doruff, they had a very unique and eclectic sound, experimental yet very melodic, mixing psychedelic folk-rock with art-rock and DIY/post-punk. Their influences were very diverse: The Beatles, Fripp, Eno, Joni Mitchell, Carla Bley, Pauline Oliveros, and Eric Dolphy. Care Of The Cow debuted in 1975 with a 10" followed by their first album in 1981. By 1983, the band was adding drum machines and synths to their sound, highlighted by Victor's amazing guitar playing and X and Sher's perfectly blended vocal harmonies, resulting in Dogs' Ears Are Stupid, released only as a tiny cassette edition in 1983. For the Mental Experience, this is a lost gem from the '80s underground which really deserved a reissue. Here it is, done in collaboration with Steve Krakow of Plastic Crimewave/Galactic Zoo fame. Remastered from the master tapes, includes insert with liner notes Krakow and photos.
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MENT 028LP
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LP version; includes download. Mental Experience presents a reissue of Care Of The Cow's Dogs' Ears Are Stupid, originally released only on cassette in 1983. The album is a fascinating blend of psychedelic folk, minimal electronics and post-punk weirdness. Acid fuzz guitar, incredible vocal harmonies, drum machines, and analogue synths make it one of Chicago's best kept secrets, with a history that goes back to 1974. A trio formed by Victor Sanders, X Baczewska, and Sher Doruff, they had a very unique and eclectic sound, experimental yet very melodic, mixing psychedelic folk-rock with art-rock and DIY/post-punk. Their influences were very diverse: The Beatles, Fripp, Eno, Joni Mitchell, Carla Bley, Pauline Oliveros, and Eric Dolphy. Care Of The Cow debuted in 1975 with a 10" followed by their first album in 1981. By 1983, the band was adding drum machines and synths to their sound, highlighted by Victor's amazing guitar playing and X and Sher's perfectly blended vocal harmonies, resulting in Dogs' Ears Are Stupid, released only as a tiny cassette edition in 1983. For the Mental Experience, this is a lost gem from the '80s underground which really deserved a reissue. Here it is, done in collaboration with Steve Krakow of Plastic Crimewave/Galactic Zoo fame. Remastered from the master tapes, includes insert with liner notes Krakow and photos.
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LP + 7"
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MENT 026LP
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Mental Experience present an expanded reissue and the first ever vinyl reissue of The Momes' Spiralling, originally released in 1989 on the Woof label. Featuring Tim Hodgkinson (Henry Cow, The Work) on Hawaiian laptop noisy guitar and keyboards, Mick Hobbs (Family Fodder, The Work, Officer!) on bass, and Andy Wake (Unrest, Work & Play) on drums, The Momes were a unique power trio with an abrasive sound channeling post-punk, psych-prog, and avant-rock. Spiralling is their sole album, recorded at This Heat's Cold Storage studio by Charles Bullen (This Heat, Lifetones) and originally released on the Woof label operated by Tim Hodgkinson and Bill Gilonis. Recommended for fans of This Heat, Wire, Sonic Youth, Faust, Amon Düül II, Can, MX-80 Sound, Mission Of Burma. Includes a bonus 7" with two tracks taken from the album sessions (originally released only on CD as bonus tracks); Includes insert with rare photos and memorabilia and liner notes by Byron Coley; Includes download with a previously unreleased bonus track from the same album sessions, "Wall Is Down". "They mix a kind of driving post-punk rock-lurch with beautiful lyrics, lovely Trout Mask guitar moments and plenty of twisted art-rock details" --Byron Coley
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12"
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MENT 025EP
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Mental Experience presents a first-ever vinyl reissue of this sought-after post-punk/cold wave/minimal synth 12" from Germany, 1984. Days Of Sorrow was formed in Dortmund in 1981 by a bunch of school friends influenced by the post-punk/new wave scene. A dark and powerful sound with distorted guitar, minimal synths, drum machines, cold vocals, no wonder this is one of the most sought-after minimal synth 12" from the '80s Euro scene. Remastered sound, includes insert with liner notes and photos. RIYL: Joy Division, The Cure, Fad Gadget, Sisters Of Mercy.
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LP + 7"
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MENT 023LP
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Originally released in 1982 on the DRO label, La Marca De Anubis was the debut album by Los Iniciados, an obscure project related to legendary Spanish synth-pop band Aviador Dro. Always shrouded in mystery, Los Iniciados decided to hide their identities behind masks. The only visible and confirmed member was Arco Iris (Aviador Dro member Marta Cervera). According to rumors, behind the other nicknames were Biovac N (Servando Carballar, founder of Aviador Dro and DRO label head) and members of Spanish post-punks Alphaville. On La Marca De Anubis Jesús Arias of punk band T.N.T.) joins on electric guitar. The album was produced by Carballar and is an intriguing mélange of dark and eerie minimal synth/dark wave sounds with a post-punk edge. It is also highly influenced by The Residents, Dadaism, performance art and ancient Egyptian cults. La Marca De Anubis includes cult classics like "Peter Pan", "Soy El Vacío", and more. Remastered from the original tapes and presented with original artwork, a 12-page LP-sized booklet and a bonus 7" EP, El Cantor De Jazz (1982).
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LP
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MENT 024LP
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Mental Experience present a reissue of Todo Ubu, a record of dark minimal synth electronics and experimental sounds by the mysterious project Los Iniciados, originally released in 1983. Highly influenced by The Residents, they were related to legendary Spanish synth-pop band Aviador Dro. This is their rare and sought-after second album, originally released in 1983 on the DRO label as the soundtrack to a puppet stage play, based on Alfred Jarry's Ubu Roi (1896). Presented with remastered sound with original artwork and a 16-page LP-sized insert.
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CD
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MENT 022CD
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33 minutes of pure, unadulterated, psychedelic krautrock courtesy of Pyramid, an obscure studio project produced by Toby Robinson, aka The Mad Twiddler. These sessions were recorded circa 1975-76 in Cologne for the underground Pyramid label, which was operated by Toby and his friend Robin Page (the Fluxus artist). During that time, Toby worked as engineer and assistant at various studios in Cologne, including the famous Dieter Dierks studios, where most of the albums from the Ohr/Pilz/Cosmic Courier catalog were registered. Having access to the studios during dead hours, Toby recorded lot of sessions just for fun without any commercial interest, featuring friends and musicians who frequented the studios and the underground art/music scene of Cologne. Some of these sessions were later released as handmade vinyl micro-pressings on his Pyramid label with help from artist Robin Page. Master tape sound. Includes insert with liner notes by Alan Freeman. RIYL: Pink Floyd, Cosmic Jokers, Agitation Free, Ash Ra Tempel, Gila, Porcupine Tree, Amon Düül II. "... from trippy phases with echo guitars and Mellotron onto headfirst plunges into space-rock overdrive territory. In all, an excellent album of spacey krautrock" --Alan Freeman
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LP
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MENT 022LP
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LP version. Includes download card. 33 minutes of pure, unadulterated, psychedelic krautrock courtesy of Pyramid, an obscure studio project produced by Toby Robinson, aka The Mad Twiddler. These sessions were recorded circa 1975-76 in Cologne for the underground Pyramid label, which was operated by Toby and his friend Robin Page (the Fluxus artist). During that time, Toby worked as engineer and assistant at various studios in Cologne, including the famous Dieter Dierks studios, where most of the albums from the Ohr/Pilz/Cosmic Courier catalog were registered. Having access to the studios during dead hours, Toby recorded lot of sessions just for fun without any commercial interest, featuring friends and musicians who frequented the studios and the underground art/music scene of Cologne. Some of these sessions were later released as handmade vinyl micro-pressings on his Pyramid label with help from artist Robin Page. Master tape sound. Includes insert with liner notes by Alan Freeman. RIYL: Pink Floyd, Cosmic Jokers, Agitation Free, Ash Ra Tempel, Gila, Porcupine Tree, Amon Düül II. "... from trippy phases with echo guitars and Mellotron onto headfirst plunges into space-rock overdrive territory. In all, an excellent album of spacey krautrock" --Alan Freeman
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CD
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MENT 021CD
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Mental Experience present the first ever reissue of Mouvements, originally released in 1973. An impossible to find artifact from the Swiss underground avant-garde scene of Geneva, originally released as a private boxset limited to 150 copies in 1973, only sold at art galleries. A unique, instrumental mix of free-jazz, classical, psych-rock, folk, improv, kraut, funk, and musique-concrete with tape effects. In the late 60s, musician/guitar player Christian Oestreicher, "a savage in the era of twist and free jazz", met artist and painter Richard Reimann, famous for his optical art, at the Aurora art gallery in Geneva. Fueled by the artistic creativity from this underground scene, where jazz and rock musicians rubbed shoulders with artists, poets, and painters, Christian ideated the Mouvements project, enrolling his friend Richard to create the artwork. Christian was a trained guitar player with diverse influences: Ornette Coleman, Chuck Berry, Zappa, Soft Machine. He envisioned Mouvements as a concept album and he asked some of his musician friends from the jazz/rock scene to join in for the recordings: among them, Jean-François Boillat (of Boillat-Thérace), Blaise Català, Jerry Chardonnens. The album sessions took place at an occupied mansion during 1972, using three Revox machines. The musicians played standing in a circle and there was lot of room for improvisation. Tape effects and a small portable synth were also used. The result was released in 1973 as a hand-numbered, deluxe boxset limited to 150 copies, including a series of Richard Reimann's lithographies and inserts. For this, the first ever reissue, Mental Experience have created a new, more affordable edition with new artwork, including an insert with liner notes and previously unreleased photos. Highly recommended if you're into avant-garde psychedelia, free-jazz, free-rock, psych-funk, kraut. Think Staff Carpenborg, Zappa, Soft Machine, Bo Hansson, The Feed-Back, Mahogany Brain, Semool, Pierre Schaeffer, the BYG and Futura labels. Master tape sound; Includes insert with liner notes and rare photos; Includes digital download code which includes previously unreleased bonus tracks, including: "Largo Pour Trompettes", "Mouvement Pour Guitare B1", "Mouvement Pour Guitare B2", and "Hard-Rock Ouverture (Take 2)". CD comes in standard jewelcase; includes five previously unreleased bonus tracks taken from the album sessions, including the 17-minute long improv monster "My Guitar Is Driving Me Mad" -- bonus tracks also included in the digital download code.
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MENT 021LP
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LP version. Includes insert with liner notes; Includes digital download code which includes previously unreleased bonus tracks; Housed in a silver-mirrored sleeve. Mental Experience present the first ever reissue of Mouvements, originally released in 1973. An impossible to find artifact from the Swiss underground avant-garde scene of Geneva, originally released as a private boxset limited to 150 copies in 1973, only sold at art galleries. A unique, instrumental mix of free-jazz, classical, psych-rock, folk, improv, kraut, funk, and musique-concrete with tape effects. In the late 60s, musician/guitar player Christian Oestreicher, "a savage in the era of twist and free jazz", met artist and painter Richard Reimann, famous for his optical art, at the Aurora art gallery in Geneva. Fueled by the artistic creativity from this underground scene, where jazz and rock musicians rubbed shoulders with artists, poets, and painters, Christian ideated the Mouvements project, enrolling his friend Richard to create the artwork. Christian was a trained guitar player with diverse influences: Ornette Coleman, Chuck Berry, Zappa, Soft Machine. He envisioned Mouvements as a concept album and he asked some of his musician friends from the jazz/rock scene to join in for the recordings: among them, Jean-François Boillat (of Boillat-Thérace), Blaise Català, Jerry Chardonnens. The album sessions took place at an occupied mansion during 1972, using three Revox machines. The musicians played standing in a circle and there was lot of room for improvisation. Tape effects and a small portable synth were also used. The result was released in 1973 as a hand-numbered, deluxe boxset limited to 150 copies, including a series of Richard Reimann's lithographies and inserts. For this, the first ever reissue, Mental Experience have created a new, more affordable edition with new artwork, including an insert with liner notes and previously unreleased photos. Highly recommended if you're into avant-garde psychedelia, free-jazz, free-rock, psych-funk, kraut. Think Staff Carpenborg, Zappa, Soft Machine, Bo Hansson, The Feed-Back, Mahogany Brain, Semool, Pierre Schaeffer, the BYG and Futura labels. Master tape sound; Includes insert with liner notes and rare photos; Includes digital download code which includes previously unreleased bonus tracks, including: "Largo Pour Trompettes", "Mouvement Pour Guitare B1", "Mouvement Pour Guitare B2", and "Hard-Rock Ouverture (Take 2)".
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CD
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MENT 019CD
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Continuing with their reissue campaign of the Toby Robinson's Pyramid label catalog, Mental Experience now present Temple's self-titled release. Probably the most "rock" sounding of all the Pyramid titles, Temple were an ad-hoc outfit born out of several late-night sessions at Dierks Studios (where Toby was working at that time), involving local friends of Toby and other musicians from adjoining studios, among them Zeus B. Held (Birth Control). Temple played a kind of heavy, dark psychedelic krautrock with ahead of its time proto-Goth vibe. Loud guitars, Hammond, Mini-Moog, Mellotron, distorted and echoing vocals, effects... RIYL: Amon Düül II, Hawkwind, Birth Control, Popol Vuh, Ash Ra Tempel, Emtidi... 24-bit remaster from the original tapes; Insert with liner notes by Alan Freeman (The Crack In The Cosmic Egg); Includes download coupon.
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LP
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MENT 019LP
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2023 restock, last copies. LP version. Includes insert with liners notes; Includes download card. Continuing with their reissue campaign of the Toby Robinson's Pyramid label catalog, Mental Experience now present Temple's self-titled release. Probably the most "rock" sounding of all the Pyramid titles, Temple were an ad-hoc outfit born out of several late-night sessions at Dierks Studios (where Toby was working at that time), involving local friends of Toby and other musicians from adjoining studios, among them Zeus B. Held (Birth Control). Temple played a kind of heavy, dark psychedelic krautrock with ahead of its time proto-Goth vibe. Loud guitars, Hammond, Mini-Moog, Mellotron, distorted and echoing vocals, effects... RIYL: Amon Düül II, Hawkwind, Birth Control, Popol Vuh, Ash Ra Tempel, Emtidi... 24-bit remaster from the original tapes; Insert with liner notes by Alan Freeman (The Crack In The Cosmic Egg); Includes download coupon.
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MENT 020LP
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Mental Experience present a reissue of Wild Havana's self-titled album, originally released in 1977. Obscure Dutch private pressing of laid-back instrumental psychedelic/progressive sounds with jazz-funk-groove and abstract/experimental/Latin-indigenous touches. Stoned homemade atmosphere with treated/distorted electric and acoustic guitars, flute, electric piano, primitive drum machines/homemade electronics... Much in the vein of the experimental-underground scene of France and Germany during the early '70s but actually recorded and released in Holland. Wild Havana was the project of guitar player Johan Smith, helped by his brother Cor on flute. Influenced by artists like Zappa and Herbie Hancock, Johan recorded the Wild Havana album at his home studio on a 4-track, using effect devices developed by himself, like a modified proto-drum machine taken from a Hammond organ. He also used effects like phase shifter, chorus, etc. and experimented with putting wool on the guitar strings and electric effects on the mandolin. The result sounded like nothing else at the time. Buried for many years, we're excited to bring to life this unique album. RIYL: Herbie Hancock, Richard Pinhas, Christian Boule, Orexis... Insert with liner notes by band member Johan Smit. "...a beautiful, strange psych-prog LP with abstract compositions ,experimental edges and some funk hints" --Mutant Sounds
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CD
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MENT 016CD
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Lost-in-time kosmische/kraut/avant-garde artifact produced by Toby Robinson, aka The Mad Twiddler, circa 1975 for his private Pyramid label. Tolkien-inspired dark ambient soundscapes with spooky/ritualistic atmosphere, treated percussions, gongs and guitars, trippy Hammond and Mini-Moog, tape loops, weird noises, and drones... File under dark ambient, proto-industrial, kraut, experimental... RIYL: Kluster, Stockhausen, Taj-Mahal Travellers, Nurse With Wound, Throbbing Gristle, Lustmord, Cozmic Corridors. 24-bit domain remaster from the original tapes. Includes insert with detailed liner notes by Alan Freeman. "A major work of electronic avant-garde -- high quality deep esoterica of the weird and spooky kind." --Alan Freeman
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MENT 016LP
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2023 restock. Lost-in-time kosmische/kraut/avant-garde artifact produced by Toby Robinson, aka The Mad Twiddler, circa 1975 for his private Pyramid label. Tolkien-inspired dark ambient soundscapes with spooky/ritualistic atmosphere, treated percussions, gongs and guitars, trippy Hammond and Mini-Moog, tape loops, weird noises, and drones... File under dark ambient, proto-industrial, kraut, experimental... RIYL: Kluster, Stockhausen, Taj-Mahal Travellers, Nurse With Wound, Throbbing Gristle, Lustmord, Cozmic Corridors. 24-bit domain remaster from the original tapes. Includes insert with detailed liner notes by Alan Freeman. LP version includes download code. "A major work of electronic avant-garde -- high quality deep esoterica of the weird and spooky kind." --Alan Freeman
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