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Covering music from the fringes since 1993.

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Available online from Issue 5

Alliance - Alliance

Cover art Alliance appears to be a group of musicians (while maybe not a band as such) working together in various combinations to produce the music on this disc, around the core of John Fahey (keyboards and...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Amarok - Els Nostres Petits Amics

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Hailing from the Basque country in northern Spain, Amarok is essentially keyboardist Robert Santamana and a rotating cast of other musicians on Spanish guitars, violin, oboe, and percussion,...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Asturias - Cryptogam Illusion

Cover art The brainchild of multi-instrumentalist and composer Yoh Ohyama, Asturias has a sound that could be called an instrumental symphonic fusion (in the vein of Kenso, Happy the Man, Pekka Pohjola or...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Carpe Diem - En Regardant Passer le Temps

Cover art This may be one of the longest anticipated CD reissues of all time for progressive rock, the great Carpe Diem's debut album. Hailing from Nice (home of Shylock, Step Ahead, and Visitors), this quintet...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-10-01)

Chris Karrer - Dervish Kiss

Cover art Karrer was the longtime main-mover in the classic lineup of Amon Düül II, playing guitar, violin and sax. Since the band's demise, he has remained active in music, working with Popol Vuh, Peter...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Christian Décamps et Fils - Nu

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Décamps is, of course, the longtime lead vocalist and rock-poet emeritus of Ange, returning here to solo-career status (technically, Ange is still together - sort of - I have an album titled...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Crucis - Kronologia

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Here's the summary — this is easily one of the best 10 CDs claiming the progressive rock title to be released, well, since they invented the medium! How could any music live up to such lavish...

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-10-01)

Cyan - Pictures from the Other Side

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Take two moderately decent, although thoroughly modern sounding 10+ minute rock opuses, and sandwich a bunch of mediocre-at-best pop tracks between them, and you come up with something like this...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

David Torn / Mick Karn / Terry Bozzio - Polytown

Cover art David Torn (guitars, effects), Mick Karn (fretless bass) and Terry Bozzio (drums, percussion) have all been around the block, and this unlikely trio have released one of the years most interesting and...  » Read more
(Posted by Dan Casey 1994-10-01)

David Torn / Mick Karn / Terry Bozzio - Polytown

Cover art I've have to admit to seeing this trio live before listening to their disc. And while the recording does not quite capture the intensity and power of the show, it doesn't fall short either. Torn,...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike Borella 1994-10-01)

David Torn / Mick Karn / Terry Bozzio - Polytown

Cover art I always tend to be a little suspicious when any release is accompanied with as much hype and hoopla as this one was. It better well measure up to all the chatter and attention it gets. Certainly this...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Djam Karet - Collaborator

Cover art Finally, the wait is over. Three years after the awe-inspiring double release of Burning the Hard City and Suspension & Displacement, America's premier progressive ensemble have...  » Read more
(Posted by Dan Casey 1994-10-01)

Djam Karet - Collaborator

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Having followed this band since their 1987 cassette release The Ritual Continues, I've always felt that their strongest suit was their ability to create atmospheres, emotional sonic...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Earthstone - Seed

Cover art Chris Phillips is the mastermind behind Earthstone, today a band, but at the time of this recording essentially a one man project with guesting from producer Chris Bond (keys) and Marc Richards...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Enchant - A Blueprint of the World

Cover art An American band, and another in a long line of neo-progsters produced (in part, at least) by Marillion guitarist Steve Rothery. Someday, someone ought to make a compilation of Rothery's productions....  » Read more
(Posted by Mike Ohman 1994-10-01)

Fish - Five Official Bootlegs

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Bootlegs of live shows are often a mixed bag for both artists and their fans... how many times have you shelled out $25 or more for a bootleg CD only to find that it was pressed from either a...

 » Read more
(Posted by Eric Brooks 1994-10-01)

French TV - Virtue in Futility

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Four years in the making, and no less than seven years after the second album, this latest offering by Louisville's French TV is certainly worth the wait. One unanswered question is why it took...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

French TV - Virtue in Futility

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Louisville is as unlikely a place for progressive rock as any, yet that's where bassist Mike Sary's French TV hail from. Its been ten years since their debut album, yet Virtue in...

 » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-10-01)

French TV - Virtue in Futility

Cover art French TV hails from Louisville, KY and has a handful of releases to their name since their inception in the early/mid-80s. Led by bassist Mike Sary, they play an aggressive, complex, and somewhat...  » Read more
(Posted by Rob Walker 1994-10-01)

Fromage - Ondine

Cover art Fromage. That's French for 'cheese.' This Fromage, however, are not French at all, but rather they are a Japanese five piece (g/k/d/b/v+flute) from the '80's. The keyword here is 80s. A very dated...  » Read more
(Posted by Dan Casey 1994-10-01)

Green Isac - Happy Endings

Cover art Green Isac is the Norwegian duo of Marten Lund (keyboards, guitars) and Andreas Eriksen (percussion and keyboards), augmented here by additional musicians on flutes, accordion and kora. The music...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Hans Christian - Phantoms

Cover art Unlike Sebastian Hardie, Hans Christian is not a band, it's a person. Actually, sort of a one-man band: Christian plays almost all the instruments, though he has a bit of outside help from...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike Ohman 1994-10-01)

Hawkwind - Chronicle of the Black Sword

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This incarnation of the band is the same as the one that released Church of...

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(Posted by Anatole Gordon 1994-10-01)

Ines - Hunting the Fox

Cover art German keyboardist Ines has assembled an impressive group of session players for this surprisingly good debut. The music straddles the lines of old and neo-progressive, accessible yet powerful, with...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Ivanhoe - Visions and Reality

Cover art The opening instrumental "Visions" sets some high hopes, but the second track bursts in with a simplistic Dream Theater wannabe sound topped off with an annoying vocalist steeped in all the campy...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Jack Lancaster & Robin Lumley - Marscape

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Lancaster is the former sax player in Blodwyn Pig, but this album is better-known for its side-players: Robin Lumley, John Goodsall, Percy Jones, Phil Collins, Morris Pert... in short, Brand X!...

 » Read more
(Posted by Mike Ohman 1994-10-01)

Jarka - Ortodòxia / Morgue o Berenice

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This release combines two early seventies albums from the obscure Spanish band Jarka, led by the excellent pianist Jordi Sabates. Playing with a strong jazz sensibility, Jarka also differed from...

 » Read more
(Posted by Rob Walker 1994-10-01)

Jean-Pascal Boffo - Carillons

Cover art A most welcome reissue of one of Musea's finest releases ever, Jean-Pascal Boffo's second LP from '87. In the 70s, he was the guitarist with a Genesis inspired group called Mandragore, which later...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Jon Hassell & Bluescreen - Dressing for Pleasure

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At least ten years before music journalists coined the term "world music," Jon Hassell was developing his fourth world music concepts. Most prog fans are familiar with Jon Hassell from...

 » Read more
(Posted by Dan Baught 1994-10-01)

Kenso - Sora Ni Hikaru - Early Live Vol.1

Cover art Kenso were perhaps the pinnacle of the great Japanese symphonic rock bands. All too often, where others fell short, Kenso succeeded admirably at many of the things that make a band of this genre...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-10-01)

Kit Watkins - Azure, Sunstruck & In Time

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Everyone should at least be aware of who Kit Watkins is. His first gig was keyboardist with the acclaimed Happy the Man, who released two outstanding albums in the late 70s, for which Kit penned...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Kit Watkins - Kinetic Vapors

Cover art Perhaps because of his classical training or his background in the rock world, Kit Watkins' music tends to have a real sense of purpose and direction when approached from the progressive rock...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Lard Free - Gilbert Artman's Lard Free, I'm Around About Midnight & Third

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Artman's Lard Free project has received considerable amount of documentation in progressive periodicals, so I won't bore you with the details. Here's a quick overview; all are essential...

 » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-10-01)

Last Turion - Circle Logic

Cover art There's mediocre neo-prog, and then there's albums like this, which almost make me want to cry. As usual, influences are acquired, but not absorbed, from Marillion, IQ, and post-Gabriel Genesis. The...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike Ohman 1994-10-01)

Lives & Times - Waiting for the Parade

Cover art Ever since hearing this duo on the compilation A New Idea of Heaven about four years ago, it seemed like their sound had a lot going for it. Last years' A Pull of the Tide fine tuned...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Mad Crayon - Ultimo Miraggio

Cover art Mad Crayon are a new Italian quintet of the symphonic variety. Two of the members play keys, so as you can expect, the sound is lush and beautiful. The band is young — which is surprising, since...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-10-01)

Madden and Harris - Fools Paradise

Cover art There is absolutely no information provided in the liner notes to this CD, so all I can tell you is that it is a reissue of an album originally released in Australia in the early 70s. Actually, I'm...  » Read more
(Posted by Rob Walker 1994-10-01)

Magma - Retrospektïw I & II

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This year marks the 25th anniversary of the formation of Magma, without a doubt one of the most innovative and progressive bands of all time. Their music combined very intense and spiritual...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Magma - Théâtre du Taur - Concert 1975 - Toulouse

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The long awaited fourth release on Christian Vander's AKT label is a legendary concert from September 24th, 1975 in Toulouse. The lineup here includes Christian and Stella Vander on drums and...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Material - Hallucination Engine

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Bill Laswell has been the driving force of Material for about ten years now. Heavily involved in the NYC scene, Laswell has become a highly respected producer; on Hallucination Engine,...

 » Read more
(Posted by Dan Baught 1994-10-01)

Mauve Sideshow - Meet Me in the Wasteland

Cover art Meet Me in the Wasteland is the latest and final musical chapter of Treva (voice, electronics) and Dusty Lee (Mellotron, keyboards, sound collage). Like their self titled CD of two years...  » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 1994-10-01)

Michael Zentner - Present Time

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Formerly of the Muffins, Michael Zentner and his solo release drifted into obscurity over ten years ago, from which they have just been rescued. The lineup on this album differs from track to...

 » Read more
(Posted by Mike Borella 1994-10-01)

MK II - Burning Daylight

Cover art Remember the long protracted intro to "Shine on You Crazy Diamond"? That's a fair enough reference point for the first track on this British trio's debut. Other reference points for this album might...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Mr. Sirius - Dirge

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When considering the finest releases of the Japanese symphonic rock scene, the first two albums by Mr. Sirius come to mind immediately, not only for their apparent absence of any immediately...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Original Outer Limits - Outer Mania

Cover art Outer Limits were one of the mainstays of the Japanese 80s symphonic scene and perhaps one of the most accomplished of their peers (Teru's Symphonia, Pageant, Mr. Sirius and others). They released...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-10-01)

Philharmonie - Nord

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It seems like only about six months since the last Philharmonie disc, these guys are a hard working group for sure! The original guitar trio of Frederic L'Epee, Laurent Chalef and Bernard Ros...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Philharmonie - Nord

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Originally formed as an electric guitar trio, this French band led by ex-Shylock fretman Fredric L'Epee has expanded to a four-piece with the addition of Jean-Louis Boutin on drums for the...

 » Read more
(Posted by Dan Casey 1994-10-01)

Philharmonie - Nord

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Philharmonie was formed as an electric guitar trio by Frederic L'Epee, best known as the founder and leader of the brilliant 70s French group Shylock. After a relatively unknown self-released...

 » Read more
(Posted by Rob Walker 1994-10-01)

Pollen - Pollen

Cover art The Canadian symphonic progressive scene is one that unfortunately has avoided CD reissue except for the occasional release such as Harmonium, Spirit of Christmas, and the much harder to find Opus 5....  » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-10-01)

Pulsar - Görlitz

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Pulsar was perhaps the best French band in the mid-70s. In fact they were the first French band to be distributed by an English label. From 1975 to 1977 they released three albums culminating with...

 » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 1994-10-01)

Quasar Lux Symphoniæ - Abraham - One Act Rock Opera

Cover art Quasar Lux Symphoniæ is a new Italian outfit that has made its entrance into the prog world with quite a bang. Abraham is a one act rock opera spanning two CDs, that is almost Wagnerian in...  » Read more
(Posted by Rob Walker 1994-10-01)

Quasar Lux Symphoniæ - Abraham - One Act Rock Opera

Cover art First, let's clear up any confusion: This is in no way related to the British neo-symphonic group Quasar that once featured Tracy Hitchings as vocalist. Instead, QLS is an Italian four-piece core band...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Red Jasper - The Winter's Tale

Cover art Hard on the heels of their fourth album A Midsummer Night's Dream, this latest offering from England's Red Jasper appears to be, conceptually at least, a companion piece to that album. The...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Red Jasper - The Winter's Tale

Cover art More three-four chord neo-progressive? Have that craving for shrill digital patches and maybe, just maybe another vocalist who got locked in a room full of old Marillion records? Well, not exactly —...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-10-01)

Red Jasper - The Winter's Tale

Cover art Evidently you don't have to have a shred of originality, talent, or musicianship to be an active part of the SI (sonically insipid) band roster. Red Jasper continue on in the fine SI (simply...  » Read more
(Posted by Rob Walker 1994-10-01)

Renaissance & Illusion - Scheherezade, Turn of the Cards & Madonna Blue

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[Note: This review from 1994 refers to reissues on the TRC label. The albums involved have since been legitimately issued, and those releases are listed at the end of this...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Rick Wakeman - Wakeman with Wakeman: The Official Bootleg

Cover art Straight from the mixing board on their recent mini-tour, Adam and Rick Wakeman have released this lengthy 2CD live set. The material ranges from classic Rick (Six Wives, Journey,...  » Read more
(Posted by Dan Casey 1994-10-01)

Robert Rich - Propagation

Cover art Rich is one of the more interesting of the "electronic" artists, his music is as much organic as it is synthesized. With a very wide array of flutes of different origins, and the occasional use of the...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-10-01)

Silver Apples - Silver Apples / Contact

Cover art Frankly, this is one of those reissues I thought I would never see. The (now long defunct) Kapp label issued these two albums in the late 60s, after which they quickly faded into obscurity. At a time...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Soft Machine - Third

Cover art For those not familiar with Soft Machine, this is probably the best place to start; this marks the major turning point in the band's career, a shift from a more song-oriented style, through a phase of...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Suspended Memories - Earth Island

Cover art Steve Roach is a very individual and influential synthesist: when he is involved in a project he is usually the most distinguishable factor. The Suspended Memories trio is one of these exceptions; its...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-10-01)

The Cosmic Jokers - The Cosmic Jokers & Galactic Supermarket

Cover art Give LSD to the Haight Ashbury scene in the bay area in the late 60s and you have the flower power generation; give it to a bunch of young radical German musicians and you have the Ohr, Pilz, and...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-10-01)

The Guitar Orchestra - Interpretations

Cover art This, the Guitar Orchestra's second album, follows on in the tradition of their first album by featuring music created by the playing of real guitars (acoustic, electric, and MIDI) augmented sparingly...  » Read more
(Posted by Dan Casey 1994-10-01)

Thule - Frostbrent

Cover art Frostbrent is the third album by the now three-man Norwegian outfit Thule. Again, here's an album esoteric enough that it could only find its market in the underground progressive scene, yet...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-10-01)

Tim Hodgkinson - Each in Our Own Thoughts

Cover art Tim Hodgkinson, the keyboardist/sax-meister responsible for some of the most angular, complex, and free-structured music of the seventies (Henry Cow) and the eighties (The Work), has returned with a...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike Borella 1994-10-01)

Tin Drum - The Edge of Insanity

Cover art Here we have a limited edition debut CD by an amazing new German band with musical roots tracing back to the halcyon days of Krautrock and Pink Floyd. This foursome of Hotty Melz (lead vocals,...  » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 1994-10-01)

Tipographica - Tipographica

Cover art The Japanese progressive rock scene in the 90s in general has taken a remarkable turn towards a more innovative and unique styling. In the latter half of the 80s, the Japanese focus was on the more...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-10-01)

Tipographica - Tipographica

Cover art Hello... I'd like to report a Frank Zappa sighting — actually not a visual sighting, but after hearing the first few minutes of this debut disc by Japan's Tipographica, I'm convinced that Zappa's...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Tipographica - Tipographica

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While Japan has always had its share of inventive new musics, the recent surge in this area has put the country on the map like never before. With Happy Family, Il Berlione, Ruins, Zypressen,...

 » Read more
(Posted by Mike Borella 1994-10-01)

Torn Curtain - Torn Curtain

Cover art Torn Curtain is the debut effort by former Mauve Sideshow keyboard wizard Dusty Lee and his new vocalist Sheila. Consisting of the four songs "Daymare," "Creatures," "Twilite," and "Dawn," their self...  » Read more
(Posted by Henry Schneider 1994-10-01)

U Totem - Strange Attractors

Cover art The two instrumentals that open this latest album by U Totem set the stage and tone for the remainder of the music on the album, an artfully crafted avant-garde rock blended with elements of...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

U Totem - Strange Attractors

Cover art This, the long awaited follow-up to U Totem's eponymous debut, features the band's original lineup (Sanjay Kumar, Dave Kerman, Eric Johnson, Emily Hay, and James Grigsby) as well as numerous guests,...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike Borella 1994-10-01)

U Totem - Strange Attractors

Cover art Strange Attractors is the second CD from this West Coast ensemble whose 1991 self-titled debut remains one of the best avant-garde/RIO styled albums of the 90s. U Totem takes a strongly...  » Read more
(Posted by Rob Walker 1994-10-01)

Urban Sax - Urban Sax, Fraction sur le Temps & Spiral

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Legend has it that the idea for Urban Sax came into being around 1973, when the town of Menton in the south of France commissioned Gilbert Artman to reverberate the town with four amplified fixed...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Už Jsme Doma - Nemilovaný Svět

Cover art The first I'd ever heard of this Czechoslovakian sextet was a tape someone sent to me last year of their first (1990) album Uprostřed Slov. I was suitably impressed with their twisted...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Van Otterdyke - The Syrens

Cover art Ed Van Otterdijk (spelled Otterdyke here) is a Dutch multi-instrumentalist who released this one self-produced album on WEA in 1984 as part of a three album deal. The music straddled the line between...  » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Various Artists - A Propos d'Ange

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In the history of French rock, two names stand out among all others in terms of leadership, originality of style, and influence over all that would follow. Magma's contribution is well known,...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

Various Artists - Tokyo Symphonic Syndrome

Cover art Japanese progressive compilations are always an interesting listen, and this one's no exception — a collection of groups that never made an album but performed live in Tokyo in what sounds like the...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-10-01)

Visible Wind - Emergence

Cover art Apparently this is the Canadian band's third album. I was quite impressed initially by my first taste of this album, namely, the 14-minute opening medley "Emergence/Sweet Perdition." "Emergence" is an...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike Ohman 1994-10-01)

Von Zamla - Zamlaranamma

Cover art Von Zamla is another incarnation of the zany Samla Mammas Manna, who recorded two albums under the name for Urspar (this one being the first) before breaking up in the early 80s. Von Zamla's four...  » Read more
(Posted by Mike McLatchey 1994-10-01)

Wapassou - Messe en Ré Mineur, Salammbô & Ludwig

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Wapassou was a unique classically influenced French band that existed from around 1971 through the mid-80s (their last release was in 1986). These three — their second, third and fourth...

 » Read more
(Posted by Peter Thelen 1994-10-01)

 

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