MARTIN HARLEY

Martin Harley (Martin Harley) 2003
Melting folk with blues this sounds like a cross between John Martyn and Ry Cooder, slick but laid back with plenty of slide guitar. There’s no techno wizadry and overdubs going on, just Martin and his boys jamming in the front room. But don’t let that fool you into the thinking the production is cheap, cos this is crisp clear and professional. We first happened across them busking at a festival at 2am, just guitar, double bass and drums. When we managed to catch them onstage later in the weekend, there was no change, juts a PA so people at the back could hear. No pretensions, no attitude, no rush, just plenty of talent. Just how it should be.

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Wiztonic (Scrap Records) 2000
About as hardcore as they come, anarcho ska punk with a heavy dubby psychedelic edge. Renowned for bucking against the system, we have caught them live a few times, most notably at the ‘eco village’ convergence space set up for protestors at the 2005 G8 in Scotland and at and all night squat party following the Anarchist Bookfair. Yep, they are that type of band. This CD captures them perfectly, mean moody dark and psychopathic, taking the hardcore attitude of bands like Inner terrestrials and P.A.I.N. but hinting at more spaced out stuff like the Ozrics. Anarchic, punk, dub and psychedelic all in one, what more could you ask for?

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Under The Stress Of A Headlong Dive (Invada) 2005
Bristol’s number one stoners 7th album, is like having your brain crushed in a grinder, then loaded into a massive bong, lit up, sucked through the pipes and water, up into the lungs of someone with their head in a cement mixer next to a sound system blasting out a ministry remix of old Motorhead numbers then breathed out through the nostrils again to condense back into being a brain. That might seem like a bad thing to some of you, but it is certainly an experience everyone should go through at least once. We enjoyed it, but it's not something we intend to do on a regular basis, you need a rest after listening to this. There are moments when you are carried away with the music and your mind wanders to somewhere else, when you come back and the same riff is there ten minutes later you have to check to see if it is stuck, don’t panic, it is supposed to be like that! 19 tracks of heavy psyche garage kraut space rock with the guitar amps turned up to 11. Most music sounds better played loud, this music simply MUST be played loud to appreciate it, preferably when everyone else in your neighbourhood has gone away on holiday. It might be worth taking some brochures around to prompt them now! Queens of the Stone Age eat your hearts out.

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Coaxed Out From Oxford (4Zero records)2007
One upon a time, in a land far away, some naughty pixies escaped from the planet of hippies and started indulging in much mischief across this green and pleasant land, soaking up and infusing the pubescent punk vibes of the time and radiating anarchic spaced out punk dub at festivals, squat parties and free gigs. Creating their own thread in the cosmic tapestry, but intertwined with the likes of fellow travellers Hawkwind, Pink Fairies, Crass and, most closely, Gong; they embarked on a journey through the underworld that continues to this day.

This limited edition release is a re-mastering of tapes from a gig in Oxford in 1983, with some bonus tracks from a gig at the Polytechnic of Wales thrown in for good measure. Originally recorded on an eight track mobile recording unit this is not the height of sophisticated surround sound, but with the benefit of 21 st century wizardry we end up with a quality that is not to be sniffed at.

They smoothly blend psychedelic space rock with punk and dub, thrown into an anarchic cauldron to come up with a sound that has influenced many over the years and can still be traced in bands like Headjam, AOS3, Ozric Tentacles and, to a lesser extent, Inner Terrestrials. This sort of thing is nothing new today, but when you take into consideration they were doing this as far back as 1976 and even in 1983, when this was recorded, it was pretty damn ground breaking.

We particularly like ‘Ways To Be Free’, ‘Heartbeat’, ‘Fantasy Shift’ and ‘Secrets’, which see them dubbing things up a little while remaining on another planet. ‘Opium for the People’ ups the tempo a little as they come towards the close of the set and we get some wicked guitar work to drive all the acid punks into a frenzy.

This album only touches on the deep history of this influential band. Although they were never household names they played a major part in the UK underground in the late 70s early 80s, including providing lighting and PA for the Stonehenge festival from ’77 to ’84, and they formed the back bone of Daevid Allen’s Planet Gong. After about 1985 they faded into the background for a while, until reappearing in 1995 to blow everyone away with ‘UFOasis’. They are still around now and with the help of Joie and Merv of Eat Static/ Ozrics fame are currently in “a slightly warped techno-retro mode”. This CD is a snap shot of the vibe from nearly a quarter of a century ago, and how they sounded there and then. Watch the skies, they may well sneak up on you and freak you out again, but you wont know where or when.

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Electrocratic (Access Tonal) 2007
This is the sort of music you can’t explain, either you understand it, or you don’t. We can imagine it being played at ear splitting volume in some darkened squat with people stood around nodding appreciatively and grinning at each other, communicating with the eyes without saying a word, just sipping on water and nodding their heads. Yes, it is pretty full on. Hardcore, but not quite gabba. Dark mean and moody back to basic electronic dance music that stretches back to the heady days of the old skool acid house and forward in time with slight hints of dubstep in there somewhere. There are very few ‘lyrics’ on here, but those that are dropped in hint at a rebellious nature. “We are the government, and you’re not”, states Electro job Seeker; “it is because young people use drugs that they are illegal, but because older people vote and hold the government to account, their drugs are legal” is the appropriate start for ‘Stealing a nation’. Actually, the more we think about it, it is quite a thought provoking album; Bob Dylan for the Acid House generation? Not quite, but it’s a nice thought. There are numbers that refer to Anarchy and Cardiff, so they must be cool!

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Love Medicine and Natural Trance (Kosmic Hoboes) 2004.
Natural trance is a good title; we could not have summed it up better. This has a very heavy Goa Trance vibe but unlike most trance, it involves a full live band. Mixing rhythms from Asia, Africa and Europe, using guitar, didgeridoo, bass, drums, voices, sitar and well spiced with some old school ethnical drums like djembe, congas, tablas, bougarabou, dun dun, ken keni; more than 15 different drums are played by 5 drummers, first naturally and by their own natural trance technics. These 12 Tracks take you on a cosmic journey, inspired by the bands own travels to places like Goa, Ibiza, Morocco and Japan; you can almost hear the sun setting over some exotic beach. The tempo is always of the up variety, but because it is people making the noise rather than machines, it never feels harsh. This will definitely by spending a lot of time in the Iguana-fi.

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Getaway (Housewife Records.. single) 2007
The perfect single to keep you entertained while doing the dishes or putting the Hoover ‘round. We know, cos we have tried it. Three slices of home baked art-rock, reminiscent of some of the best-preserved ‘80s post punk indie pop dusted off and given a coat of 21 st century polish; each track stimulating the mind of a bored mum. The title track ‘Getaway’ brings on visions of a wild escapist fantasy, dreams of escaping the mundane drudgery of domestic slavery, running away with one of the rockers that hang out down the local café and plays in grimy punk bands. ‘Art School Project’ is a toe tapper that comes across like the B52s doing ska, reminiscent of sexy undies hidden underneath the housecoat to remind the wearer of how she trapped her man in the first place. ‘Shoreditch Vampires’ has hints of the Red Guitars and invokes memories of wild nightclubs in far off Latin places, back in the days before the school run and daytime TV. Their refusal to follow current trends and the decision to arrange the furniture they way they want to, not how fashion dictates they should, makes this a welcome addition to any self respecting collection. Better than sitting on the tumble drier for thrills!

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