| $14.04
new to stock as of
august 7th, 2012
threads:
analogue-synth
1970s-electronic
psych-prog
experimental-instruments
live-electronic
machine-music
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| | | sebastian speaks (usa) #ssp 014 lp emerald web “dragon wings and wizard tales” long playing record - dragon rising
- flight of the raven
- twilightfirenight
- waterlust
- lifeforce celebration
- whispered vision
- loosing of the shadow
- the powerstone
- chasing the shadowbeast
- dawn
| | july 2012 release ; ... had originally brought in a few copies of this repro of the 1979 stargate-label debut of bob stohl & kat epple’s emerald web - an “electronic space music” act that, amongst other things, composed music for carl sagan’s various teleplays - to disparage this current trend of unearthing less-than-stellar electronic acts of yore while so, so many amazing things remain un-issued ... but i’ve decided to change my tack (or ... at least not use this one as a whipping post) as ... well, it’s actually quite good, dark, and fairly far removed from all perceived emptily-spiritual connotations ... |
| | sebastian speaks press release... |
| emerald web
dragon wings and wizard tales
ssp 014
emerald web’s 1979 debut album was a milestone in electronic psychedelia - rooted in the prog of the mid 70s and foreshadowing much of what would come in the early 80s.
dragon wings and wizard tales mixes analog synthesizing with the heavy use of wind instruments, augmented occasionally by the angelic vocals of kat epple. the sound is incredibly unique. the lyricon wind controller makes a very early recorded appearance on this album and is one of the reasons the many sounds heard here are hard to place. the line is constantly blurred between live flutes and the electronic approximations, even occasionally mimicking bird calls. it’s these sound combinations that give the songs an otherworldly quality- like hearing indigenous music from another planet.
although some pastoral vocal songs show up here and there, eerily dreamy instrumentals make up a little more than half the record. these are certainly among the highlights and show emerald web’s talent for crafting soundtrack music that would come to the fore later on. ”the flight of the raven” is a brief but gorgeous piece, summing up all that is good about this record in under three minutes. fleeting melodies give way to dramatic clashing synths, fading away at just the right moment. ”the powerstone” recalls early king crimson,especially the vibe of “moonchild”. it’s on this track that emerald web’s knack for creating natural sounding tones and soundscapes from very electronic instruments is most evident.
- frank maston |
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