THE LOCAL MOON: An Experience 7"

Well, here is the band with the laziest lyricist ever. The Local Moon released only one record, and the lyrics to all three songs were poems by the late American beat poet Bob Kaufman. And since they misspelled his name on the credits, I suppose that maybe it's for the best that they didn't try writing anything of their own.
Of course, since the band didn't spend time writing lyrics, they had plenty of time to write the music, and they did one hell of a job. The standard guitar and drums are accompanied by oboe, clarinet, ethno brass, and more. And while that sounds like it would be bad world music, it is actually incredibly gloomy, experimental, and atmospheric darkwave, especially the incredible "An Experience".
Apparently only a few hundred copies were pressed, and they were bundled with an underground magazine from Berlin called Verwendung - Heft4. I wish I had that magazine, but alas, I'll take what I can find. This is very recommended stuff!

The Local Moon: An Experience
Record Partner Hamburg, 1988
A1 A Experience
B1 Dolorous Echo
B2 Response
(please note: I ripped side B as one song since they flow into each other)

Download this 7" here!

Ego Loop: Nothingness LP

Sometimes I wonder if any of the songs from any of the records I post become peoples' "new favorite songs". I love sharing music with people, and am always happy for positive feedback on the music (although any feedback is good). I am curious if people will love this record as much as I do. This New Jersey electronic band only released this record (I believe) and then disappeared. I'm surprised I don't commonly see this on wantlists. It's got a few duds, but songs like "Becoming a Shadow", "It Follows", and "The Feelings Return" are dark, gloomy minimal synth masterpieces. I hear elements of Flue, Mecano, Twilight Ritual, and more in these songs. I think that if you enjoy the Windtorn EP from Juju that I popsted last year you should appreciate this too. I can't guarantee that it will be a new favorite, though. However for what it's worth, I've listened to "The Feelings Return" about 10 times in a row now, and all I can say is "WOW. 

Ego Loop: Notingness LP

1988, Gris Records.

A1 Neon

A2 Painless Nothing

A3 Down

A4 Extract the Cork

A5 Fruit of the Null

A6 Becoming a SHadow

B1 It Follows

B2 The Seeds of Art

B3 The Feelings Return

B4 Eos

Click here to download this record!

Astaron: Selftitled LP & Lance the Ensemble EP

Here are the only two vinyl releases from Vienna, Austria cult band Astaron. When I was in Vienna a few months ago, I found the LP for a couple euro. It looked interesting, but unfortunately the record store did not have a record player (or I didn't know how to ask in German if they had one... I forget) so I had to buy it and hope it was good. I had to wait 10 days before I would get home and listen to it, and the anticipation mounted each day. I bought almost 60 records in Austria, but this one above all others piqued my curiosity. It looked so ... promising; I would be disappointed if it was anything less than gloomy gothic perfection.
When I finally got situated at home, laid in bed, and heard the first crackles of the record give way to synths and organs and chants and hauntingly ethereal vocals, I knew that this would instantly become one of my all-time favorites. I've listened to it dozens of times now, and have not ceased to be entranced by its melancholy beauty. I loved it enough to order the EP, which I just received today and have decided to share with others.
The music ranges from dirgelike chants to ethereal darkwave to haunting ballads. The EP is a bit more cold/darkwave sounding, with danceable beats on all songs; the LP is all doom and gloom, especially from the song "In an Absence" on to the end. Elements of groups like Vyllies, Cocteau Twins, I'm So Hollow, Malaria, Kas Product, and early Danse Society can be heard throughout these releases. Many songs (especially on the EP) also remind me of stuff by more recent darkwave bands, especially The Vanishing and Autonervous.
As for this duo, it contains two girls, who are never named. I do know, through some research, that one of the members was Angie Morth, aka Angie Modepunk, one of the members of seminal minimal electronic/post punk band Viele Bunte Autos (whose entire catalog has been reissued on cd, and who can be heard on their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/vielebunteautosmusik
Apparently Astaron also released at least one cassette, called Sarg Tape. If anyone can provide mp3s from this or anything else Astaron released, I would be forever happy. I simply cannot overstate how much I love the music this band produced.

Astaron: Selftitled LP
Ton Um Ton Records, 1987 (?)

A1		Black Galley (2:58)
A2		Finale - The Burning (3:38)
A3		Little Girl Crying (2:16)
A4		St. John's Fire (2:34)
A5		As Time Joins In (4:13)
A6		Torch-Light Procession (5:20)
B1		In An Absence (4:57)
B2		Sea-Blue Ladies (4:44)
B3		Collecting Bones (5:14)
B4		The Slurring (3:50)
B5		Untitled (1:01)

(please note that the last two songs are saved as one song)


Astaron: Lance the Ensemble EP
Bugel Records, 1988

A1		The Lance Ensemble (5:47)
A2		The Icequeen (4:21)
B1		Golden Carriage (5:27)
B2		It (4:50)

Download both records here! - Link updated with NEW rips from mint records 1/16/12!