Storm Corrosion - "Drag Ropes" video

Storm Corrosion, with Åkerfeldt and Wilson, has released a video to the song "Drag Ropes" from the forthcoming album. It's indeed a sad story portrayed here, and the music is very eerie and strange.
I think it will sound the best as a whole album, since it's said to be very odd.
So, not something that sticks in your mind in a comfortable way, not the first time anyway.
Enjoy! >:)

Mahavishnu Orchestra - brilliant fusion!

Yet again I have too many ideas of what to write about, so I pick a band that also may seem a bit odd in this blog. Well, when I come to think of it many of my picks lately might be looked upon as fairly odd. Maybe I've written slightly too little about metal, but yes I still listen to a bunch of that as well. In my headphones right now Borknagar is comforting me with their new "Urd" which I've given a couple of listens and the more it grows.
I've also taken a liking to the new offering from Naglfar, more about that later...

Picture stolen from the Internet, which I then have altered and played with.

Anyway this time I wanna give some space to Mahavishnu Orchestra, a 70's band that I had no idea about before I discovered Billy Cobham, their first drummer, through the radio shows where Mikael Åkerfeldt played some of his favorite music. He played a song from Cobham's first solo album "Spectrum" which completely blew me away. And last year I found a copy of that LP on a trip to Gothenburg and finally could have a listen to the whole thing. Oh my. That is one hell of a drummer! So much progressive fusion, a really heavy type of jazz and it gives me the same feeling as really heavy early hard rock or even heavy metal. It has so much energy!
Later I dug some deeper into it and realized he was brilliant in Mahavishnu Orchestra as well and as the months have passed I've managed to find the 2 first albums with him as a drummer, a good thing since they are cheap. BTW, one sometimes wonder how such amazing music can be so cheap?!? It is a ironic and fascinating thing that some records which are mindblowing are sooo expensive and some which are just as groundbreaking only cost a couple of kronor.

"The Inner Mounting Flame" from 1971 is not a calm release, it's fast as lightning and cannot leave one unimpressed. It's simply some sort of masterpiece, although it's almost too heavy and too much to comprehend. "Birds of Fire" released in 1973 is almost equally good and has a little more variation to it as it has some calmer moments. That does not make it boring though, the time flies by when listening to Mahavishnu Orchestra. I really like the fact that they incorporate so much violin in the complicated songs.
Jerry Goodman who plays the violin impressses as much as mr Cobham and the one who shines the brightest must be the guitarist and leader John McLaughlin as he has written all of the songs!
Genious.
So, if you're open and searching for something different but want the heaviness of metal and heavy prog - search no more!

Close your eyes and relax:

Second hand music & orange noise

One of my favorite thing to do is looking for weird stuff at second hand shops or flea markets (loppis FTW!). Why? Sometimes the things have an interesting story, it's mostly not expensive but cheap findings and it's good for the environment. I like the fact that a small item can do something for a whole room or just add a little extra touch. Now, I might sound like an interior decorator and no I am not that good haha, but I like design and shapes, textures... I don't want to build a home of assorted stuff I don't feel anything about at all, I want it to make me feel something., tell me a story and say something about us who lives here.

Now this of course comes to records too, as you know, the most of what I buy to my little collection are used vinyls and CDs. What I buy new is almost only new metal and hard to find prog gems. 

I went to two different flea markets and hardly spent any money at all haha, and I got 3 records, headphones, curtains, a book and assorted stuff to our summer house. 

For a few kronor I got (in not great shape I know, but playable):

Buddy Miles Express - "Expressway to Your Skull" on original press. Now this one I had no clue about, I dug through a couple of thousands (I think the man said he had about 7000 LPs!!!) and just stopped when I saw this cover. Released 1968, hmm might be good. I saw that Jimi Hendrix was involved somehow and remembered that the drummer Buddy Miles had played with him. Cool! Also the guitarist Jim McCarty later played in the hard rock band Cactus which I like. 

Some of the best findings is where you have no clue of what it sounds like. This was worth the money and then some, it's a feel good record of fuzz, some psychedelic guitar and lots of funk, blues and soul. I really blame Mikael Åkerfeldt for turning me on to funk. Or am I just getting old? 

Sweet - "Off the Record" from 1977. I've never really listened to Sweet since I'm not a huge fan of glam rock. I mean, I like early David Bowie and of course Alice Cooper and yeah some Kiss too.... Hm, well I here got stuck with the record in my hand and like a little teenage girl got stimulated by the odd cover. What a fucking brilliand idea, to have a record and pickup on the cover! And as you fold it out, it's even better! As I am a bit fascinated by turntables (they're beautiful) I got hooked. This record is supposed to be a bit more rockier and it's actually quite good, it's rock all the way. More rock than disco shit then I'm okay! ;)

Heavy Rock. Now this is a warning that I'm turning into an old hag, haha, I don't usually buy "rock classics" or such but as cheap as this was and it actually has some good songs on it from Uriah Heep, Black Sabbath, Hawkwind, Saxon, Juicy Lucy and so on... You know that is a collection has Hawkwind on it, it's good stuff. ;)

As a lover of the 50's, 60's and especially the 70's I just had to have these headphones. Orange and pretty! It's a pair of Hosiden DH-16-S. They don't sound as good as they look competing with my also huge DJ-headphones but I have to try them more and anyway they are in great shape for a tiiiiny price.

The best thing about this bargain was that they had a spiral extension chord plugged in, I took that and tried it with my DJ-phones and holy shit! It's fucking looong and sounds great. 

As my headphones already had a chord of about 3 metres I now can use my headphones and walk around the flat. The only thing I can't do is make a cup of tea haha. But, as Veronica said, I can even use the bathroom while hearing sweet tones in my head, muhahaha. I was completely blown away and happy for hours of my little chord. Still am, in fact. 

Just some photos...

Here's just a few photos, in no particular order. More cats FTW!

Me & Veronica visited the annual Sci-fi fair in Gothenburg. Here's me and some stormtroopers, hehe. 

Met Lance Henriksen from Alien & Millennium, Tommy Lee Wallace who designed the mask for original Halloween and also a few nice artists. Kim W Andersson who makes the cartoons Love Hurts and Alena said he loved us and wants us as special fans, haha, funny guy.

Had a nice day, found some horror B-movies and the new one from Ghibli Studios.

Took this photo right now, Zelda (the black monster) loves to place herself on top of my vinyls. Here she's laying on a cover of a rare record and making it look "extra crispy". How nice.

Visited a nice friend and got these with me home. A copy of "Epicus Doomicus Metallus" original press and Marduk "Deathmarch Tour EP" (sealed), Candlemass - "Nightfall" Pic-LP & Therion "Symphony Masses" Pic-LP. All unplayed. Well, Therion isn't unplayed for long, that album is indeed a weird release but cool as well - nice stuff! Thanks Ninni!

Ninni had bought me some camogear as well, haha! Brilliant. Both her and I have a spot weak for camo.

The plants are starting to grow real nice due to the good amount of sun. Maybe even growing too fast inside, as winter has not passed fully yet outside. Hm, I'll have to make a jungle inside then.

Flowers which have rested has come to life again.

"When not having the time to put on make-up, cover with arm!" is the new motto. ;)

One of the best things ever, listening to a bit of Gong in the evening. Of course with me slippers on and a cat by my side. 

OM live in Gothenburg

Like I wrote last time, my plan was to see OM live in Gothenburg. They played at Truckstop Alaska and it was magical! I mean it, it was one of the best things I have ever seen. Too bad there where some soundproblems (one of Als amps wasn't working, this seems to be an occuring problem at Truckstop?) but that didn't bother me much as the bass and drums where pretty heavy anyway. And what an amazing dude (Robert?) they had with them! He looked like a voodoo priest playing that guitar, doing various strange sounds and ohh what a voice. It really did contribuate something special to the music. Afterwards the concert I just had to go up to him and almost kneel and thank him, since the rest of Om took off. Going for the bong maybe?
I hope the new LP coming in July will have more of that ritual feeling that the concert had.
I'm really looking forward to "Advaitic Songs" and think that it will really be one of the best of 2012
If you have heard Om before you know that it already feels like a religious/soulful journey, a tantric ritual through time and space... Add some more middle-eastern sounds and a bit guitar in the odd parts and you'll levitate for sure!

Before the concert I had a few Newcastles and if I am an expensive girl when it comes to records and music, I am a cheap one when it comes to alcohol since 2 beers make me quite happy and drunk, haha. ;)
This time I saved my money for the cheap beer and the merchandisebooth. Om shirts are pretty hard to find so...
I arrived at Truckstop and found another beer and had a look at the opening band. Or band, maybe artist is the correct word - it was a girl playing multiple instrument and let's just say it wasn't my cup of tea at all. It was noisy but not in a nice way or interesting enough for me. Some seemed to like it. I just wanted to escape to the merchandise table and so I did. 2 nice shirts at a fair price. After the concert I was so stoked I got the tourposter as well and it is soooo gorgeous, I think I must have it framed sometime. Luckily my dear one likes my taste as well and accepts my interiordecorating of our home. ;)
Om entered the stage and I got all tense and nervous since I had a look at Al and he looked so serious. But then I remembered that he does that all the time haha, he's a special man and I really like it. Serious and philosophical, hehe, I recognize that. But at the same time I have rarely seen someone enjoy playing so much, he's on another level and is totally tripping out. Like a snake. Moving up and down, following every pulse and tone. Amazing. I closed my eyes and followed along.
And there is the trance, follow the trance, be one with the music and so long... Either one stand there and become a spectator to Om or once follows and maybe ends up somewhere near where Al is.
And I am so lucky I can open up and just find some magical space sometimes by just listening to music, meditate through inner landscapes. Emil's drumming was intense and amazing, he seemed so into it as well.

Do I need to say one more time that it was magical?

Starting the day with some vibrations

OM.

Say it loud. Sounds good, feels good. Auuuum.

I'm starting my day in a very good way, by listening to the 4 albums made by the doom/stoner band. The heavy vibrations made from only bass and drums move around the room. The cats seem to like it, and Zeus wants a cuddle. His purs starts deep vibrations which flows right over the music. Inside I pur as well. This is feeling good and relaxed.

The only thing missing is some indian incense and maybe a cup of tea...

I missed Church of Misery live yesterday cause I wanted to stay home and spend more time with my family, since my better half had her birthday just before. Also I was quite spent since I was so much time in the kitchen that day haha, making her favorite food and a cake - just trying to make the day as good as possible. It worked. ;)

But I cannot miss OM!

So this weekend I will hopefully be seeing Al Cisneros and his OM, taking my soul on a trip to musical vibrating landscapes far beyond our shallow world. I so look forward to it and I dearly hope the concert will be as mighty as I hope for. Cause I'm feeling so good already, following the vibes through the Universe. I want to see his old band Sleep as well, but since they are playing in expensive Stockholm I think OM will have to do just fine.

Ready for release?