Quite a weird little record – part psychedelia, but with some really rootsy elements – and also some odd use of recorded music as well! The sound here is really mindblowing – experimental and trippy, but never too free or over the top – and the core instrumentation includes lots of fuzzy guitar, organ, and rough percussion – plus additional vocals in parts, and even a bit of sitar as well! The production abstracts some of the sounds nicely, but never too much – and at times a more traditional Japanese style of music lurks in the background, possibly as a brief nod to the Buddha in the title. Most unusually, though, is that the first track on the record features part of a David Axelrod album playing in the background! There's clearly an Axelrod influence going on – both in the structure and sound of the record – although the group also take things very much in their own direction too. Titles include "Shomyo (part 1)", "Flower Strewing", "Prologue", and "Prayer (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

Groovily tripped-out work from vibist Dave Pike – and one of the few American albums that matches the experimental sound of his work for MPS! The session's often quite free and open – in a way that not only uses odd instrumental combinations and arrangements, but which also features some offbeat production by Herbie Mann that further abstracts the sound! Elements of Pike's earlier work shine through in a few of the more straightforward groovers, but his new European-endowed sense of hipness wins in the end – thanks to a good deal of modal grooves, psychedelic elements, and even a bit of fuzzy Fender bass! Other players include Lee Konitz on alto sax, Don Friedman on piano, Chuck Israel on bass (electric and acoustic), and Eddie Daniels on tenor and clarinet – and titles include "Free Improvisation", "The Drifter", "Ballad", "The Doors Of Perception", and "Anticipation". LP, Vinyl record album

A boogaloo album, but one that's a lot trippier than most – and definitely worthy of the psychedelic reference in the group's name! As with so much of the best work from the Venezuelan scene of the late 60s, the music here draws on references from up north, but really abstracts the sound – almost as if the boogaloo had to go through a bit of a filter on the way down to Tono, where it picked up some cool production techniques, offbeat keyboards, and lots of other elements – often set to rhythms that aren't straight Spanish Harlem grooves, and instead also borrow bits from Colombia and Peru! Most of the record is instrumental – and titles include "Mr Boogaloo", "No Te Bote", "Chin Chin", "El Basuero", "Borinquen Bell", "El Guaycol", and "Las Hojas Secas". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure genius from Tangerine Dream – a record that came out right at the start of the 70s, and immediately cemented the group's reputation as one of the most inventive electronic acts of the decade! The tracks are long and spacious here – very much in the territory of some of the group's Krautrock contemporaries, but with more of a sense of openness, and patience – as they never rush things at all, while layering together their unique blends of guitar, organ, percussion, flute, and anything else they can think of – even a coffee machine! Chris Franke handles the electronics, but Steve Schroyder abstracts them with "several echo machines" – while Edgar Froese helps them all remember to keep things tuneful at times. Tracks include "Sunrise In The Third System", "Fly & Collision Off Comas Sola", and the side-long "Alpha Centauri". CD

Not just a fantastic album from Ethiopia's legendary Asnakech Worku, but also a great setting for Hailu Mergia too – as he plays organ on the record, and produced the whole thing too! Worku sings and plays the krar – an Ethiopian harp, but one with a very raw sound – almost more metallic than melodic at times, and recorded with a lot of echo too – which seeps out to the vocals, and the eerie keyboard lines provided by Mergia – with only a small bit of drums for accompaniment! The echo really abstracts the vocals at times, and the whole thing has this amazing sound that's unlike anything else we can think of – including lots of 70s classics from the Ethiopian scene. Titles include "Tche Belew", "Awkew Beneber", "Jinyew", "Baynelay Yidal", "Sak Bleh Askegn", "Kand Yerega Deg New", and "Abyotegnaw Jegna". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully crazy moog material from Ruth White – an artist who could sit on both sides of the moogy fence – approaching the instrument with a bit less of the pop styles of her contemporaries, but in ways that are still plenty darn compelling over the years! Most of the work here is of classical origin, but Ruth also adds in some additional electronics that further abstracts the tunes – and titles include "The Ball" by Bizet, "The Snow Is Dancing" by Debussy, "Gymnopedie No 1" by Satie, "The Flight Of The Bumblebee" by Rimsky-Korsakov, and "Anvil Chorus" by Verdi. Most tracks are in shorter, groovier versions! CD