One of the best ever sets of sprawling, spacey soul funk and jazz from the impossible to pen in Burnt Sugar Arkestra Chamber – never an easy group to describe in a nutshell, and that's a good thing – their best work in years and their first effort for the Livewired label! Making Love To The Dark Ages is a weirdly apt title, starting out with kind of dark, bluesy soul backdrop for Lisala's vocal in the beginning of the opening three part suite "Chains And Waters", slowly building into a tense, free jazz groove that's unafraid to pepper it up with some psyche rock guitar, heady/heavy bass, keys and synth, sax and drums. Guitarist and group leader Greg Tate conducts a sprawling chamber with slightly altered lineups depending on the piece, with players including vocal chanteuse Lisala, fellow vocalists Jeremiah, Karma Johnson, Justice Dilla X (who moonlights on piano, too) and others, alto & tenor sax by Matana Roberts and Petre Radu Scafaru, synth by Bruce Mack, cello by Will Martina, acoustic and electric bass by Jason DiMatteo and Jared Michael Nicherson, drums by Chris Eddleton and Trevor Holden & others, guitars by Rene Akan, Vernon Reid, trombone by David Smith, trumpet by Lewis 'Flip' Barnes, Jr, – lots more instrumentation and orchestration. The record rolls in and out of evocative soul, bits of electro and hip hop soundcraft, spaced out astral jazz, sharp solos and textured bursts of noise – never sacrificing a confluent sense of togetherness for all of the diverse sounds. Titles include the suites "Chains And Water" and the title track, plus "Thorazine/81", "Love To Tical" and "Dominata (The Gabri Ballad)". CD

One of the trippiest soundtracks of the 60s – a wonderful blend of psych tracks from The Electric Flag, and moogier electronic moments from the great Paul Beaver! The Flag are at their best here – playing tunes that move from short bursts of fuzz to longer jams – laid out with great work from Mike Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites on guitars, Barry Goldberg on organ, and Buddy Miles on drums – with a nice sense of arrangement and juxtaposition that rivals Spirit's equally great soundtrack material for Model Shop. This one's more of an all-out rocker – although the moog balances things out nicely – and the whole thing's definitely a cut above the usual thrown-together exploitation soundtrack of the period. There's lots of little crazy cuts, and a long one called "Fine Jung Thing" – plus the titles "Gettin' Hard", "Peter Gets Off", "The Other Ed Norton", "Psyche Soap", and "Joint Passing". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those amazing obscure records that seems to come out of nowhere – sounding nothing like most of the mainstream work of the time, with a power that might have shaped the world of music for years to come – if the album hadn't been issued in a tiny pressing of only 60 copies! There's a darkness here that's mindblowing – not just in the vocals, and the weird echoey way they've been recorded – but also in the overall instrumentation and pacing of the record – kind of a melancholy, slow progression that almost prefaces 80s styles on 4AD, but with a much rougher feel overall! Any psyche impulses are broken down into much sparer, earthier sounds – and there seems to be a bit of electronics in the mix – or is it just noise from the guitar? Yet lyrical themes are up-close and personal too – almost chance-taking in their earnestness, without the somberness of the instrumentation. All of this makes for a sublime mix – and a record that's as captivating as it is rare. Titles include "Lonely Again", "I Want To Love You", "Goodbye Sunshine", "Candleman", and "Seagulls" – and 2CD set features a whopping 23 bonus tracks – a huge amount of unreleased material, and a few other singles by the group. CD

A great little follow-up to Katie Lee's indie hit of the late 50s, Songs Of Couch & Consultation – and like that set, a batch of playful little tunes with psychoanalytic themes at the core! The scoring here, by Ray Martin, is quite similar to some of the other RCA female vocal sides of the late 50s – not entirely jazz, and done with full orchestrations – yet never in a way that's ever too sentimental at all – and in fact, in Martin's hands, surprisingly playful at most points – almost as if Raymond Scott were scoring the tunes! Lee's charm really does a great job of bringing the inner psyche out – and titles include "The Insecure Tango", "Life Is Just A Bed Of Neuroses", "The Ballad Of Group Therapy", and "We Must Adjust". LP, Vinyl record album

Terry Reid's second album – a masterpiece of psyche pop with a sound that's pretty darn great! Terry's clearly heard a fair bit of Donovan in his time, but he's also working in a mode that strings together all the best bits from The Byrds, The Hollies, and The Zombies – into a powerful pop pastiche that's finally getting wider recognition. Titles include "May Fly", "Silver White Light", "Super Lungs (Supergirl)", "Rich Kid Blues", and "Stay With Me Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest of the AIP late 60s rock and roll soundtracks – featuring some killer tracks by The Standells, plus a few more by The Chocolate Watch Band, and other odd psyche rock bands of the time! This one's got a feel that's a lot more real rock and roll than some of the other Tower soundtracks of the time – and the overall intensity of the film is stronger than the usual schlock biker movie. Titles include "Get Away From Here" and "Riot On Sunset Strip" by The Standells, "Don't Need Your Lovin" and "Sitting There Standing" by The Chocolate Watch Band, "The Sunset Theme" and "Make The Music Pretty" by The Sidewalk Sounds, "Children In The Night" by The Mom's Boys, "Sunset Sally" by The Mugwumps, and "Like My Baby" by Drew. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record – of the type you could hardly make this well today! The Tea Company are an obscure psychedelic act, clearly concerned with all things "tea" (wink wink!) – and working in a free and open style that's a bit trippier than that of the usual psyche-pop styled group. Songs are longish at times, and there's lots of really cool production touches that make the weird lyrics and fuzzy instrumentation sound even better! Titles include "Make Love Not War", "Flowers", "Love Could Make The World Go Round", "Come & Have Some Tea With Me", and a very strange take on "You Keep Me Hanging On". Also includes the song "Don't Make Waves", which is really just water (bong?) sounds – recorded with lots of strange effects! LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic sounds from a Colorado trio who only existed for a few short years at the start of the 70s – and worked in this wicked blend of fuzz and freak, acid and heavy – all with a sound that's really incredible, given the homemade nature of these recordings! The tracks here aren't half-warmed psyche, or more-sophisticated garage – but instead show a group instantly ready to express their own sort of style – longish tracks that have a really great sense of structure, and which are unified by a really sharp sense of instrumentation from the trio, despite a few different lead singers in the mix! There's a nice current of sadness in the mix, too – almost a morning/mourning after the 60s sort of sound – and titles include "Jupiter Probe", "Ho Pideous", "Denver Over Glide", "Ides", "Siberia", and "Bloon Moan". CD

A treasure trove of Nuggets from the LA Scene – fantastic material from a far reaching line up of gritty garage rockers, sunshine pop tunesmiths, psychedelic groovers, trippy psyche folk and much more – masterfully collected on 4 discs by the box set geniuses at Rhino! With such a diverse catalog to mine, the CDs are divided surprisingly well, and like other Nuggets comps, it's a great way to intro a ton of obscurities, while still including bigger hits that deserve to be remembered. Packaged in a beautiful 48 page book with essays, artist commentaries, tons of great photos, and even a 60s LA club guide! Disc one On The Strip includes: "Riot On The Sunset Strip" by The Standells, "Gentle As It May Seem" by Iron Butterfly, "Take A Giant Step" by The Guilloteens, "Tripmaker" by The Seeds, "Girl In Your Eye" by Sprit, "Eventually" by Peanut Butter Conspiracy and many more. Disc two The Studio Scene includes: "Action, Action, Action" by Keith Allison, "The Rebel Kind" by Dino, Desi & Billy, "Yellow Balloon" by Yellow Balloon, "Montage Mirror" Roger Nichols Trio, "Don't Say No" by The Oracle, "Baby, Please Don't Go" by Ballroom and lots more. Disc three Beyond The City includes: "Jump, Jive & Harmonies" by Thee Midnighters, "She Done Moved" by The Spats, "Underground Lady" by Kim Fowley, "Our Time Is Running Out" by The Yellow Payges and many more. Disc four New Directions has 3 previously unreleased tracks: "Sit Down I Think I Love You" by Stephen Stills & Richie Furay, "Words" (demo) by Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart, and "Once Upon A Time" by Tim Buckley; plus "November Night" by Peter Fonda, "Marshmallow Skies" by Rick Nelson. "You Set The Scene" by Love and many more. 101 songs on 4CDs! CD

Wonderfully fuzzy work from Amanaz – one of the trippiest, headiest groups of the Zamrock scene of the 70s! The guitars here are very full and present – not at a hit you over the head jamming label, but with this rich sonic element that has lots of bassy undercurrents – at a level that makes the album a head-nodding gem all the way through – poised perfectly between some of the more psyche styles of the African scene of the time, and some of the more thoughtful singer-songwriter material. The group have a quality that's surprisingly deep – very soulful, and with a subtle power that comes through strongly – thanks to a mostly-English batch of lyrics (although a few tunes here are in their native Bemba.) No cuts are all-out funky, but all have this great slow-funk sort of charm – and titles include "I Am Very Far", "Sunday Morning", "Khala My Friend", "Green Apple", "Africa", "Making The Scene", "Easy Street", "Big Enough" and "Kale". 2CD package features a full bonus "reverb mix" of the album – even trippier! CD

Four albums from this wonderful group – all presented here with great sonic quality too! First up is Grazin – the debut album from Friends Of Distinction – a very groovy LA harmony vocal group who really transcended the worlds of pop and soul! The quartet were originally part of the earlier Rex Middleton's Hi Fi group – which split into both Friends Of Distinction, and 5th Dimension – and like that other, slightly more famous group, FoD have a soaring approach that really reflects their years in music, tuned towards a groovier late 60s style! The record sports their hit vocal version of Hugh Masekela's "Grazing In The Grass", with the great "I can dig it" line, plus an excellent reading of a lost cut by funky drummer Roy Porter, entitled "Lonesome Mood" – next to other great titles that include "Sweet Young Thing Like You", "Peaceful", "Baby I Could Be So Good At Loving You", "Eli's Coming", and "Going In Circles". Real Friends is a stone early winner from The Friends Of Distinction – featuring a great set of pop soul tunes that really let the group shine in the harmony department! Vocal arrangements are by Jerry Peters – who really pushes the structure of the vocals, taking the singing to a level only hinted at on the group's previous album, combining 60s pop harmony with uptown soul production, given a bit of a smooth 70s touch. Titles include the hit "Love Or Let Me Be Lonely", plus "Any Way You Want Me", "Crazy Mary", "Long Time Comin My Way", "Just a Little Lovin", "It Don't Matter to Me", and "My Mind Is A Camera". Next is Highly Distinct – beautiful baroque soul from LA! The Friends of Distinction were always best known for their big hit version of "Grazing In the Grass" (not on this LP), but they were a pretty progressive soul group, and they spent a lot of time in the studio coming up with cool new ways to present their vocal style. This album includes a very cool "psyche" cut-up track called "Impressions", and it's two minutes worth of tape experiments that might have been lifted from The White Album. The cut then runs right into a great batch of groovy pop soul tracks, like "It's Just A Game Love", "Workin On A Groovy Thing", "It's Sunday", and "Let Yourself Go". Whatever is filled with some nice little groovers from the enigmatic Friends Of Distinction – and a record recorded right after their big "Grazin In The Grass" fame. The album features lots of cool arrangements from Jerry Peters – whose handling of the group pushed them past a simple pop-soul vocal combo into the realm of the more far-reaching soul acts of their time. Most tracks have vocal solos on the main parts – mostly by Barbara Love or Floyd Butler – and tracks include "You and I", "People Talkin & Sayin Nothin", "Bring Us A Better Day", "Great Day", and "Check It Out". CD

One of the trippiest albums recorded for Verve in the 60s – a unique 2LP set by Japanese psych artist Harumi – and a record that stands proudly next to the best by Zappa or the Velvets at the time! The double-length space of the record really helps give it some shape – as Harumi starts out sweet, then gets a bit wilder, and increases the sense of experimentation as the set rolls on – so that the final track is a side-long psychedelic jam that's topped with spoken passages by Harumi's parents and sister! We like the poppier tunes the best, though – and they feature a mix of orchestrations, fuzzy guitar, and vibes – all layered with a really beautiful sense of sound, to accompany vocals by Harumi and Rosko. There's a gentle, breezy, and sometimes slightly funky quality to these numbers – Sunshine Pop with a trace of jazz – and exactly the kind of psyche album you might imagine from Verve in the 60s! Titles include "Sugar In Your Tea", "Caravan", "Hunters Of Heaven", "Talk About It", "First Impressions", "Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do", "Hello", "What A Day For Me", "We Love", "Fire By The River", and "Samurai Memories". CD

One of the trippiest albums recorded for Verve in the 60s – a unique 2LP set by Japanese psych artist Harumi – and a record that stands proudly next to the best by Zappa or the Velvets at the time! The double-length space of the record really helps give it some shape – as Harumi starts out sweet, then gets a bit wilder, and increases the sense of experimentation as the set rolls on – so that the final track is a side-long psychedelic jam that's topped with spoken passages by Harumi's parents and sister! We like the poppier tunes the best, though – and they feature a mix of orchestrations, fuzzy guitar, and vibes – all layered with a really beautiful sense of sound, to accompany vocals by Harumi and Rosko. There's a gentle, breezy, and sometimes slightly funky quality to these numbers – Sunshine Pop with a trace of jazz – and exactly the kind of psyche album you might imagine from Verve in the 60s! Titles include "Sugar In Your Tea", "Caravan", "Hunters Of Heaven", "Talk About It", "First Impressions", "Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do", "Hello", "What A Day For Me", "We Love", "Fire By The River", and "Samurai Memories". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album ever by Steve Marcus – a key player trying to mix rock and jazz at the end of the 60s! Marcus plays some really wild sax on the set – a bit of soprano and tenor, mixed with guitar and electric keys in a wonderfully fuzzy sound! The approach has lots of funk in the mix – thanks to drums from Bob Moses – and the whole set's got that really nice trippy psychedelic jazz feel that was used a lot on titles (like this one) done for Herbie Mann's hip Vortex records label! Years ahead of its time, with a sound that's only being appreciated fully today – and featuring some great jazz versions of psyche rock classics – like "Mellow Yellow", "Eight Miles High", "Rain", and "Tomorrow Never Knows" – all taken to electric jamming versions that work off of a modal groove and a Coltrane-esque approach to soloing! Also features a nice version of Gary Burton's "Half A Heart", which is one of the funkiest tunes on the record, and done with some cool electric Harpsichord! CD

Timeless, brilliant avant pop psyche from Joanna Newsom – a flat out stunner and a triple album that's the most rewarding sprawl of an album to come out of the indie realm in years – an epic win for Newsom and the Drag City label! Newsom was unafraid of song length on the previous records, so you had to figure that if any of her peers were gonna pull of a triple album, she'd be the one, but this a holy s**t epiphany of an album. Where the previous one had these lush arrangements, made in collaboration with Van Dyke Parks, this one has a roomy intimacy in the arrangements, but does not lack for grandeur (how could it with harp, viola, violin and horns as central instrumentation), but her voice is so otherworldly and stirring here, and the songs so mysterious and beautiful. Titles include "Easy", "Have One On Me", "No Provenance", "On A Good Day", "Baby Birch", "In California", "Soft As Chalk", "Autumn", "Kingfisher", "Does Not Suffice" and more. CD

A really raw set from 70s Africa – one that's more rock than Afro Funk, but which has a pretty hypnotic groove overall! The group's heavy on guitars, which are often played in a fuzzy, jamming sort of way – but with different tones and phrasing than American or Anglo psyche groups – even though they're clearly an inspiration to the sound! Most tunes are strongly rhythmic – guitars grooving away over muddy drums and a bit of rumbling bass – all produced in very basic, stripped-down ways – but that makes for a big part of the charm of the set. Vocals are mostly in English, and often more chanted than sung – and titles include "I Need Mercy", "I Don't Know", "Peaceful Man", "Get On The Way", "This Is The Time Now", and "Black Power". LP, Vinyl record album

The Super Ape returns, but in a way that's very different than the previous album with the monkey's name in the title – as this set's got a much more raw, stripped-down vibe – mostly instrumental, and from the farther reaches of the imagination of Lee Scratch Perry! Maybe think of this one as bonus tracks that could be added to the original Super Ape album – but also that, given Perry's genius in the studio, the work here is more main album material for most of his contemporaries! Titles include "Return Of The Super Ape", "Bird In Hand", "Psyche & Trim", "Huzza A Haha", "The Lion", and "High Rankin Sammy". LP, Vinyl record album

Prince in a grand groove – really hitting a new level of funk with a razor-sharp edge – and even blowing away some of his work on previous records! The record's a soundtrack for a film – Under The Cherry Moon – and although that movie never had the success of Purple Rain, we actually think it left behind an even stronger musical legacy – one that has Prince finding even more of a funky voice than before, with so many wonderfully freaky twists and turns! The music never got the showcase it might have deserved, because of the failure of the film – but it's one of our favorite Prince albums ever, and includes the massively funky "Kiss", the closest Prince ever got to James Brown, The whole album's got some great sweeping, pop psyche orchestral arrangements by Clare Fischer – and titles include "Christopher Tracey's Parade", "I Wonder U", "Under The Cherry Moon", "Girls & Boys", and "Anotherloverholenyohead". LP, Vinyl record album

A diverse wellspring of bluesy Brit psyche era rock, organ drenched groovers, lumbering later bombastic numbers, and groovy covers by Spooky Tooth – their complete Island discography, including the pre-Spooky album Supernatural Fairy Tales, plus a live set and tons of bonus tracks! CD

Crucial postpunk neo-psyche from Julian Cope and The Teardrop Explodes – a pretty incredible mix of pop eccentricity, with some of catchiest songs of Cope's wild ouvre, but still wholly unique – a creative high point for early 80s rock! Tight, insistent rhythms clearly inform the 80s indie scene to come, particularly with the drenching washes of keyboards and spindly guitar – with Cope's vocals as fun and charismatic as ever. Titles include "Ha Ha I'm Drowning", "Sleeping Gas", "Treason", "Second Hand", "Brave Boys Keep Their Promises", "Bouncing Babies", "Books", "When I Dream" and more. CD

Crucial postpunk neo-psyche from Julian Cope and The Teardrop Explodes – a pretty incredible mix of pop eccentricity, with some of catchiest songs of Cope's wild ouvre, but still wholly unique – a creative high point for early 80s rock! Tight, insistent rhythms clearly inform the 80s indie scene to come, particularly with the drenching washes of keyboards and spindly guitar – with Cope's vocals as fun and charismatic as ever. Titles include "Ha Ha I'm Drowning", "Sleeping Gas", "Treason", "Second Hand", "Brave Boys Keep Their Promises", "Bouncing Babies", "Books", "When I Dream" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A very groovy little soundtrack – with a mixture of Zorba The Greek type Greek themes, plus hippy dippy psyche touches, and even a bit of Barbarella-like fuzz! The film imagines a 1972 in which hippies kind of go crazy in Greece – and the "future hippy" style of the music makes for some great touches that rank the album with Thedorakis' best work from the time. Titles include "Stand By For The Tourist Boom", "Sex On The Rocks", "Looking For the Bomb", "The Jet Rock", "Let's Dance The Jet", and "Karos 1972 AD". LP, Vinyl record album

One of THE greatest experimental rock albums of the 60s – a landmark effort from a short-lived group that included avant musicians Joe Byrd and Gordon Marron! The group's got a really tremendous sound – part psyche, part electronic, and part folk rock – all put together in a freewheeling style that cares little for genre or convention – and which must have really shook the roots of Columbia Records when they submitted the tape for this set! The instrumentation on the set should be enough to pop your cork – as the group uses ring modulator, electric drums, electric harpsichord, organ, calliope, and other early electronic instruments – but their sound is topped off with some really beautiful vocals from singer Dorothy Moskowitz, adding a light touch that really makes for a strange juxtaposition! The lyrics are a bit poetic and trippy – in a good way – and titles include "The American Metaphysical Circus", "Garden Of Earthly Delights", and "Cloud Song". LP, Vinyl record album

One of THE greatest experimental rock albums of the 60s – a landmark effort from a short-lived group that included avant musicians Joe Byrd and Gordon Marron! The group's got a really tremendous sound – part psyche, part electronic, and part folk rock – all put together in a freewheeling style that cares little for genre or convention – and which must have really shook the roots of Columbia Records when they submitted the tape for this set! The instrumentation on the set should be enough to pop your cork – as the group uses ring modulator, electric drums, electric harpsichord, organ, calliope, and other early electronic instruments – but their sound is topped off with some really beautiful vocals from singer Dorothy Moskowitz, adding a light touch that really makes for a strange juxtaposition! The lyrics are a bit poetic and trippy – in a good way – and titles include "The American Metaphysical Circus", "Garden Of Earthly Delights", and "Cloud Song". Beautifully expanded version of the album – with 10 bonus tracks, most previously unissued – titles that include "Tailor Man", "Osamu's Birthday", "No Love To Give", "I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife For You Sugar", and "Mouse (The Garden Of Earthly Delights)". CD

Nice 2LP pressing of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band's first album, with an entire bonus LP of unissued tracks! Trippy garage psyche rock stuff, with the cuts "Insanity", "Something You Got", "Don't Let Anything!!! Stand In Your Way" – plus the unissued titles "Endless Night", "Chimes of Freedom", and "One Day". LP, Vinyl record album

An extremely well-done collection of underground house from the Chicago, Detroit, and New York scenes of the past 20 years – not a "greatest hits" at all, but an even-better assortment of hard to find gems and oft-overlooked singles! DJ Deep put the whole thing together, and he's really given the matter some careful consideration – a fact that's apparent when you read his notes on each tune in the set. Disc 1 features a mixed assortment of Chicago and Detroit work from years back, and disc 2 is an unmixed collection that brings the groove into later years. There's a heck of a lot here that you'll have a hard time finding anywhere else – and the 2CD package features 25 tracks in all, with titles that include "The Groove" by Da Posse, "Kaos (Juice Bar mix)" by Rhythm Is Rhythm, "Expanded" by Jeff Mills, "Acid Tracks" by DJ Pierre, "Phylyps Track Vol 1" by Basic Channel, "Elements" by Psyche, "Jupiter Jazz" by World 2 World, "Don't Lead Me (Nexus 21 mix)" by Terry Baldwin featuring Paris Grey, "I Feel It" by Kerri Chandler, "House Flashback" by Ron Hardy, "I Like To Move" by LB Bad, "String Ensemble" by Byron Burke, "12 Inches Of Pleasure" by Ron Trent & Braxton Holmes, "Dream State" by Cajmere with Derrick Carter, "Fallin In Love" by Burrell, "Keep Movin" by Mike Perras, "You're Someone Special" by Mr Fingers, and "How I Feel" by Lil Louis. CD

Fantastic sounds from 1967 – a year in which mainstream music saw plenty of heady changes – as you might guess from the title! The set's a wonderful follow-up to the 1966 set by Jon Savage – and like that one, it features a superb selection of tracks from this important year – served up in all the different strands and styles that were popping into place – soul, early funk, psych, hard rock, and lots more – in a blistering array of songs that steps beautifully between well-known classics and underground gems! The feel of the set is way different than the usual oldies package with a date on the front – as Jon Savage dedicated the whole thing to the groundbreaking mix of music he enjoyed from pirate radio at the time – and included his own fantastic writing in the notes to help explain what makes the music so great. Titles include "You Keep Running Away" by The Four Tops, "Lazy Life" by William E, "At The Third Stroke" by The Picadilly Line, "Try It" by The Attack, "I'm A Man" by Spencer Davis Group, "Western Union" by The Searchers, "So You Say You Lost Your Baby" by Gene Clark, "Feelin Reelin Squeelin" by Soft Machine, "So Sharp" by Dyke & The Blazers, "Mr Soul" by Buffalo Springfield, "Vacuum Cleaner" by Tintern Abbey, "Garden Of My Mind" by The Mickey Finn, "Love Power" by The Sandpebbles, "Look At Me I'm You" by The Blossom Toes, and "Psyche Rock" by Les Yper Sound. 48 tracks in all! CD

A really great little concept rock album – presented almost as a play, with spoken bits between the songs, and an overall feel that's very much in the Hair vein! The core group are kind of a pop/psyche outfit, and sound great enough on their own – but the record also features some larger arrangements by Bert De Coteaux and Johnny Pate, which make some of the songs sound incredibly groovy – with a very nice sunshine-y feel! Titles include "At The Station", "Time Changes", "That's My Girl", "Wake Up In The Morning", "Back To Philadelphia", and "Clifford's Dilemma". LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just a set of "lost tapes" – but that's what we've come to expect for any project that involves Madlib – an artist for whom even the smallest of moments is a thing of greatness! Lootpack are the trio that first helped Madlib rise to fame in the 90s – working alongside Wildchild and DJ Romes, and really perfecting his production skills – and the cuts here are from the years before they got signed to Stones Throw, including work from the Psyche Move EP that was their first solo release. Yet there's also plenty of Stones Throw guests on the project – including Declaime (aka Dudley Perkins), God's Gift, Kazi, Oh No, and Medaphoar – fleshing things out nicely on tracks that include "Inner Soul", "Psyche Move", "I Come Real With This", "Situation", "Get Whack", "Antidote To Antidope", "Attack Of The Tupperware Puppets", "Forever Beef", and "I Declare War". LP, Vinyl record album

Later work from Love, and more of an Arthur Lee record than a true group effort – but still pretty nice! There's a hard rocking sound on most of the cuts – very fierce guitars, but also done with a nicely rhythmic approach that has less noodly bits than other groups of the time, and which even comes across as fairly soulful on a few tracks, too! A lot of the soul comes through in Arthur's vocals, which are wonderful, and the album is well worth a discovery. Very underappreciated, which is understandable given the grandure of Arthur Lee's earlier ouvre – but very a worthwhile record the bests most psyche era rock records! Jimi Hendrix played on one number, "The Everlasting First" and other titles include "Feel Daddy Feel Good", "Ride That Vibration", "Love Is Coming", "Slick Dick", "Stand Out", "Keep On Shining", and "Gimi A Little Break". CD

A really raw set from 70s Africa – one that's more rock than Afro Funk, but which has a pretty hypnotic groove overall! The group's heavy on guitars, which are often played in a fuzzy, jamming sort of way – but with different tones and phrasing than American or Anglo psyche groups – even though they're clearly an inspiration to the sound! Most tunes are strongly rhythmic – guitars grooving away over muddy drums and a bit of rumbling bass – all produced in very basic, stripped-down ways – but that makes for a big part of the charm of the set. Vocals are mostly in English, and often more chanted than sung – and titles include "I Need Mercy", "I Don't Know", "Peaceful Man", "Get On The Way", "This Is The Time Now", and "Black Power". CD

A great little discovery from the 60s – work from a teeny tiny Canadian label, but all of it pretty darn great! Not many groups recorded for the Gaeity Records label, but they all seem to be pretty well skilled at picking up on the best elements of 60s psyche pop and garage – all delivered here with a simple but effective groove that's almost a bridge between the LA and Chicago scenes of the mid 60s. CD features 24 tracks in all – broken into sections group by group – and titles include "World Of Dreams" and "Only In America" by The Plague, "Lies" and "Nature's Love" by Solid Reputation, "So Much In Love With You" and "My Time Is Comin" by The Checkerlads, "If You Can Dig It" and "Ode To A Cucumber, A Berry, & A Flower" by The Dewline, "Lexington Avenue" by Farmer John, "Yours Until Tomorrow" and "That's The Tune" by Flying Colours, "To Be Back Home" and "I Brought My Love With Me" by NRG/Merriday Park, and "Baby Get Out" and "Set Me Free" by Portland Street South. CD

Wonderfully fuzzy work from Amanaz – one of the trippiest, headiest groups of the Zamrock scene of the 70s! The guitars here are very full and present – not at a hit you over the head jamming label, but with this rich sonic element that has lots of bassy undercurrents – at a level that makes the album a head-nodding gem all the way through – poised perfectly between some of the more psyche styles of the African scene of the time, and some of the more thoughtful singer-songwriter material. The group have a quality that's surprisingly deep – very soulful, and with a subtle power that comes through strongly – thanks to a mostly-English batch of lyrics (although a few tunes here are in their native Bemba.) No cuts are all-out funky, but all have this great slow-funk sort of charm – and titles include "I Am Very Far", "Sunday Morning", "Khala My Friend", "Green Apple", "Africa", "Making The Scene", "Easy Street", "Big Enough" and "Kale". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky psychedelic kaliedoscope of grooves from India – killer numbers from the 70s and into the early 80s – Psych Funk Sa-Re-Ga, from the folks who put together the equally heavy Psych-Funk 101 and Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas compilations! Most of cuts here have a raw, fuzzed out undercurrent of psychedelia – guitars that buzz or lead searingly, depending on the needs of the number – with heavy, funk-based drums and/or hand percussion with rumbling bass rhythms. From that core, they bust out mightily with more furious percussion, rhythms, mad horn arrangements, and vocals that work as either a sweetener or for even more wild-eyed excitement! In short, global psychedelic funk rhythms with regional Indian folk and classical flourishes, blended with mod, soul, garage and soundtrack influences from around the globe. It's a funky, psychedelic fusion of east and west that's billed as a seminar, but this is no academic endeavor – it's a psych funk party all the way! Includes "The Mod Trade" by The Black Beats, "Psychedelia" by X'Lents, "Somebody To Love – Edit" and "Gairaag Dance Music – Edit" by Kalyanji Anandji, "Dance Music From Hare Rama Hare Krishna" by RD Burman, "Lekar Ham Diwana Dil" by RD Burman feat Asha Bhosle & Kishore Kumar, "Mary Long" by Atomic Forest, "Dharmatma Theme Music" by Kalyanji Anandji, "Phir Teri Yaad" by Hemant Bhosle feat Asha Bhosle, "Thanimayil" by Ilaiyaraaja fet Vani Jairam & Chorus and more. 20 tracks in all – with a thick booklet of notes on each track, plus loads of photos, original album & poster art, and more. CD

Nothing weird here, just wonderful – a fantastic assortment of music from a time when the British scene was really changing things up – served up in a book-styled package with notes that are as dynamic as its music! The tracks here move way past the obvious – that's an image of John Lennon on the cover, but these aren't the tracks by The Beatles and bigger acts of the time – and instead, the collection really does a great job of digging around all the really wonderful groups that were recording for the bigger British labels of the period, but who were given a lot of freedom to really try out new ideas – both in their music, and in the way the music was recorded. The package is the best we've ever seen to present this slice of English rock – and the set features 122 titles on 5CDs – with work from Ron Geesin, Atlanta Roots, Simon Dupree, The Smoke, John's Children, Ivor Cutler, Tinsel Arcade, The Soft Machine, Canto, New Generation, Medium Rare, 117 Venusian Moonshine, Friday's Chyld, New Generation, Third Ear Band, Wimple Winch, The Deviants, Sorrows, Rupert's People, Orange Bicycle, Shuster, Felius Andromeda, Tomorrow, Crystal Ship, The Moles, and many others – and the set also features 9 never-issued tracks! CD

Bring on the sun if it burns this strongly – as we're more than happy to get extra toasty in the light of such wonderful tracks as these! The set's a stunning look at the massive musical shift on the UK scene in the year of 1967 – a time when psych was certainly making its influence felt, but groups were also opening up in all these other sorts of ways too – really getting past the jaunty rhythms and catchy lyrics of a few years before – and instead somehow managing to make all these amazing things happen in just the space of a short 7" single! Some of the artists here are artists who were making more mainstream music a few years earlier, others are new acts that would soon become superstars, and a few more are genius groups who burst out strongly, then disappeared from view – all brought together in a great 3CD package, with 79 tracks in all, and very detailed notes. Artists include The Herd, Idle Race, Dave Davies, John Williams, Svensk, Universals, Australian Playboys, Tony Rivers, Great Uncle Fred, Artwoods, 23rd Turnoff, Vocal Point, Zombies, Nirvana UK, Lisa & Francesca, The Mirage, Virgin Sleep, Accent, Our Plastic Dream, David Bowie, Living Daylights, John's Children, Episode Six, Orange Bicycle, The Poets, Genesis, Crocheted Doughnut Ring, Piccadilly Line, Scott Henderson, Made In Sheffield, Caleb, and many others! CD

A really mind-bending collection of African grooves – one that digs deep into the West African scene of the early 70s – and comes up with a massive batch of tunes that really opens up our understanding of the music! The sound here isn't just 70s Afro Funk – as the tunes include a range of tripped-out styles that make the best use of electric instrumentation, psychedelic production, and important influences from American soul artists at the time. There's some amazing guitar on some of the best tracks – ringing out with a sound that's chromatically complex while also being tripped-out and funky – in a way that complicates the rhythms without totally taking them apart. If you've dug the tunes on previous sets like Africa Funk or Ghana Soundz, this is one to take that sound to the next level – and really open up your ears! Titles include "Keleya" by Moussa Doumbia, "Love's A Real Thing" by The Super Eagles, "Minsato Le Mi Dyihome" by Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo De Cotonou Dahomey, "Porry" by Sorry Bamba, "Allah Wakbarr" by Ofo & The Black Company, "Sanjina" by Orchestre Regional De Kayes, "Ifa" by Tunji Oyelana & The Benders, "Zinabu" by Bunzu Sounds, and "Awon-Ojise-Oluwa" by Gasper Lawal. CD

Insanely great sounds from the legendary Tim Maia – easily the most soulful singer in 70s Brazil, and an artist with a heck of a strong ear for funk, too! The music here is an incredible hybrid of American soul and Brazilian elements – especially since some lyrics are in English – and the grooves are often mixed together in a sound that's nice and fuzzy around the edges, with some slight psychedelic elements that makes the cuts a perfect fit for this Luaka Bop series! Yet Tim Maia's hardly a guy who can easily fit into any easy slot or series – because as you'll hear on this set, he's got a vibe that's all his own – a really wonderful approach that's different even from some of his hippest contemporaries in Brazil – and which has gone onto have influence on countless other generations of singers and musicians – including his nephew Ed Motta. The package is great – a real visual tribute to the sounds within – and titles include "Que Beleza", "Ela Partiu", "Do Leme Ao Pontal", "Brother Father Mother Sister", "Quer Queira Quer Nao Queira", "Let's Have A Ball Tonight", "I Don't Care", "The Dance Is Over", "Rational Culture", "You Don't Know What I Know", and "Nobody Can Live Forever". CD

A very cool group, and one who are every bit as groovy as they look on the cover – a hip early 70s Indonesian quartet, and one who mix together equal parts rock and funk – but all with a very trippy sound throughout! These guys are incredible – an under-discovered group who've clearly drunk deep of some of the best Anglo influences of the time, but also then come up with a unique hybrid of their own – singing English at times, Indonesian at others – and mixing up fuzzy guitars with freaky rhythms in styles that are often a few years behind the rest of the world – more late 60s funky than you might expect from the date of the tracks, but in a way that's A-OK with us! The groove and the group are plenty playful throughout – and titles include "Come On You dance", "Rock & The Sea", "Jakarta City Sound", "Haai", "Let Us Dance Together", "Indonesia My Lovely Country", "Bye Bye", "Mengapa Begini", and "Kampung Halaman". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

2CDs – and a motherlode of classic work by The Temptations! The set focuses on the group's groundbreaking work with producer Norman Whitfield at Motown – sides from the late 60s and early 70s that were some of the most righteous to ever come out of the motor city! Whitfield had a really magical style that was perfect for the group – taking their older group style, and souping it up with heavy bass, rumbling drums, and lots of fuzzy guitar licks – all of which made for a sound that was instantly psychedelic, and massively righteous! The set includes 2 previously unreleased longer takes of "Psychedelic Shack" and "Ball Of Confusion" – plus 22 other classics that include "Slave", "Message From A Black Man", "I Can't Get Next To You", "Don't Let the Joneses Get You Down", "Cloud Nine", "Runaway Child", "Love Can Be Anything", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", "Ungena Za Ulimengu", "Masterpiece", "Ain't No Justice", "1990", "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On", "Take A Stroll Thru Your Mind", "Plastic Man", and "War". CD

The hippest installment so far in the Brazilika series – a mad mix of musical styles from Finders Keepers mainman Andy Votel – all in a freaky, funky, fuzzy blend of sounds! The tracks here are much grittier than the work we're used to hearing from the Far Out label – as Votel's dug through the 60s and 70s vaults of RGE/Som Livre Records to come up with rare Brazilian rock, funk, and other heavy styles from back in the day! As with Votel's reissues on Finders Keepers, there's a sound here that's informed by beathead record collecting – a love of older grooves directed by current musical developments – all with a definite ear for the wilder side of the sound spectrum. Most tracks have a pretty heavy groove – and the styles run from psychedelic rock through Tropicalia-inspired tunes, to post-bossa, Bahian sounds, and more. Titles include "Funga Funga" by Trio Soneca, "Careta" by Betinho, "Modulo Lunar" by Os Brazoes, "Terra Livre" by Abilio Manoel, "Os Bichos" by Trio Soneca, "De Vera" by Novos Baianos, "Ciladas" by Pery Ribeiro, "Se Voce Pensa" by Moraes Moreira, "Flores Belas" by Tim Maia, "1974" by Gerson Conrad & Zeze Motta, "Gamboa" by Brazilian Octopus, "Deixe Entrar Um Pouco D'Agua No Quintal" by Os Mutantes, "Periscopio" by Azimuth, and "Gotham City" by Os Brazoes. CD

Far out psychedelia from the late 60s to mid 70s Spanish scene – rare grooves from small labels and private pressings by groups & artists like Juan Muro, Pedro Gonzalez, Microns, Marquez, Barbara, Tinglado and more! It's great stuff that covers a broad range of styles, from fiercly percussion jams with strains of funk, to some that skew closer to Latin soul rock with Hammond keyboard grooves. Includes "Vuestro Mundo" by Juan Muro, "Quiero Bailar" by Alcy Aguero Y Su Orquestra Pop, "Liberacion" by Microns, "Barahunda" by Marquez, "I Miss You" by Tinglado 13, "Distorsionando" by Greg Segura, "Smartypants" by Polos Opuestos and more. 14 tracks in all. CD

Includes 18 tracks by Chocolate Watchband, The Easybeats, The Troggs, The Seeds, The Syndicate Of Sound, The Count Five, The Standells, The Nazz, and more. CD

A hugely expanded version of the classic Nuggets collection – with over 100 tracks, 91 more added to the original! A mindblowing assortment of overlooked gems from the mid 60s – all rpesented with a great booklet of notes – essential! CD

Fantastic sounds from one of our all-time favorite producers in soul music – the legendary Norman Whitfield, the man who helped some of Motown's artists pick up a new sort of righteous sound at the end of the 60s, before moving on to start his own Whitfield label in the 70s! If you don't know Norman, you definitely know his work – as he's the cat responsible for adding heavy basslines and fuzzy guitars to Detroit soul – picking up on some of the wider musical changes in the Motor City, and using them to push more message-oriented tracks into the scene! Yet Norman wasn't just a 60s powerhouse – as when the 70s approached, he found a way to expand and refine that sound, keeping it fresh in so many different ways – as you'll hear here in this really well-done collection of his best recordings, supported by very detailed notes as well. Tracks include "I Saw You When You Met Her" by The Undisputed Truth, "Ooh Boy" by Rose Royce, "And All Hell Broke Loose" by Willie Hutch, "I've Been Waitin (single version)" by Spyder Turner, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye, "Come With Me (single version)" by Rare Earth, "Just One Love" by Stargard, "Wishing On A Star" by Jr Walker, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" by Rose Roce, "Love Is What You Make It" by Masterpiece, "Good Lovin" by Mammatapee, "Papa Was A Rolling Stone (single version)" by The Temptations, "War" by Edwin Starr, "It Should Have Been Me" by Yvonne Fair, "Me & Rock & Roll Are Here To Stay" by David Ruffin, and "Psychedelic Shack (single version with intro)" by The Temptations. CD

Includes tracks by Bobby Fuller Four, Sir Douglas Quintet, Steve Miller Band, Floyd Dakil Combo, The Loose Ends, Augie Meyers, Mouse, and The Thirteenth Floor Elevators – 18 tracks total. CD

A lost chapter from the late 60s/early 70s Ghana scene – a great mix of African rhythms & melodies with the raw grit of garage rock, the heavy groove of funk and soul, the swirling and fuzzed out guitars and organ of psychedelia – the Psycho African Beat of The Psychedelic Aliens! The group released one 4 song EP and a pair of 7-inches in it's 3 year existence. Academy compiles and beautifully packages all of those songs here and they are completely incredible – it's an almost painfully brief blast of pure genius, but important and vital work that needs to be heard! Psychedelic funk from Ghana with a raw edge and soulful groove. Includes "Blofonyobi Wo Atale", "Hijacking", "We're Laughing", "Extraordinary Woman", "Gbekeke Wo Taoc", "Gbomei Adesai", "Homowo", "Okponmo Ni Tisitsi Emo Le". LP, Vinyl record album

A fuzzed out treasure trove of rare Brazilian psychedelia – wild stuff that's in many ways akin to the freewheeling sounds of the Tropicalia movement, but not necessarily taking on the cultural and political weight of that movement – and more about the boundless spirit of psychedelia and funk rock around the globe! The sounds are buzzing and indeed fuzzy throughout, ranging from raw and ramshackle guitar jams to more organ and drum driven funky, and it's really incredible stuff all around. We've been purveyors of hard to find Brazilian music for many many years, and this set – compiled by Joel Stones who also provides the richly detailed – brings to light some numbers we've never heard! 16 tracks in all: "Tema De Banana", "Era Uma Nota De" Loyce E Os Gnomes, "I Wanna Be Your Man" by Youngsters, "Ourico" by Serguei, "Lindo Sonho Delirante" by Fabio, "Cinturao De Fog" by Marisa Rossi, 'Som Imaginario De Jimmi Hendrix" by The Pops, "The Lantern" by Mac Rybell and more. CD version comes with a thick booklet of notes, in both English and Portuguese, and it's an enhanced CD – with the short documentary What Are Fuzz Bananas?. CD

Swirling psychedelia from the late 60s & early 70s – raga inflected soundscapes featuring the sitar – and a plethora of other mind-altering instrumentation in the psych pop canon! Many of the tunes are kind of sole examples of a psychedelic combo trying out the sitar sound, while others feature regular dabblers – but it's all groovy stuff. Features acts from the UK and US scenes, with the Mecki Mark Men, Moonkyte, Full Moon Band, the comparably iconic Ananda Shankar, and much more! Titles include "Free" by Mecki Mark Men, "Caves Of Her Mind" by Stunt's Blue Leg Expedition, "I Know What To Say" by The Ugly Ducklings, "Where Will The Grass Grow" by Moonkyte, "Prayer To St Peter" by Nick Carter, "Renunciation" by Ananda Shanker, "One Grain Of Sand" by Wizz Jones, "The Shoemaker Of Leatherwear Square" by Lemon Pipers, "Aurore Cosmic" by Popera Cosmic and more. 20 tracks in all. CD

The real sound of the British underground at the end of the 60s – a stellar 3CD package that goes way beyond the oft-heard modes from the classic rock and progressive years! Sure, all the big names from those years are totally great – but they've also obscured the really rich tapestry of lesser-knowns who were working in London and beyond at the time – extremely inventive groups who work here in a blistering array of fuzzy, freaky, and mad mod styles! The book's got plenty of details on the 65 tracks included in the box set – more than enough info to help situate these really unique sounds, and no doubt start you digging for more in the future. Yet there's hardly any need to dig when you've got a set this great – a package that includes "Pretty Colours" by Deep Feeling, "Ebeneezer Beaver" by The Mirage, "Amanda Jane" by West Coast Consortium, "Love" by Shy Limbs, "Santa Lucia" by Respect, "Iridescent Butterfly" by Fat Mattress, "Story Book" by Alan Bown, "Just Another Day" by Neon Pearl, "I'll Be Late For Tea" by Blossom Toes, "Am I Glad To See You" by The In Crowd, "Busy Bee" by Tintern Abbey, "Fillin A Gap" by Paper Bubble, "Creation" by Beau, and "Hurry On Sundown" by Hawkwind Zoo. CD

Includes music by The Blue Magoos, Seeds, Standells, Captain Beefheart, The Music Machine, Five Americans, Nightcrawlers, Merry-Go-Round, and more – 18 tracks in all! CD

A stunning collection of psychedelic funk from all over the world – incredible material that mixes the free spirit of the psychedelic scene and the furious sense of groove learned from the funk movement! The collection is a bit of a genre-starting compilation – as it brings together global funky bits that had been bubbling underground with collectors for years – all resonating even more strongly together here in the company of each other – fantastic cuts from Istanbul, Athens, Paris, Beirut, Cairo, Paris, Lagos, Moscow and beyond! Many of the tracks mix familiar funk elements with more exotic instrumentation – nice fuzzy touches around the edges, and deep beats at the bottom – on titles that include "Su Derenin Sulari" by Husnu Ozkartal Orkestrasi, "Respect" by Kukumbas, "Alemiye" by Mulatu Astake, "The Man Who Must Leave" by Kim Sun, "What You Can Do In Your Life" by Petalouda, "Ghabileh-Ye Lily" by Mehr Pooya., "The Feed-Back" by The Group, "Circuito Chiuso" by Armando Sciascia, "Mevlana Boyle Dede" by Metin H Alatli, "Dagon" by Eskaton, and "Rakset El Fadaa" by Omar Khorshid. CD

A stunning collection of psychedelic funk from all over the world – incredible material that mixes the free spirit of the psychedelic scene and the furious sense of groove learned from the funk movement! The collection is a bit of a genre-starting compilation – as it brings together global funky bits that had been bubbling underground with collectors for years – all resonating even more strongly together here in the company of each other – fantastic cuts from Istanbul, Athens, Paris, Beirut, Cairo, Paris, Lagos, Moscow and beyond! Many of the tracks mix familiar funk elements with more exotic instrumentation – nice fuzzy touches around the edges, and deep beats at the bottom – on titles that include "Su Derenin Sulari" by Husnu Ozkartal Orkestrasi, "Respect" by Kukumbas, "Alemiye" by Mulatu Astake, "The Man Who Must Leave" by Kim Sun, "What You Can Do In Your Life" by Petalouda, "Ghabileh-Ye Lily" by Mehr Pooya., "The Feed-Back" by The Group, "Circuito Chiuso" by Armando Sciascia, "Mevlana Boyle Dede" by Metin H Alatli, "Dagon" by Eskaton, and "Rakset El Fadaa" by Omar Khorshid. CD