Atomic Simao, Ukraine

News: Atomic Simao recently released their 5th album Levitation Loom Four on December 10th (download). The LP came out on May 4, 2019 on Adansonia. I've only heard their album Nodo to date.

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Location: Kiev

Overview: Atomic Simao are the first band from the Ukraine to enter my collection. Their album Nodo is a very good improvised space rock album. Their album Echo promises to be more in the space funk rock, jazz rock vein like Gong meets Funkadelic.

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Moonwagon, Finland ***Inactive***

News: Moonwagon released a new live album on December 19th. No other news has emerged regarding new recordings.

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Location: Kokkola (northwest Finland south of Oulu)

Overview: Moonwagon are yet another instrumental band from Finland that was smitten with the Ozric Tentacles sound, similar to Hidria Spacefolk, Taipuva Luotisuora, and Dasputnik. Later they added elements of post rock and even Krautrock to their sound.

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Node, England ***Inactive***

News: UTR is always the last to know, but Node put out a live CD on DiN earlier this year. Must...know...more...about... As you see in our notes below, Node 2 is one of our all-time favorite Berlin School albums.

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Il Tempio delle Clessidre, Italy ***Inactive***

News: And yet another band who has recently posted news of a new album. No more details than that, but we'll be on the lookout. I never did hear the 3rd album. Will get to it eventually.

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Location: Genoa

Overview: Il Tempio delle Clessidre's debut is one of the finer new retro Italian progressive rock in the landscape today. Lead by the beautiful keyboardist Elisa Montaldo, Il Tempio delle Clessidre is the classic five piece Italian band working their way through increasingly complex compositions, but with melody and passion.

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Ain Soph, Japan

News: And yet another band from the distant past has risen from the grave! Ain Soph have announced their first new studio album in 26 years titled Seven Colours. The release date has been set for the day after Christmas. Nothing about this on their website, nor do they have much other internet presence. The original source of the news comes from the Japanese online dealers.

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Location: Tokyo

Overview: Ain Soph's legacy dates back to the 70s as an ensemble known as Tenchi-Sozo. Initially a band influenced heavily by Camel, Ain Soph added more fusion and ultimately more Canterbury sounds into the mix. My recollection is that some of the later material is a bit glossy, but I need to revisit with modern ears.

Trip Lava, USA

News: We recently heard from Joel Lee, who informs us his latest album Ounds was released on September 4th. This is his 3rd release.

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Location: Minneapolis / St. Paul, Minnesota

Overview: Starting in 2007 with Oddball in the Corner Pocket (lol), Trip Lava is Joel Lee's musical persona, where he specializes in avant-garde, experimental, psychedelic, and progressive rock. There does seem to be some fascination around the letter O. I have yet to hear his work, something I need to rectify eventually.

Dream Machine, England ***Inactive***

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Latest album: Temple of Dreams (2018)

Overview: Dream Machine are a band that features 2 former members Ozric Tentacles, with Jumpin’ Jon (flute, here known as Champignon) and Seaweed on keyboards being the most recognizable names of the alumni. It’s been years since we could actually hear John’s flute on an Ozric album, so that’s an immediately welcome plus for Dream Machine. The style of the music is more bluesy acid jam Cosmic Jokers / Galactic Supermarket than intense Hillage-era Gong, so Dream Machine have more of a laid back quality than Ozric would typically display.

12/1/18 (new entry)