Review: Astral Quartet was a group that changed their name and evolved into Centre El Muusa. They never played live nut managed to record just two tunes back in 2018. Now, five years later, they finally get to see the light of day. They could be 50 years old such is the quality of the musicianship - fusions of jazz and funk that brim with character. The band is made up of Monika Erdman, Rauno Vaher, Volodja Brodsky and Misha Panfilov who mix up cosmic Wurlitzer sounds, languorous synths and fresh drums, turning it into something laidback and psyched on the b-side and more funky and up-beat on the a-side.
Brian Bennett & Alan Hawkshaw - "Name Of The Game" (4:25)
Dave Richmond - "Confunktion" (4:38)
Review: Measured Mile is a new 7" label run by regular Ace consultant and confidante Bob Stanley. The plan is to release DJ-friendly 45s that are either very rare or previously unavailable on seven-inch. On this new one come two pieces from esteemed library musicians - the well known pairing of Alan Hawkshaw and Brian Bennett, and Dave Richmond. 'Name Of The Game' is a slow instrumental blues piece with beats ready to be plundered for hip-hop beats that once soundtracked a 1970s aftershave ad, while Richmond's 'Confunktion' is a motivational builder-upper with drums and organs aplenty.
Review: 'We Are!' was the very first opening theme for the TV anime version of One Piece, which first aired in 1999. The first analogue version of the 8cm single CD was released in November of that year. Sung by the franchise's in-house singer Hiroshi Kitadani, and bringing along with her a bursting, emphatic, nearing-on-frenzied composition, the theme instantly captures the vibe of One Piece; that of following Monkey D. Luffy and crew on serial whimsical piracies and carefree adventures, set against a more sinister backdrop of tyrannical secret police forces controlled by a World Government, in constant conflict with a Revolutionary Army.
Review: Pioneering Japanese psychedelic rock Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. (AMT) were formed in 1995. Their relentless output has spawned various offshoots over the years, such as Acid Mothers Temple & the Cosmic Inferno and Acid Mothers Temple SWR, synthesising and alien cosmo-grammar in sound, one that perhaps only the most acid-casualtied tongues can interpret or speak. Now present through Rolling Heads comes their latest album for 2025: Holy Black Mountain Side comprises three psychedelic pieces, reticulating a series of recording sessions held down between 2021 and 2023, at one point reinterpreting a traditional folk song, and throughout enlisting guest bass from Taigen Kawabe of Bo Ningen. Each record comes wrapped in unique artwork by lead improvisor Kashiwagi Ten, adding an extra layer of veiled mystery to each: no two records are visually alike.
Xxxtra Asceticism Or Allergic To Meditation (9:13)
Asoka Ananda (19:44)
Review: Trust Masked Replicants showcases Acid Mothers Temple (AMT) in top form, delivering their signature brand of experimental psych-rock built around skeletal frameworks. Led by Kawabata Makoto, the band navigates chaotic, drone-infused improvisations, pushing the boundaries of human consciousness with their cosmic jams. Side-2 features the standout 20-minute track 'Asoko Ananda', a fast-paced, side-long piece that fuses kosmische rhythms, filter sweeps, free-jazz piano, tabla drumming, and vocal experimentation. This track captures the full range of AMT's skills, climbing to the summit of their collective abilities. Rooted in prog, Krautrock, modern composition and noise, AMT has been a driving force in the psyche-rock scene since the early 90s. With a long history of prolific releases and global tours, the band returns to Important Records for this limited vinyl edition featuring original member Cotton Casino. Trust Masked Replicants - with its neat titular nod to Captain Beefheart's best known album - is another top album for fans of the group's improvisational, mind-expanding soundscapes.
Review: Does The Cosmic Shepherd Dream Of Electric Tapirs? is not just a great - and amusing - question but also the title of Acid Mothers Temple's debut release on Space Age Recordings. This Japanese soul collective, known as Acid Mothers Temple and The Melting Paraiso UFO, remains an enigma to both the Western and Eastern worlds. Their music spans acid-rock, experimental, and psychedelic genres, varying with the listener's mood. After being out of stock for some time, the long-anticipated repress of this wild offering is now available on two solid green vinyl records and complete with the original seductive artwork.
Review: When keyboardist Thomas Jonsson, guitarist and bassist oMar Gudjonsson, saxophonist oSkar Gudjonsson and drummer Magnus Trygvason Eliassen take the stage, they channel the raw resilience of Northern Europe's islanders who have endured long, icy winters for centuries. Their energy transcends genres and has proven to captivate jazz enthusiasts, rock fans and ravers alike. This primal, non-verbal expression predates language yet remains deeply contemporary by blending cosmic vastness with free imagination and profound mysticism. Their music is a convergence of timeless human impulses and fresh creativity. It's challenging but hugely rewarding.
Review: After Dinner is like one of those molecular gastronomy adventures, where dishes are both playful and highly complex, not necessarily revealing themselves until the very end. Done with talk of food? Let's just say this is a loose art collective led by a composer called Haco, who were concerned with taking musical plurality and splicing disparate elements together to create a kind of friendly Frankenstein's monster of sound.
And friendly it definitely is. Considered a true one-off of Japanese pop-art rock-avant garde, Paradise of Replica is jaunty, it's amusing, it's beguiling and, ultimately, incredibly immersive. There are moments where the clash of pianos plucked straight from a comedy of manners opera and rough electric guitars (to give one example of the juxtapositions) feel rather strange, but it doesn't take too long for you to get sucked right into the centre of this insane sonic universe.
Review: Akira Ishikawa's first band was Count Buffaloes, a collective who emboldened his jazz fusion explorations and yielded countless albums of psych-charged, groove-oriented magic. Now Cinedelic are turning their attention to the 1970 album Bakishinba: Memories Of Africa and offering new listeners a chance to savour its sweet and rare delights. If you dig the way the likes of Santana brought Latin, jazz and rock flavours together in pursuit of good-time, enlightening musical expression, you're going to love the sound on this record. It's a gem of Japanese jazz fusion which no discerning digger should be without.
Review: Alphataurus may not mean that much to a lot of people, but for anyone aware of the Milanese progressive rock titans, the fact they have a new record out will capture the imagination. After all, the outfit have been making a big impact with every album they've put out since - and including - the staggeringly ambitious self-titled 1973 debut. However, it's been a decade since we last had anything from them. Enter 2084: Viaggio Nel Nulla, then, a collection of music that marks a real turning point for Alphataurus, with the lengthy (to put it mildly) recording process ending with the departure of founding guitarist Guido Wassermann. Whether die hard fans will think what's here is worth the pain of that decision to leave is anyone's guess, but this collection is unarguably dystopian, futuristic, exploratory, cosmic and, almost conversely, accessible and catchy.
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