Friday, 31 January 2025

Biota – Rackabones (2xLP 1985)


Country: United States

Tracklist
1. Vagabones A 26:34
2. Vagabones B 26:12
3. Rackabones A 18:08
4. Rackabones B 17:57

American experimental music ensemble that created in 1979 in Fort Collins, Colorado
under the name Mnemonist Orchestra (shortened soon after to Mnemonists).
Biota founded by fellow scientists and community radio engineers Mark Derbyshire and William Sharp
the Mnemonists ensemble of artists, musicians, and college-town bohemians.
in 1984, the group split into two collaborative factions:
a visual-arts collective, which retained the name Mnemonists, and the musical group, Biota.
Biota adheres to an unpredictable method of organizing sounds that ideally invites listeners
to imbue proceedings with their own individualized interpretations and experiences
(much like interpreting a work of abstract visual art), thereby allowing for an element of "listener composition".
Such a concept is in keeping with notions of community collaboration
and song evolution inherent in many forms of traditional folk music.
Biota-Mnemonists has taken to the stage for live performance only twice,
in 1981, at the Colorado State University art school in Fort Collins, Colorado,
and in November 1990 at the then-annual New Music America festival, held that year in Montreal, Quebec.

Thursday, 30 January 2025

Ishtar – Diabolical Hymns (MCD 1998)


Country: Sweden

Tracklist
1. Mörkets Furste 10:43
2. Damnation 08:10
3. Dismal Paradise 06:07

Short lived Swedish Melodic Black Metal band with a lot of keyboard parts and some female vocals.
Ishtar released in 1998 their MCD "Diabolical Hymns" with Snöstorm handling the lead vocals.
In 1999 their one and only full length album "Krig" followed
but this time with their guitarist Ahldrathan on vocals after the departure of Snöstorm.
Both of them released on Hammerheart Records.

Sunday, 26 January 2025

Gnome – Under The Black Moon (Demo 1996)


Country: Japan

Tracklist
1. La Forêt (I - II) 15:46
2. La Mer... 09:47
3. Oriental Flower (Bonus Track) 07:37


Japanese one-man Black Metal project from Osaka that was formed by Masanori "Wood" Haruta in 1995.
Gnome released two demos in mid 90s, the split "Story - Legendary Japanese Wolves" in 1999 with Nyarlathotep
 and the compilation "Silent Scream" in 2012.
The demo "Under The Black Moon" was originally released in 1996 and later in 1997 on the split with Hurusoma
 that was another Black Metal project of Masanori Haruta (along with the ambient project Human Soul).
The Memory link features as bonus the track "Oriental Flower"
that appeared on the compilation "In Search Of Weird Truth..." in 2000.