VARIOUS ARTISTS - AUDIOPHILE SOUNDS OF OPUS 3

• various artists: audiophile sounds of opus 3
      (2018, cd, ger, stereoplay)

Adding data to The Others Of Invention, artists that have recorded the music of Frank Zappa, here's the CD that came with the November 2018 issue of Stereoplay magazine.
It featured two tracks by The Omnibus Wind Ensemble, one of which was their performance of FZ's 'Inca Roads'.

LAZULI - LE FANTASTIQUE ENVOL DE DIETER BÖHM

• lazuli: le fantastique envol de dieter böhm
      (2020, cd, france, bzz 041)

I received the latest Lazuli album earlier last week, so I already had some fine moments enjoying this album by the French prog-rock band.

I've seen them live (at Zappanale) a couple of times. They never disappointed.
Been buying their albums ever since.
Narrative and bombastic.
French horn and marimba, léode and guitar.
In a beautiful CD/Book package. I love it.

Recommended !!

info copied from the Zappateers website :

THE FRANK ZAPPA LEAP - DAY

in Rome, Italy

on February 29, 2020

at the auditorium Parco Della Musica

https://www.auditorium.com/evento/the_frank_zappa_leap_day-21957.html

https://www.wikieventi.it/roma/510584/290220-the-frank-zappa-leap-day-auditorium-pdm/

REMASTERED RE-RELEASE WITH BONUS TRACKS BY PIERRE VERVLOESEM

"Sketches Of Pain" by Caca 2020 (= a Pierre Vervloesem project)

NEW ALBUM BY THE HELIOCENTRICS

"Infinity Of Now", the new album by The Heliocentrics

UNIVERS ZERO'S PHOSPHORESCENT DREAMS RELEASED ON SUB ROSA

From the Sub Rosa record label:

Available for the first time outside Japan, and on LP and CD, Phosphorescent Dreams is another epic album of symphonic schizophrenic avant-rock from Univers Zéro, originally released - only on CD - on the Japanese label Arcàngelo.

Phosphorescent Dreams presents at the same time, in the same track, even on a single moment, the complex musical schemes and ways of Univers Zéro, ranging from maximalism to minimalism, classical avant-garde with a 2020 vibe in a constant flux. In a blend of tension constantly emerging from a subtle dialogue between avant-rock and contemporary influences, harmonies and dissonance, Phosphorescent Dreams is a balanced formula of old-school know-how reshaped almost 40 years after the released of the seminal LP Univers Zéro.

Univers Zero represents one of the longest-living bands in Belgium. It was established in 1974. Drummer Daniel Denis had the brilliant idea to gather together a team of professionals sharing the same taste for music. The band has adopted an instrumental progressive style. Over the last couple of decades, the band has also implemented a series of influences from chamber music - most commonly, chamber music from the 20th century. Even if the line-up changes a lot over the years, the overall sound of UZ remained fairly consistent.

Give it a listen here:
https://www.subrosa.net/en/catalogue/captagon-years/univers-zero-phospho.html

NEW RELEASE BY MARKUS REUTER

"Digitalis"

DIGITAL RE-RELEASE OF SUN RA'S SOLAR-MYTH APPROACH, VOL.1

"New release from Sun Ra and His Solar-Myth Arkestra"

The Solar-Myth Approach Vol. 1
Sun Ra and His Solar-Myth Arkestra

The Solar-Myth Approach was first issued in 1971 as a double LP set on the French BYG/Actuel label, then repackaged as two stand-alone volumes in 1972. Founded in 1967, BYG was associated with the maverick arts journal Actuel. The label issued dozens of fascinating and groundbreaking free jazz, experimental, and psychedelic releases before a seemingly abrupt—and controversial—late-1972 bankruptcy. The pot-head pixies in the band Gong recalled that "during the making of [our album] Flying Teapot in January 1973, the band learned that the record company had gone bust, its Paris office stripped bare, no phones working. The band was abandoned at the Manor Studios midway through the album." The label died without a lawful successor—but not without litigation and lawsuits.

Sun Ra had licensed or sold the Solar-Myth recordings to BYG. (The terms of the agreement are unknown because no copy could be located for review, but the distinction between license and sale has been rendered moot by subsequent events. It's even possible there was never a written agreement. See below.) In the absence of any valid successor label claim, rights to both Solar-Myth albums reverted to the artist (and later, to his heirs). However, through a series of subterfuges, a label that rose from the ashes of BYG, Charly Records, founded by one of the BYG partners, assumed ownership of countless BYG releases without any provable chain-of-title. BYG and Charly are separate and unrelated companies with one overlapping principal on their letterheads. It's possible (we're agnostic) that some artists who appeared on BYG were later signed to Charly. Gong wasn't. Neither was Sun Ra. Search online and you'll find allegations of impropriety against Charly for non-payment of royalties, false ownership claims, infringement, and illicit releases. Besides Gong, plaintiffs and accusers included Nina Simone, George Clinton, Ian McLagan, and MCA Records. A number of these complaints went to court. According to a well-known indie rocker, "At the 2005 Ponderosa Stomp in Memphis, Syl Johnson went on a tirade from the stage about Charly putting out his music without proper authorization. His rant was so hilarious that I felt compelled to purchase the Charly CD from the merch stand after his set."

Since the demise of BYG, the Solar-Myth Approach albums have been reissued without legitimacy in a series of ever worsening-quality packages in various formats. The Charly reissues were inferior to the BYG originals (and displayed different cover art), and a dreadful off-pitch, out-of phase 2-CD bootleg appeared on the Fuel label in 2001.

On a qualitative level, this 2020 Cosmic Myth remastering from best-available sources (tapes and discs) constitutes an upgrade. Are they perfect? Of course not—these are Sun Ra recordings. But countless audio flaws—some dating from the original sessions, others from careless mastering—have been repaired.

CAPPA MEETS ZAPPA

A couple of weeks ago I attended "Cappa Meets Zappa", a fascinating evening where an inspired Mark Janse talked about his passion for the Cappadocian language: how he had been studying this dead language for a number of years and had become the authority only to find out that there were a handful of people left who actually spoke the language.
For the musical intermezzo, Mark had invited Beat Love Oracle to perform some music which they did. Even including some pieces by Frank Zappa as BLO knew that Mark would appreciate it.

Due to popular demand, the evening will be repeated on June 6.
Same location, the Quatre Mains piano center in Ghent, BE.

SUN RA ARKESTRA TOURDATES

2020 01 31 Philadelphia, PA, Museum of Art
2020 03 04 New York City, NY, Town Hall
2020 04 10 Champaign, IL, University
2020 04 11 Lakeside, MI, Storehouse 013, Lakeside Inn
2020 04 12 Chicago, IL, Constellation

2020 04 29 - 2020 05 15 EUROPEAN TOUR
Dates and venues TBA

2020 05 03 Tilburg, NL, Paradox