Camera Obscura Catalog 1998



	CAM010CD - "A Silver Thread to Weave the Seasons" by Stone Breath. Second CD of mantra-folk mysticism from the absolutely unique Stone Breath. For "A Silver Thread…", original member Timothy Renner, responsible for 1997's glistening "Songs of Moonlight and Rain", sought another sympathetic soul to expand Stone Breath's vocal and instrumental canvas, as well as casting an eye over the best of the golden period of progressive folk from 1967 to 1972 to enrich the aesthetic base of the Stone Breath muse. Prydwyn from fellow acid-folksters Green Crown is now on board the astral-acoustic dream vessel, adding sublime colourations on flute, oud, harp and percussion. ISB lovers take note. [More] This release is sold out at source with no repressing plans.

	CAM011CD - "Euterpe Sequence" by Our Glassie Azoth A tape came our way in 1997, put together by Dafydd and Ruth from Welsh rural psychedelicists Alphane Moon under the name of Our Glassie Azoth. OGA are more overtly pure drone and less song-based than Alphane Moon, but they are clearly and mystically related. Dafydd explains the names, "Alphane is Arabic and means the temple and moon is obviously that which might take us to OGA which is a Lullian [and others] signifier for the first principal, constituent of the whole fabrick of nature, the prime material the philosophic[k] mercury. [More] (US$12.00 shipped anywhere)

	CAM012CD - "It's All True" by the The Witch Hazel Sound With Strings Witch Hazel Sound continued their examination of the codes of vintage west-coast psychedelic pop at the symphonic end of the Beach Boys and Love continuum with this 25 min EP. Guitarist Kevin Coral says, "there is a LARGE influence of John Barry, Ennio Morricone and Francis Lai, as well as the big reverby, echoey sounds of Spector/Walker Brothers/Little Anthony and the Imperials. We've still got that West-Coast thing happening (especially on a song called "Hawthorne" which actually sounds more like a classic Jimmy Webb song ala "Wichita Lineman") but the "soundtrack thing" is VERY prominent." [More] (US$10.00 shipped anywhere)

	CAM013CD - "Serotonin Ronin" A Camera Obscura Compilation A compilation to celebrate our survival for 10 or so releases, really, as well absolving any single act from having the catalogue number 13. A selection of our ahem "greatest hits", as well as some surprises. Previously unreleased tracks by Abunai!, Stone Breath, the Green Pajamas, Primordial Undermind and the only release by Salamander predecessor Dorothy Flight Pattern. [More] This release is sold out at source with no repressing plans. Bug us for a CD-R if desperate.

	CAM014CD - "Strung Out" by The Green Pajamas. A 25 minute mini-album containing four out-takes from the "Strung Behind the Sun" sessions, and highly lysergic alternate versions of "We're Flying" and "Scarlet Song". There is no suggestion of out-take mediocrity about these tracks either, all of which could easily hold their heads high in the company of the rest of the "Strung" material. This CD is a co-release with the band's own Endgame label. [More] This release is sold out at source with no repressing plans.

	CAM015CD - "Can-Opened Mind" by Love and Death Nic Dalton of The Plunderers, Godstar, The Lemonheads and Half-a-Cow records recorded an experimental psych album for us under the name Love and Death, the title of the experimental fourth side of the vinyl version of Godstar's "Coastal" album. It's along the same lines, fairground keyboards, backwards guitars, tape effects, acoustic balladry, et al, but the concepts introduced on the "Love and Death" side of "Coastal" are now explored over the course of a mighty 50 minute sonic collage. As on that previous outing, Nic's partner in oddness is keyboardist John Encarnacao. pressed for a reference point, I guess we could tell you that it is like the Black Swan Network alter ego to Nic Dalton's rock stuff, but that really doesn't do it justice, as it is entirely its own creature. [More] (US$12.00 shipped anywhere)


	CAM016CD - "Resume the Cosmos" by Rake Our attention was grabbed by a wonderful track by Rake on the VHF Records compilation "Stand up for Art Rock (Because Space Rock is Over)". The track was called "Cease the Cosmos", and was from an unreleased project called "Resume the Cosmos". More ambient than recent outings like "The Art Ensemble of Rake" this music resonates partly with an unfettered free jazz spirit, and partly with the sounds of distant thunder, wind chimes, and group-trance collaborative soul expunging skronkadelia. [More] (US$12.00 shipped anywhere)

	CAM017CD - "Red Mantra" by Salamander Fine follow up to the 1997 release "Red Ampersand", with further explorations of the soul of "Ummagumma" style psych-improvisation, including the mind-blowing side-long title track. The title track is nearly 25 minutes of textural guitar mayhem that does to the psyche pretty much what that wave did to the east coast of the US in Deep Impact. [More] This release is sold out at source with no repressing plans.

	CAM018CD - "Meet the Lothars" by The Lothars Three theremin(s) and a guitar and some other stuff playing strongly tuneful instrumentals. The emotional impact and strangeness of antique oscillator music. Pre-electronica becomes post-electronica as reason is lost in the spaceway traffic. Oddly compelling. [More] This release is sold out at source with no repressing plans.

	CAM019CD - "The Echoing Grove" by Alphane Moon. Alphane Moon is Dafydd of Our glassie Azoth and his partner Ruth making music that complements the howlingly great OgA stuff with something more structured and neo-folky. This beautifully wrought disc of shimmering rural psychedelia was originally released on various tape labels in a small run of circa 100. It was recorded during 1994 at Ciliau Aeron, Erwlon and Dolaugwyddion-uchaf. Plans to release the tape as a CD foundered although an EP of material from it was put out in 1996 by US label Spiffing Records. We are pleased to be able to do it on CD for the first time. [More] (US$15.00 shipped anywhere, almost OOP)

	CAM020CD - "All Clues Lead To Meagan's Bed" by The Green Pajamas Following on from their 1997 "return from the wilderness" album "Strung Behind the Sun", the Green Pajamas returned with arguably their strongest album to date in "All Clues Lead to Meagan's Bed". If it wasn't already self-evident from earlier releases, there should be no doubt after this one that Jeff Kelly is the finest practitioner of the mid-period-Beatles-influenced psychedelic pop song around today. 12 of the 15 songs on "All Clues Lead to Meagan's Bed" are his, characterised by heart-stopping melodies, swirling harmonies, and sinewy guitar lines. [More] (US$15.00 shipped anywhere)