Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of a new 2CD anthology celebrating the British rock band Widowmaker. Formed in 1975 by former Mott the Hoople and Spooky Tooth guitarist Luther Grosvenor, also known as Ariel Bender. The original line-up of the band featured vocalist Steve Ellis (ex-Love Affair & Ellis), guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton (ex-Hawkwind), Australian bassist Bob Daisley (ex-Chicken Shack) and drummer Paul Nicholls who had previously been a member of Lindisfarne. A few months after they had begun rehearsing at Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Manticore Studios in London, Widowmaker signed to Don Arden's Jet Records label.

In Brian Eno's first collaboration with Cluster, the best of this album's instrumental pieces are too emotionally rich to waste as mere background music, evoking feelings of hesitancy and regret that rescue the music from mere vapid prettiness. Three tracks in particular indicate things to come. "Wehrmut" is an ethereal synth piece with the pace slowed to a tantalizing crawl. "Steinsame" features a treated guitar playing a slow figure over a dark, almost funereal synth melody. "Schöne Hände" uses watery synth effects to highlight a shivery rhythm pattern. Other pieces dispense with moody atmospherics altogether. Tracks like "Ho Renomo" and "Selange" consist mainly of pounding rhythm patterns lightly embellished by piano or synthesizer, and "Die Bunge" sounds like an electronic goldfinch fluttering around a cartoon horse.

From the USA came Lift, an enthusiastic and talented progressive ensemble that released their debut album "Caverns of Your Brain" during the second half of the 70s, although their repertoire at the time was older ,as well as more abundant than the one finally container in the original release. What we have here is a combination of vibrating melodic symphonic prog (pre-Howe Yes, Flash), the energy of "Remember the Future"- era Nektar and the eerie ambiances of Floydian inspiration, generally for the softer parts of the material.

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of a newly remastered and expanded edition of the classic album "Perilous Journey” by Gordon Giltrap. For over forty years Gordon has enjoyed the well-deserved reputation as one of Britain’s greatest guitar players. He made his first recordings in the 1960s as folk artist, but by 1976 he had crossed into the Progressive Rock genre and signed to the newly formed Electric Records imprint.
His second album for Electric was arguably his most famous. Released in 1977, "Perilous Journey” was the second part of the trilogy of releases that began with the “Visionary” album in 1976. The album charted and was included in The Sunday Times 20 Best Albums of 1977…

Two albums on this CD: "Munich Machine" (1977) and "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" (1978). Digitally remastered edition of this 1977 Disco classic. The Munich Machine was assembled by master producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte and their pioneering works have had a huge influence on House, Techno and Electronica. Catchy tunes, sexy sounds and a unique hi-tech Disco beat, were the hallmarks of their joint project, and this album has been acclaimed by fans as 'the greatest Disco album ever'! Repertoire.

Zingale (from the word 'sing'. Many people thought that they were named after the Hebrew slang word for a 'grass joint') was formed in 1974 by David Bachar and Yonathan Stern. They joined in Barak, Tamir and Shanan who were session/studio musicians. This line-up recorded in 1974 two tracks (tracks 10-11 from the CD) that were presented to the radio but received no attention at all. The group realized very soon that the musicians had a real chemistry between them. Jacob Bachar who was the manager thought the group had a real international potential and he got 'Kolinor Studios' in Israel and 'Decca Records' in Europe (who's president was personally interested and involved) to invest in the group. Two new members joined - Brower and Weiss…

Too many synth artists of the early to mid-'70s seemed more interested in demonstrating their dexterity with their instrument than actually showing why it was worth being dexterous with in the first place. The reason Tim Blake is important is because he took the opposite approach entirely. Schooled in Gong and soon to dignify Hawkwind, Blake is a composer first, a technician a very distant second. And if New Jerusalem, his solo debut, represents a peak which electronic rock in general has yet to top, Crystal Machine is at least equal to the task. In maintaining the earlier album's application of melody over mood, Blake totally separates himself from the ranks of sallow, clever souls who let their machines do all the talking – a lesson which, by year's end, both Jean Michel Jarre and Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" would both have translated into worldwide chart-toppers.

Dark, disturbing, percussive, and theatrical are words that come to mind when listening to this unique album from the mid 70's. Influences include early Peter Gabriel, Gentle Giant, Il Balletto di Bronzo, ELP, and even John Cage. "Empty Bottles", the 23-minute bonus track, is almost worth the price of the CD. It is quite different from the first 5 tracks, and emphasizes complex jamming (improvised?). A couple of the last tracks from the original album tend to drag a bit due to slow tempos. But, after the complex sections in the first 4 tracks, the slower tempos at the end of the album are more than a welcome relief.

Founded in Toronto, Canada in 1976 - Disbanded in 1989 - Reformed in 1994-1996, 2006 and again since 2011.
This trio came from Toronto around the end of the 70's but got slightly over-shadowed by the profusion of bands exploding all over the album charts, with Rush, Triumph, Saga, Max Webster etc.. It is no wonder some could not get their share of sunlight, among which Goddo, Moxy, Zon, Santers and most certainly FM. Their first LP full of a weird sort of hard rock with strange studio tampering alerted most potential fans that this was a very particular band with their lead violinist Nash The Slash playing as a mummy and Martin Deller at the drum seat as well as Cameron Hawkins on bass…

A really rare album from trumpeter Ted Curson - a unique 70s session recorded for Atlantic Records, but only ever issued overseas at the time! The date has Ted's trumpet coming into play with some of the electric touches of the 70s - not a full-on fusion record, but a really great session that updates some of his modern ideas with some of the fresher, younger elements of the underground - particularly keyboards, which are played here by Kenny Barron strongly - as he shifts effortlessly between electric and acoustic piano on the set.
Other players are quite strong too - with Robin Kenyatta on alto and soprano sax, Herb Bushler on acoustic and electric bass, and Albert Tootie Heath on drums…

On their debut, the Jam offered a good balance between the forward-looking, "destroy everything" aggression of punk with a certain reverence for '60s beat and R&B. In an era that preached attitude over musicianship, the Jam bettered the competition with good pop sense, strong melodies, and plenty of hooks that compromised none of punk's ideals or energy, plus youth culture themes and an abrasive, ferocious attack. Even though the band would improve exponentially over the next couple of years, In the City is a remarkable debut and stands as one of the landmark punk albums.

Space Art was founded by Dominique Perrier and Roger Rizzitelli. They are considered pioneers of the French electronic music genre. The three albums that were released between 1977 and 1981 sold more than 3 million albums worldwide. During this period, Space Art had various chart hits, including “Onyx” and “Speedway”. The band opened and joined Jean Michel Jarre’s tour in 1981, being the first Western musicians in the the early post-Mao China. After having been part of Jarre’s concert and studio team for almost three decades, Dominique Perrier quit Jarre’s band in 2010.