"Damnation in the kissmos, here comes a love-sick robot..." Stately & serene, the Swedish mothership, with cool, elegant lines and a roominess designed for maximum comfort, takes off into the unknown, finds the unknown, brings the unknown back to earth, and then has a party for all of humanity. Not that humanity deserves it. Most of humanity only WISHES that it could comprehend the majesty of a song like "Harvest In Heaven". Described as a "cosmic comedy in a transistorized meadow in the shadow of the saliva tree on the paradoxical planet", it's much too grand a construct for the average puny human to grapple with mentally. This album, even a song like "Rhapzodiac" where "the ship's computer plays a polystructural, extrasensory sensation foaming over with love", is wholly devoid of kitsch or eurocheese datedness. (Not that I would neccessarily be against any song on grounds of cheese or datedness. Just commenting on the absence of those ingredients.) It's a completely successful blend of light classical, jazz, new age electronic, and rockish stylings. Great with drugs and without drugs. To quote again from the album notes: "Strange forms of life have developed in the steaming jungles..."
― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 29 April 2005 14:18 (twenty years ago)
― RS_LaRue (RSLaRue), Friday, 29 April 2005 14:19 (twenty years ago)
― RS_LaRue (RSLaRue), Friday, 29 April 2005 14:20 (twenty years ago)
― RS_LaRue (RSLaRue), Friday, 29 April 2005 14:21 (twenty years ago)
― donut debonair (donut), Friday, 29 April 2005 16:52 (twenty years ago)
amazing 12" reissue of a track called "Horrorscope" around recently, like ESG covering "Mushroom" by Can
― zappi, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 18:59 (eighteen years ago)
friend keeps telling me about the later disco albums / singles
my mind was pretty blown by the earlier records posted on mutant sounds -- specifically Fadervar, Elektronisk Musik and Olskog. Elektronisk Musik sounds like minimal, like Conrad Schnitzler doing Raymond Scott covers. Olskog is much spacier / psychedelic, sitar sprawl + orgasmic couple into tape echo. Fadervar is my favorite, there are bits that even sound like Cluster, and some very pretty choral sections. I will always love tape feedback running at 7.5 inches per second, I don't get tired of what it does to any sound.
Paradissymfonin and Universe are also on Mutant Sounds, and they're much more ambitiously produced & traditionally orchestral / europop. Like a cosmic James Last. I like them, but I can see why these weirder earlier records haven't gained the reputation they might have, given that most fans-of-weird were probably thrown by the later, commercially successful goulashes, but I'd love to hear ESG covering "mushroom"
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 19:39 (eighteen years ago)
Nothing worthwhile to add except that this sound like some pretty interesting stuff worth my time to investigate, and more importantly, every time I see the thread title this pops in my head:
http://www.momofreaksout.com/media/2/20061006-Lundgren.jpg
― matt2, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 19:42 (eighteen years ago)
Fadervar is my favorite
Me too. Been listening to him a lot lately.
― Tom D., Thursday, 14 June 2007 08:58 (eighteen years ago)
http://bp3.blogger.com/_7St4jD20p0o/RgPkl-zrc-I/AAAAAAAAC1U/HfHygt-fw7w/s1600-h/lundsten+1.jpg
― Milton Parker, Thursday, 14 June 2007 18:32 (eighteen years ago)
oops
http://mutant-sounds.blogspot.com/2007/03/ralph-lundsten-fadervarlp1972sweden.html
― Milton Parker, Thursday, 14 June 2007 18:33 (eighteen years ago)
Obsessing over this guy recently: Horrorscope and Discophrenia are incredible and its even more incredible that they're out of print.I just bought from Amazon a cd containing Paradysymfonin and Fadervar (that I downloaded some time ago from Mutant Sounds and it is so good).
― Marco Damiani, Friday, 23 October 2009 08:26 (sixteen years ago)
https://soundcloud.com/moss-soundclash-booking/brian-not-brian-dj-sotofett
anyone know if the track that they say is ralph lundsten at 15 mins or so is still him when it has the reverby singing and becomes more melodic? and what track it is?
― ... (LocalGarda), Monday, 3 June 2013 11:05 (twelve years ago)
no headphones today so only sneaky listening but while you're looking out for that one, check out this record by him
http://www.discogs.com/Ralph-Lundsten-Andromeda-All-Stars-Alpha-Ralpha-Boulevard/release/889805
― suare, Monday, 3 June 2013 11:45 (twelve years ago)
I was just listening to one of only two CDs I've got of his when I decided to check on something on Wikipedia only to find he died exactly a week ago :(
https://echoes.org/2023/07/10/ralph-lundsten-r-i-p-1936-2023/
― Body Odour Ultra Low Emission Zone (Tom D.), Wednesday, 12 July 2023 19:00 (two years ago)
https://www.andromeda.se/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/studion-2004.jpg
― Body Odour Ultra Low Emission Zone (Tom D.), Wednesday, 12 July 2023 19:18 (two years ago)