by Dave Maier

As you know, it is customary at this time of year for connoisseurs of various types of artistic productions to assemble a list of the most noteworthy releases of the preceding twelvemonth. Unfortunately such a task is only possible for those of us who have been industriously keeping up all year, a group among which I am sad to admit that I cannot count myself. So if it's okay, I thought I'd just present a couple of ordinary mixes, which are, I hasten to add, as chock full of primo material as any best-of-year thing. (Previous posts in this series are here and here.)

Our first mix is another in a continuing series of time capsules, featuring space and electronic music from thirty years ago and more (mostly). To the vaults!

Anthony Phillips – Iceflight (i): Glacier Bay Slow Waves, Soft Stars
Neuronium – Viento Solar Vuelo Quimico
Iasos – Creation Inter-Dimensional Music
Gil Melle – Hex The Andromeda Strain ost
PGR – The Flickering of Sowing Time “
Esa Kotilainen – Unisalissa Ajatuslapsi
Franco Battiato – Aries Sulle Corde di Aries
Peter Michael Hamel – Song of the Dolphins Hamel
Daevid Allen – I Am Now is the Happiest Time of Your Life
Ashra – Nightdust New Age of Earth

Anthony Phillips was a founding member of Genesis, back when they were good. In fact, they got even better when he left (in, let's see, 1971 or so) and was replaced (on guitar) by Steve Hackett, whereupon they remained good until 1975, when Peter Gabriel left (although their next album, Trick of the Tail, has its merits, if you like them, which I do). Anyway, Mr Phillips has been cranking out records of his own for years upon years, most of which I have not heard; but this one, from the early 90s I believe, has some nice minimal synth bits on it, one of which gets us started on this mix.

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