TIM BLAKE

If you can't decide what Tim Blake album to buy -- then start with Blake's New Jerusalem. The track "Blake's New Jerusalem" is worth the price of admission. The other tracks fade in my memory but "Blake's New Jerusalem" is a masterpiece of sequenced electronic music with vocals overlaid discussing a very trippy, new-agey chanting/singing about earth energy, ley lines and all the jive that Steve Hillage used to sing about -- higher consciousness and all that hippy Gaia vibe. Blake also synth solos over sequenced synth as well.

"Blake's New Jerusalem" was played over and over by me in the late 70s and on into the early 80s. It was almost ambient meditation music at times and very, very relaxing -- making one even begin to believe in a higher and peaceful way to be -- even if it seemed a pipe (and joint) dream.

Blake's way of doing synths is unique and well worth sampling, (no pun intended). Grab the remastered and expanded version for even more goodies. High recommendations.

I remember a new Tim Blake release in 2000 and it sported such a wonderful cover I expected something like a modernized Crystal Machine but I heard audio samples at the time and wasn't impressed. I've since heard the entire album and I have to say it's not bad and it's an improvement over his previous effort Magick but will never reach the heights of Crystal Machine or New Jerusalem. It had a much more professional production and sound than Magick which is a big benefit but his voice sounds just as shot as before. Also the addition of piano wasn't a good move as it seems foreign to his brand of progressive electronic. Out of the way, "Sarajevo" is by far my least favorite piece on the album. I realize it's about the atrocities committed in the former Yugoslavia as he wanted the song to be for Bosnia what Peter Gabriel's "Biko" was for South Africa. It worked for Gabriel not for Tim Blake especially where he gives it that trite '80s feel (luckily without that awful '80s production) and those bagpipes are pretty unforgiving. Blake works much better with cosmic sci-fi themes, not a socio- political statement, but having to hear what was going on in the 1990s in that area of the world upset him enough to write a song about it and for good reason.. "Tribulations" is much better than I expect given he's exploring reggae which is unusual for him. Usually artists doing reggae that has no business doing such really falls flat on their face but somehow Tim pulls it off. It's no Bob Marley but you don't expect it to be and is actually a nice piece. Much of the rest are piano and synth dominated pieces that aren't bad but the instrumental synth passages shine the most. "Byzantium Dancing" probably the most successful. As mentioned those vocals sound shot as if he's been smoking too many cigarettes. Not a masterpiece and "Sarajevo" could have easily been lost, but at least he kept the CD short at 43 minutes which could easily fit on vinyl but was never released on that format. Nice he didn't cram 75 minutes on one CD with only 40 minutes of worthwhile material. Good, not great therefore three stars.

4.5 stars. This is my kind of modern progressive electronic. Blake definitely celebrates his electronic mastery on this work commissioned for Caldea Thermo-Ludique Center in Andorra. Water and its healing properties in all forms is the inspiration here, and this work contains no filler. Blake and Berlin School fans will find a lot to like on the three extended pieces and new age fans will find more to like on the other shorter tracks that tie the lengthy tracks together. Tim Blake is an electronic artist that deserves more attention worldwide His later seventies albums are classics and his newer work is surprisingly easy to digest

1991's Magick is Tim Blake's third solo album, released some 13 years after his previous offering, Blake's New Jerusalem. Between that time he briefly joined Hawkwind and appeared on Live '79 and Levitation and then seemed to lay low throughout the 1980s. Magick first appeared on Voiceprint with a totally hideous cover, with horrible typefont and hideous, dated computer altered photo of Tim Blake. What was Voiceprint thinking? Mantra in France released this the following year in 1992, and with the much more familiar cover (and the far more appealing Crystal Machine-era typefont). Voiceprint obviously loved the 1992 version so much better than their later pressing used that cover instead. The 1991 original just looks so dated and cheap you can almost expect to see it in some thrift/charity shop.

I can see why Magick isn't talked about much. God, this is cheesy. I mean those synths. I realize in 1991 everyone thought the EMS and Moog synthesizers were thought of as dated relics, so it's no surprise that he uses digital synths common to the time- period. Listening to this album gives you a big reason why a retro-boom would soon take off in the prog and progressive electronic world (such as Anglagard, Landberk, Anekdoten for prog, and Radio Massacre International, Redshift, Air Sculpture and Free System Projekt in the world of progressive electronic), where they hearken back to the glory days of the 1970s and use vintage gear. Tim was never the greatest singer out there, but on New Jerusalem at least they're tolerable (and Crystal Machine he only sings on one cut), but on Magick his voice sounds totally shot, as if he's been smoking too many cigarettes. The home made production really detracts as well. I hate to say this, but the original, hideous cover is actually better descriptive of the music that the much better known, much nicer cover. Crystal Machine and New Jerusalem certainly have very different approaches from each other, Crystal Machine being live improvisations, New Jerusalem a studio creation with vocals and Ovation and glissando guitars along with synths, and they are nothing short of amazing albums that has visited my turntable frequently through the years. Magick sounded like he just had little inspiration, as if to record this to let everyone know he did vanish. I also doubt Magick would be much better if he didn't sing. There's little variation with tempo and contrast throughout the CD, it has that awkward early '90s feel where a lot of those dreaded '80s production values, sound, and feel hadn't left completely. Crystal Machine and New Jerusalem are great albums that are very much worthy of your collection, Magick isn't one of them.

The first post-Gong solo album from keyboard player Tim Blake, this is a fascinating--if uneven--LP. From spacey electronic music ('Midnight') via keyboard-driven grooves ('Metro logic') to the spare jauntiness of 'Last ride of the boogie child' (complete with unconvincing vocals), this combination of studio and live recordings has a charm that will beguile fans of analogue synth music but might be an acquired taste for newcomers. Perhaps if one experienced the psychedelic light shows Blake was noted for, the music might sound even better! Meanwhile, centrepiece 'Synthese intemporel' is pure Klaus Schulze (in a very good way). Soon after this release, Blake joined Hawkwind, with whom he played on and off for years. Vinyl Connection - www.vinylconnection.com.au

Blake's best album

Whereas TIM BLAKE's debut album was a collection of improvised extracts from his concerts, "Blake's New Jerusalem" was this time fully recorded in studio. Less ambient, more melodic and more structured, this second opus sounds a bit different than its predecessor. In addition to synthesizers, Tim plays acoustic and glissando guitars, and sings on nearly each track. He is also joined on mini-moog by young prodigy keyboardist Jean-Phillipe Rykiel, only aged 17 at the time. More polished and less atmospheric than "Crystal Machine", the music is nice and spacey, with electronic sonorities typical of the late 70's.

Curiously, the opener "Song For A New Age" is the only average track as well as the intruder in this mostly synthetic record. A acoustic guitar driven track, with various spacey effects. It will later be covered by HAWKWIND LIGHT ORCHESTRA on their 2012 album "Stellar Variations". Now truly begins the magic. The heavily electronic "Lighthouse" is simply great, as it features TIM BLAKE's typical threatening synthesizer gimmicks from GONG and that he will reuse in HAWKWIND. "Generator" is a pulsing disco song can remind a little GIORGIO MORODER. Surprising, but after all on par with the cover...

Only instrumental composition of the record, "Passage Sur La Cit' De La R'v'lation" possesses a trippy frenetic electronic sequence. The disc concludes with the 16 minutes title track, the longest. The name refers to the British hymn "Jerusalem", based on William Blake's 1804 poem "And did those feet in ancient time". This soft and dreamy mini-epic is a genuine journey to stars should please every TANGERINE DREAM and NEURONIUM lover. You're entering an unknown universe... The keyboardist will later perform "Lighthouse" and the title track live with Dave Brock and co.

The style has changed since the first album but still keep its own identity. Only TIM BLAKE could have composed these tracks. More melodic than other bands from the same time period, the music is overall really nice, oneiric and accessible. Very recommended to vintage seventies electronica!

After his collaboration on Steve Hillage's debut "Fish Rising" and his departure from GONG in 1975, Tim Blake adopted the moniker "Crystal Machine" for his solo works. With the collaboration of light artist Patrice Warrener, Philippe Denis and Bernard Szajner (who worked on GONG tours and will later create Jean-Michel Jarre's laser harp), they will conceive the first live performances combining music and laser lighting.

This first album is mainly a compilation of live extracts from the Seasalter Free Festival in 1976, except "Synthèse Intemporel", recorded at Paris's Palace Theatre, February 1977. Improvised on EMS and Moog synthesizers, the music is spacey and ambient but remains different from what the German or French electronic bands were proposing during the same time period.

Curiously, the first two tracks are not the best ones. The aerial atmospheric "Midnight" is enjoyable, but a bit lengthy. Also ambient but more surprising, "Metro Logic" features tribal percussions sound effects. "Last Ride Of The Boogie Child" is trippy and possesses a slight mystical feel. Nice. Longest track of the record, the spacey style of "Synthèse Intemporel" reminds a little TANGERINE DREAM. My personal favorite. The disc concludes with short sci-fi atmospheric "Crystal Presence".

"Crystal Machine" is rather good but does neither possesses the hypnotic power of TANGERINE DREAM or Klaus Schulze nor the melodic accessibility of Jean-Michel Jarre. Maybe the music should be listened to in the context of laser shows to be fully appreciated. Anyway, this album contains nonetheless a few experimentations and will please vintage 70's electronica fans.

Having already made a massive contribution to Canterbury/Psych/Space group Gong's classic `Radio Gnome Trilogy' from 1972 to 1975, keyboardist, vocalist and composer Tim Blake left to forge a solo career, initially resulting in 1977's instrumental `Crystal Machine'. `New Jerusalem' a year later is an endearing mix of hippie vocals with sweetly naïve yet genuinely hopeful new-age lyrics, bouncing electronic atmospheres and eerie deep-space explorations, with everything from glissando driven Gong-like passages to darker Hawkwind moments (a group he would briefly join between 1979-80, and frequently collaborate with again starting in 2007). It remains a hugely charming, endearing and colourful space-music work, full of variety and personality.

There's great conviction from Blake on opener `Song for a New Age' as he implores `It's a new age, harmony, science and love joining together, building the new age that regenerates our Earth'. It's almost a singer-songwriter type piece, full of strident acoustic guitar strums and Tim's slightly loopy voice with only minimal trilling keyboard additions. Despite declaring `Light the laser in your heart for all the world to see!' and offering hopeful cosmic lyrics, `Lighthouse' takes a darker and more mysterious turn with warped and drifting spoken word passages, shimmering glissando guitar veils and brooding programming with relentless dark bass-like slithers. The fun `Generator (Laser Beam)' by contrast is a buoyant synth-popper with a constant dance-like beat that swaps between dorky rapturous vocal verses from Tim and whirring repeated synth breaks. The all instrumental `Passage Sue la Cite (Des Revelations) is a breathless ocean of floating synth caresses behind relentless sequencer beats and veils of glissando, the piece full of drama, movement and a maddening delirium.

The second side of the LP holds the sixteen minute `New Jerusalem', an epic piece that takes initial inspiration from William Blake's poem and marries it with sci-fi/new-age words and an aural canvas of space music atmosphere. Ambient calming keyboard passages that take on a cinematic elegance and drama are aided by lively bubbling Mini-Moog runs from guest electronic composer Jean-Phillipe Rykiel, and with words like `So here inside these valleys that are so full on energy, we'll build a new Jerusalem with love from you to me', the whole piece is full of great hope and even some sweetly gentle romance.

`New Jerusalem' offers a nice crossover of styles meaning those who normally find progressive- electronic works too cold, repetitive and vague will find other elements to keep them interested. In many ways, it's not unlike various moments of Hawkwind discs or even some of Steve Hillage's seventies works in fleeting instants, and Tim's colourful personality shines brightly throughout. There's an admirable optimism and naivety to the new-age words throughout the album, but Blake delivers it with such heartfelt sincerity that it's impossible not to embrace his feelings on this warm, hypnotic work to be truly cherished.

Four stars.

Unsurprisingly I knew of Tim Blake through his work with Gong on the Radio Gnome Trilogy, and in the 1990s, as I was getting familiar with Gong and related material, I discovered Tim Blake had a solo career.

In 1997 I bought Blake's New Jerusalem on LP, a French pressing on EGG. The cover is a bit different than the one posted here as the version posted here is from a CD reissue, as the original did not feature Tim Blake's name or the album title in the Crystal Machine typefont, but in a totally different typefont, and a different take on the photo.

While Crystal Machine was a collection of live material from England and France in 1976 and '77 (with any audience cheers removed), this 1978 followup Blake's New Jerusalem was a studio offering. He expanded his ideas to go beyond just synths, by including acoustic guitars and singing on most of the songs. "A Song for a New Age" is a perfect example what I'm talking about. Nice acoustic guitar passages, and spacy synths. "Lighthouse" has a more pulsing sound, with glissando guitar. He played this song live when he joined Hawkwind. I love the spoken dialog that stars the album that sounds like it belongs on Star Trek. "Generator (Laser Beam)" was released as a single, and it's his attempt at a disco hit. The music has an undeniable disco feel, but has that same hi-tech futuristic vibe I come to love of this album. I could have imagined this song appearing on Battlestar Galactica (the original 1978-'79 series) after all the TV series premiered about the same time this album came out. I'll take this song any day to what the Bee Gees were doing around the same time. The title track takes up all of side two. Again more futuristic sounding progressive electronic with vocals. This album seems to demonstrate why he left Gong. The music would be completely out of place on a Gong album. The lyrics have New Age themes, inspired by William Blake's Jerusalem (I also get an impression he was pointing out he shares the same Blake surname as the famous 18th century poet), with a far more serious tone than the Pot Head Pixies of Gong. So as much as I enjoy Crystal Machine, since that one was improvised live on the spot, it's hard not to have a few flaws show up. On New Jersalem, recording in the studio allowed him to edit any mistakes, so any flaws and mistakes aren't shown here, and while he isn't the best singer on the planet, he at least made his vocals acceptable here. Again another great album I sure highly recommend.

First solo effort by Tim Blake. I was first made aware of him in 1995 when I bought my first Gong albums (the Radio Gnome trilogy). So naturally that's how I became aware of him. In 1995 I barely knew of the Internet (it was just beginning to take off thanks to the introduction of Windows 95, which included built-in web connection and web browser). I didn't get hooked online until 1999, and it was a lousy WebTV (good for surfing the web and making online orders, but you couldn't download, and you had very limited access to certain audio and video files). So in 1995 I still had to resort to mail order catalogs to buy stuff I couldn't get in my neck of the woods. One mail order catalog sold CDs of Tim Blake, including Crystal Machine and Blake's New Jerusalem. That meant I discovered he embarked on a solo career in the late '70s. So I had to assume they were progressive electronic and I was right. I assumed they were originally released on Virgin Records, which was the label Gong recorded for. Turns out he was recording for EGG, a French label (that's known for many great progressive electronic albums of the late '70s), apparently Virgin rejected his music.

Crystal Machine is a collection of live recordings from the Seasalter Free Festival in England in 1976, and La Palace Théâtre in Paris in 1977. These were all improvised, so whatever flaws are plain to show to everyone, but I really dig the wonderful analog synth sounds. I knew after hearing Gong's final Radio Gnome Trilogy, You (1974) that he would have made it as a solo artist and does this album ever prove it! "Midnight" has that wonderful synth effects and lots of wonderful analog synth leads. "Metro/Logic" features this strange percussive rhythm, with plenty of synth leads, with Gong-type sound effects at the end. "Last Ride of the Boogie Child" shows the one weak spot, and that Tim Blake wasn't the greatest singer out there, but it's just two short spots here,, mainly synth bass with synth bubbles and leads. "Synthese Intemporel" is close to Tangerine Dream territory, not too different from what TD was doing around 1975. "Crystal Presence" is simply electronic effects, sounds like the same effects I heard off Angel's Egg. On the original LP, this piece ends in a lock-in groove that repeats the same sound effect over and over at the end until you lift the needle (provided you're playing it on a non-automatic turntable).

I am ever so glad Tim Blake did pursue a solo career in electronic music, and while the album isn't perfect, I really dig the '70s vibe and analog synth sounds and this is a required addition to your progressive electronic collection.