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PROGMAN View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Tim Blake
    Posted: April 12 2006 at 08:02

What about having Tim Blake here in the Archives??

He is a Electronic / Space Rock artist, who plays the Synthesizers.

He has collabourated with artists like Gong and Hawkwind.

Here is his Discography:

1977 Crystal Machine

1978 Blake's New Jerusalem

1991 Magick

2003 Tide of the Century

 

any opinions??

CYMRU AM BYTH
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oliverstoned View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2006 at 08:16
What?!! He's not in yet? Yes, he should definetly!






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PROGMAN View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2006 at 08:27
I feel this guy was an important contributer to Prog, and should have an inclusion here especially for his works.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2006 at 09:11
We can still wonder why JM Jarre had success and not him...the answer is that the first was commercial, not the second...
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2006 at 09:39

I completely agree with you guys!!!

Crystal Machine -- album cover

1977, Tim Blake hadn't been a member of Gong for about two years. He gave a lending hand to Steve Hillage's  Fish Rising (which had most of Gong helping out anyway), and the Clearlight Symphony album in 1975 (which had both members of Gong and Lard Free helping out). Then he went and embarked on this solo project,  Crystal Machine. These were essentially tapings from a couple of shows from 1976 and early 1977, that is, the Seasalter Free Festival in England in 1976, and the La Palace Théâtre in Paris in Feb. 1977. Though recorded live, there are no audience cheers.

Since  Crystal Machine was rejected by Virgin Records, it was released on a small French electronic label called EGG (you'll find artists like Patrick Vian, Alain Markusfeld, Heldon, Vangelis, Urban Sax, etc. on that label) and had it released in 1977. Anyway, Blake was sticking to his trustworthy Mini Moog and his custom made EMS Synthi "A"s. And he created some nice, spacy electronic music, a lot of it improvised, with some electronic effects that (unsurprisingly) sound like they belong on a Gong album. "Synthèse Intemporel" sounds just like what Tangerine Dream was doing around that same time, while the rest of the album sounds like no one else than Blake. The album isn't perfect, but I love that analog sound, and its shortcomings still don't prevent me from enjoying it. Nice album if you like '70s electronic.

Blake's New Jerusalem -- album cover

Blake's New Jerusalem is Tim Blake's 1978 followup to  Crystal Machine. This time around, it's a studio offering. That means that he was able to do more things, like overdubbing, fixing up mistakes, and so on. While still sticking to his Mini Moog and his two trustworthy custom made EMS Synthi "A"s, he started adding some polyphonic synths, and he also played some acoustic and glissando guitar. He also sings on all but one song (he only sang on "Last Ride of the Boogie Child" on his previous offering). Basically, he stopped using those Gong-like electronic effects, for the most part, and went for a more musical approach, more of an electronic/prog rock album. The lyrics all have heavy sci-fi themes, all inspired by the works of William Blake (which I assume Tim Blake was totally flattered that he shared the same last name as the famous poet). All the synthesizers have that great, spacy analog sound that I come to enjoy from the 1970s. Favorites of mine include the "A Song For a New Age", complete with great acoustic guitar and spacy synths, "Generator (Laser Beam)" and the instrumental "Passage Sur La Cité (Des Révélation)". Unfortunately Tim Blake won't be heard too much hereafter. He moved to a windmill in Britanny, and was a member of Hawkwind for two albums,  Live '79 and  Levitation, then retreated, only releasing that occasional solo album like  Magick and  Tide of the Century.

Magick -- album cover

 

The Tide of the Century -- album cover

 

Caldea Music 2 -- album cover

 

"Prog Electronic" or "Psychedelic/Space-Rock"???

 

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ANDREW View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2006 at 09:45
I sent a PM to Sean Trane, because i want to know what does he thinks about Tim Blake and his inclusion in Prog Archives.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2006 at 09:49
Prog Electronic, without any doubt
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PROGMAN View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2006 at 09:58

Progressive Electronic for definate!!

 

CYMRU AM BYTH
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2006 at 09:59

prog electronics for sure

Also helped out on Clearlight etc...

let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter
keep our sand-castle virtues
content to be a doer
as well as a thinker,
prefer lifting our pen
rather than un-sheath our sword
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ANDREW View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2006 at 10:01
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 12 2006 at 10:26
"Crystal machine" is the best IMO.
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