UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS

This particular live album consists of shows from 1997 and 1998.They mention in the liner notes that there has been no overdubs or remixes and very few edits."The albums title refers obliquely to the effort required to dismantle and relocate the first floor studio (Northern Echo), to the required venue, and in particular to the rather unwielding M400 (mellotron) which was supposedly designed for gigging..." . A mellotron designed for a tour ? Haha that is funny. As per usual we get lots of spacey sounds and electronics with plenty of guitar and mellotron. I love this band.

"Part One" is the over 42 minute track to get us warmed up.It consists of three selections all recorded at the October Gallery in London. It's spacey as twittering and other sounds come and go. Flute-like mellotron 4 minutes in. Some brief piano 9 minutes in as spacey waves continue. An electronic beat joins in before 11 1/2 minutes and that spacey atmosphere disappears. Spacey waves come and go 13 1/2 minutes in.The guitar is crying out 15 1/2 minutes in as the electronic beat continues. It dominates before 18 minutes. Electronic humming follows as it settles back. It's building slowly before 22 minutes. A change before 26 minutes. It's spacey again with an electronic beat. It starts to wind down after 40 minutes.

"Part Two" was recorded at the Rheingold Club under difficult conditions. It opens with experimental sounds that sort of pulse in a rhythm. An electronic beat after 2 1/2 minutes is prominant.The sound becomes more spacey too. Guitar 7 1/2 minutes in and a very cool sounding soundscape. Spacey sounds invade around 12 minutes. "Part Three" combines a piece from the Jodrell Bank and dissolves into the end of a piece recorded weeks later at the Klemdag Festival.The two performances share the same bass line enabling a smooth transition. Lots of mellotron on this one. It opens with sounds that pulse,twitter and float. Mellotron then guitar mid way through.Then it settles right down 9 1/2 minutes in with plenty of mellotron.

This is great headphone music to veg or drive to.