THE AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS

One of the great mysteries of universe is how something could come out of nothing. Though this record won't answer that for you, it does do a great job in creating a whole (rather pleasant) album out of almost no song- writing ideas. Or performances for that matter. I was drawn to this record because of the beautiful artwork and great collaboration of Peter Hammill (of VDGG fame) with Isildurs Bane in 2019. Peter Hammill appears in the opening track and is credited as a co-writer of that song.

'We Persuade Ourselves We Are Immortal' is a rather typical space-rock record with lots of synths, some wind- instruments, a touch of folk, improvisational female vocals, dreamy electric guitar leads and a lot of interlude- type moments. The use of a choir and a string section is a nice touch, though even these parts sound a bit liked they were just used as samples. The main instrument is the mixing itself here. You can hear the ideas returning in many forms and the sound pallet is the record its most advanced trait. You can hear influences of Hawkwind, but I can't help but thinking it also sound a lot like Ramasus' 'Space Hymns' record (that one with the beautiful Roger Dean cover). Almost to the point of this record being a direct wink tot that rare album from 1971.

When you've heard the first twelve minutes of symphonic space folk with vocals of Peter Hammill you've heard about every musical idea the album has to offer. The other tracks sound like remixes, reprises and interludes to my ears. Even in the opening track the band does not manage to build up to real moments of bliss because of the lack an inciting song-structure. When listening to this album with full attention it can easily become a drag. But perhaps that's not the idea here; this album is more like an electronic ritual with a single main theme. It does successfully set that perfect space prog mood and sounds both vintage and modern at the same time. On side two 'Psych Recap' has some avant-prog appeal, but the song is again filled with remixed vocals and musical themes from the opening song.

This record is good, but in no ways essential to my ears. If the main contributers Brian Dougans and Garry Cobain were to attract a serious song-writing talent they could easily create one of the best retro-space-folk-prog albums ever made. This record sounds great, it just lacks substance in my opinion.

OK, let's be clear and straight from the outset: the properly progressive meat here is in the opening epic, where the outstanding vocals by Peter Hammill lead the proceedings our way. Having said that, however, if you enjoy a well seasoned psychedelic trip on its own merits, there's also a fantastic one: great lead guitar and sax, pseudo-floydian choral passages, nice string orchestral moves here and there. And all that served on a dense background of psych imagery, sounding at moments very nearly like those "tape loops" from the legendary "Tomorrow Never Knows" sessions, but without the guys reeling tapes with a pencil, of course.

Just why this deeply trippy album gets such a negative write-up from various progarchives contributors is something of a mystery to this writer, because this is actually rather wonderful. Released in 2005, this was the fourth album issued under the Amorphous Androgynous moniker adopted by Gary Cobain and Brian Dougans, a London-based duo perhaps better known to some as both the popular underground dance act Future Sounds Of London and the compilers of several volumes of the excellent 'A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble Exploding In Your Mind' series of compilation albums. Despite their background in dance music however, the twosome obviously have a deep fondness for a wide variety funk, rock, jazz and folk-based 1960's and 1970's psychedelia, and 'Alice In Ultraland' is an impressive testament to that love. Skilfully blending dance elements, woozy beats and ambient washes with proggy instrumental flourishes and a dzalling array of psychedelic sound effects, this arguably ranks as the finest of all Amorphous Androgynous albums, though die-hard prog-rockers may wince at some of the album's more 'contemporary' elements. But it's their loss. From the opening strains of the blissful opener 'The Emptiness Of Nothing', to the cosmic grandeur of stand-out track 'All Is Harvest' and the neon-coloured keyboard washes that pulse throughout 'The World Is Full Of Plankton', this lovingly-crafted slice of neo-psychedelia rarely lets up, sweeping the listener along on a kaleidoscopic sonic journey brought to full life by the diamond-sharp production. Even the album's sleeve manages to allude to the clever crossbreeding of hazy sixties ideals and 21st century cool, with an EMI stereo label cunningly placed in the corner of for true authenticity. A real trip from beginning to end, and all the way in between, 'Alice In Ultraland' is a rare beast indeed. Those with an open mind will surely be in psychedelic heaven. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2015

I certainly will point out to "Psychedelic/Space Rock" followers, that in able to get the most of this "instrumental" project (released in 3 parts), you should have some "knack" for RIO/AG and Jazz/Fusion. It, in fact sounds like this mixture and also of course the "electronic" touch of "The Future Sound of London" (which is the band that led me to "Androginous Amorphous" in the first place). I will not bore you with all the speculations about Noel Gallagher's participation or the return of some old time guest, nor the involvement of a member of Syd Arthur. To me, really, if the song writing is bad, you could play alongside Jesus and Budha and still don't make it happen. Anyway, if I had to choose between the also very good "Cartel Vol. 1", I will stick to this one, this flawless jewel, Vol.2., but will not miss the first, (it will be senseless), of this two parts of the same "3 part project" .

An excellent display of straight forward music in mostly short timed songs (no long "overtures" or stuff like that), in a variety of musical expressions or "orientations", (not unlike their previous efforts), that are daring, yet unpretentious, in both song-writing and genre styling. It sounds fresh and refreshing, bold and original, perfectly manufactured, edited and concieved. Both records (I haven't heard the 3th.),sum up 5 stars together, this the second part of this "trilogy", for me, ****4.5 PA stars, and my 2013's probable best and my RIO/AG favorite record of the year, although it does not figure in that genre.

My mother told me that if you can't say anything polite, it's best to say nothing at all. I'm afraid I won't be taking her advice.

Not content with the most extreme change of direction in the history of music - from techno to 60's psychedelic prog rock - AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS aka FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON went further and produced a second psychedelic disc a couple of years after the first. Where the first disc (The Isness) had power, this is flaccid. Where The Isness had beauty, this has mundanity. And where The Isness gave us the sounds of nostalgia, this gives us - well, ill-considered noise. Apart from the first track, a prelude to disappointment, this album is uniformly without merit. It was as though their market research had led DOUGAN and COBAINS to believe all their listeners wanted was a 'sound-alike' record. We still get the wide variety of instruments, most from the East, the electronica is still as weird as ever and the production is sumptuous, but these parts do not make a cohesive whole. Moreover, there are virtually no songs here. No meaning to attach to these sounds of the 60s. 'The World Is Full Of Plankton' raises its head for a moment above the primordial ooze, but that's about it for this record.

There's only room in your collection for one faux-sixties psychedelic sound-alike record, and it ought to be 'The Isness'. Do not be tempted to buy this.

One of the most ill-judged records ever released, and which proved to be a career-breaker, 'The Isness' is in fact an excellent foray into the world of late 60s - early 70s psychedelica. Trouble was, this by a duo (COBAINS and DOUGAN) whose previous work had been cutting-edge IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) under the FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON moniker. When this came out it received a uniformly hostile reception from fans and mixed reviews from critics. Why on earth were these talented lads releasing a prog rock album? The Times loved it, AllMusic hated it. It was released in two quite different versions (I have both) and even under two different band names (AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS in the UK, FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON in the US).

What should prog fans make of it? The album is a heady mix of retro-prog and twenty-first century production values, with an enormous variety of instruments - featuring heavy reliance on Eastern influences - and some reasonably respectable singing. Sitars, tabla drums, string quartets, flutes, banjos and chimes mix with the superb electronic wizardry COBAINS and DOUGAN are famous for to create a compelling psychedelic journey. There are some standout songs: the instrumental 'The Lovers', for example, is flat-out gorgeous, though it does stray into techno territory. 'The Mello Hippo Disco Show' is full-on retro keyboard heaven, Hammonds and mellotrons, giving out a 'Strawberry Fields' vibe, with absurd 'I Am The Walrus'-like lyrics. 'Elysian Feels' and 'Go Tell It To The Trees, Egghead' are excellent instrumentals, while 'Divinity' is a golden track, oozing bliss, stepping in DONOVAN's shoes and (probably) just avoiding cheesiness - though SIMON AND GARFUNKEL might want to sue. It even incorporates a dreamy brass section. 'Her Tongue Is Like A Jellyfish' is a bizarre juxtaposition of beautiful strings and weird electronic noises. The gorgeous 'Meadows' pays homage to PINK FLOYD's 'Grantchester Meadows', though the mighty Floyd were never this strange. 'High Tide On The Sea Of Flesh' channels early TANGERINE DREAM. Trust me, had this stuff been released in 1968, it would have sold millions. It really is very good. The final track 'The Galaxial Pharmaceutical' (and if that's not a hint I've never heard one) is an absolutely brilliant prog rock epic (divided into two parts on my promo), building to a superb climax, and is a must-listen for every lover of progressive music. The psychedelic feel is utterly convincing.

And that's the trouble. This is retro-prog, harking back to a time most of us barely remember, and as such is dissociated from contemporary life. When we listen to records from that time we not only hear the music, we relive old times. We can do no such thing with this material. Because it is so out of its time, because it is so obviously a re-creation, the album must be approached with caution. Those who crave originality - whatever that is - should steer clear. For the love of God, run! But if you want something with compelling tunes, crystal clear sound and that 60s psychedelic vibe, this is the album to get.

'Tales of Ephidrina' is the first album by AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS, but is by no means the first outing by GARRY COBAIN and BRIAN DOUGANS, the duo behind FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON (famous for their hit 'Papua New Guinea'). In common with the IDM (intelligent Dance Music) scene in the early 1990s, artists recorded under a wide variety of names - these two had at least twenty different aliases.

AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS was formed to allow the duo to experiment a little more freely than their label would allow them to using their FSOL name. They released this one album in 1993, then put AA into hiatus, mainly because this experimental music became the stock-in-trade of FSOL. AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS was resurrected a decade later to allow the duo to record a few psychedelic albums, which is why they appear here in PA.

Confused? Welcome to the world of IDM.

What you get here is a fairly respectable dance album. Not, I must make clear, house or trance, but a collection of techno soundscapes that tend towards the ambient. The tracks segue into each other in trademark FSOL fashion, are sample-heavy and clever, but by no means represent the best of the genre. FSOL's own work 'Lifeforms', 'ISDN' and 'Dead Cities' are better places for the prog-inclined listener to visit, leaning more towards the ambient, coupled with real power and menace. Only one track on this album approaches the best this duo were capable of, the eponymous 'Ephidrina', built around a sinister loop. 'Liquid Insects' is the best of the rest.

AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS (and, indeed, FSOL) are a classic example of a genre that is heavily influenced by the progressive rock movement. Their music is long and complex, the tracks often share motifs with each other, and the songs build to a conclusion. The beats may sound as though they belong on the dance floor, but the best of IDM is comprised of sophisticated rhythms.

This album is not representative of the AMORPHOUS ANDROGYNOUS catalogue, and is best passed by by the average progger.