Daevid Allen & Nicoletta Stephanz - Bananamoon Obscura No. 6: Live @ The Knitting Factory NYC (2004) Re-Up

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Daevid Allen & Nicoletta Stephanz - Bananamoon Obscura No. 6: Live @ The Knitting Factory NYC (2004) Re-Up

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Live Gliss guitar/Theremin gig. This CD of Gliss guitar, Theremin and treated vocals results in a marvellously adventurous cauldron of sounds and spacey textures. Both musicians combine superbly well together with their distinctly odd chosen instruments to create totally unique sonic experience. These CDs are in matt black card covers with silver and white printing. This is the sixth of a 20CD series, each release a limited pressing of 1000 copies only - no more will be pressed.

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Daevid Allen was one of the founders of the British progressive rock band the Soft Machine in 1966. After recording just one album with the group, he became the founder/leader of Gong, which he left in 1973 to begin a solo career (though his first solo album, Banana Moon, was released in 1971 while he was still in the group). Allen explored his quirky, folky take on rock throughout the '70s and '80s on albums like 1976's Good Morning and 1983's Alien in New York. His solo work also included collaborations with underground rock impresario Kramer like 1993's Who's Afraid? and 1996's Hit Men, which was released on Kramer's Shimmy Disc label. Allen returned in 1999 with Money Doesn't Make It, followed a year later by Stroking the Tail of the Bird. Nectans Glen also followed in 2000. In 2003 Allen formed a new version of Gong with members of the Japanese collective known as Acid Mothers Temple, as well as playing and releasing material with his California-based band University of Errors. He continues to release numerous live sets and one-off collaborations in limited editions on various independent labels under his own and various group names. A best-of, Man From Gong, which only scratches the surface of his lengthy discography, appeared from Snapper Music in 2006. After a battle with cancer, Allen died in Australia in 13 March 2015 at the age of 77.

~ William Ruhlmann, All Music

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Volume six in Voiceprint Bananamoon Obscura series of archival Daevid Allen material presents the first meeting between Gong's glissando guitar guru and theremin player Nicoletta Stephanz, (aka Coven of One, once of Black Chamber and Legendary Pink Dots). The sleeve discloses very little detail about this performance held at the Knitting Factory in New York, but an educated guess would place it in 2000 or 2001. Despite the fact that Allen comes from the psychedelic rock/new age scene and Stephanz hails from a post-industrial current, their collaboration is surprisingly sensitive and efficient – the glissando guitar and theremin complete each other very well. Of course, this also means that most of the performance belongs to the quieter side of Allen's output: extended drones, poetry, vocal experiments. The two musicians engage each other only in some tracks. The set opens with a solo glissando improvisation, full of loops and reverb. Then follows a multi-tracked vocal piece by Stephanz, which perfectly answers the mood previously established by Allen. "False Teacher" is also performed by the guitarist (the first one being a regular inclusion in his live sets at the time), while "Defenestrating Frogs" showcases Stephanz' dark side, with wailing theremins, rumbling textures and gloomy vocals. "Your Book of Silences" and "Journey Into Divine Vagina" are the two main duets of the set and the foundation of what would become an occasional collaboration (Stephanz's theremin work would be featured on University of Errors' third CD, ugly.music.4.monica). The latter track is especially nice, Nic's vocals enhancing the disquieting factor in Allen's playing. Sound quality on this recording is good, but no more. It seems to be an audience recording, with some overloading in the louder sections (Stephanz' looped vocals, in particular, tend to come out pureed). A nice curiosity.

~ François Couture, All Music

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Daevid Allen & Nicoletta Stephanz - Bananamoon Obscura No. 6: Live @ The Knitting Factory NYC (2004) Re-Up

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Daevid Allen & Nicoletta Stephanz - Bananamoon Obscura No. 6: Live @ The Knitting Factory NYC (2004) Re-Up

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