TUSSILAGO FANFARA

4.5 stars. Man that has to be one of my all time favourite album covers, even the picture on the back cover. A black and white picture done by Swedish photographer Tom Benson who in his day had his displays in art galleries across Sweden, a very influential artist. While you may not think of Sweden when you think of Electronic music, this is one of my favourites from that sub-genre. A duo who named themselves after a Leonardo Da Vinci painting from 1510. Both Ljungstrom and Bojen play keyboards and synths while the latter adds some guitar. This was love at first listen. A mid-paced, melancholic album released in 1977 that can also turn quite dark at times. Two tracks per side.

"Mossen" is possibly my favourite as sounds swell until it slowly pulses. It's dark and mysterious with haunting wind. Music for the mind as the organ arrives a minute in then electronics around 2 1/2 minutes as the darkness and experimental sounds fade. Very much a Krautrock/ Electronic vibe here. The synths start to swirl 5 1/2 minutes over top to the end. A great start!

"Inkomster Utanfor Tiden" features these haunting whispers that seem to be on a loop and they continue throughout the 11 1/2 minutes. It sounds like wind or waves as the organ arrives a minute in. Electronics join in at around 1 1/2 minutes. So much going on after 2 minutes as another sound is added. Man this is so "out there". It settles back 5 1/2 minutes in until it's like the start of this song with the whispering and waves. Percussion joins in at 6 minutes along with some high pitched abrasive guitar that I'm not that into. The guitar stops before 10 1/2 minutes as the final minute ends like it all began.

Side two starts with the longest track at over 14 minutes called "Den Barbariska". Spacey synths along with organ I believe to start. Such a beautiful drifting sound here that builds. A darker more bass sound before 6 minutes then electronics pulse and twitter over top. Clashing sounds follow then it settles back around 10 1/2 minutes with organ, synths and more and this continues pretty much to the end.

"Tusen Ar & Sju" has an ethnic sound to it with that percussion and picked guitar I believe. A strong Krautrock vibe here as in POPOL VUH. This is very repetitive until a new sound arrives 6 minutes in then it turns spacey late.

I may bump this up to 5 stars down the road as my buddy Guldbamsen has rated it as such and he knows this album better than I do. A must for Electronic fans out there.