Crystalline
Axe Music
First reissued by Guerssen in 2012 and out of print for many years, here's a new, improved repress of this UK psych holy grail. Axe (known also as Axe Music and finally Crystalline by the time they recorded their rare acetate) were an obscure British psych band led by acid-rock guitar player extraordinaire Tony Barford and graced by Vivienne Jones' ethereal vocals. The band hailed from Northampton (home also of their mates Dark of 'Dark Round The Edges' fame). In 1970, they recorded a demo album of which only 12 copies were pressed as a demo acetate. Here's a straight reissue of this legendary artifact, as the previous "reissue" on the Kissing Spell label from 1993 and credited to Axe was altered without the band consent and included newly edited tracks, artificial echo/phasing effects, altered song titles... Here you'll find the acetate recording on its pure form: 100% unadulterated heavy psych and acid-rock sounds full of raw, fuzzed-out guitars and dreamy female vocals. Four impressive original songs plus a long, psyched to the max cover of Love's 'A House Is Not A Motel' which has to be heard to be believed. Carefully remastered from an original acetate copy in 24-bit. Unfortunately, no masters survived and no 100% clean copies are known to exist of the original acetates, but you'll get the best result for the possibilities. In fact they've managed to improve the sound a bit over the first edition from 2012. Comes with new artwork (the original acetate came in blank sleeve), insert with unseen pictures and liner notes by Paul Cross (Sweet Floral Albion).