Detailed Reviews [Various Artists - 2020 - "Head in the Clouds"]

Prolusion. UK label Fruits de Mer Records have made a name for themselves by releasing new versions of old songs with a more or less classic stature in the realm of psychedelic rock and progressive rock. Over the years the label have also grown into fulfilling another role however, and that is to release original material made by the artists that contribute to the various singles, EPs and compilations of cover songs the label release. This latter role appears to have grown quite a bit in size, and one of the more sprawling of these productions was released back in 2020. It is a compilation called "Head in the Clouds", released on the Strange Fish imprint of Fruits de Mer Records, and consists of a double vinyl album and a double CD.

Analysis. The "Head in the Clouds" compilation is a thematic one, where the theme is to explore landscapes inspired by the cosmic division of the German Krautrock scene as well as the Berlin School pioneers of progressive electronic music from the same era. It would appear these are landscapes many artists find it really interesting to explore, as the end result here is a massive four hour long compilation with material delivered by more than a dozen different artists. A full dozen of the songs clocks in at 10 minutes and above, with two of them lasting for more than 20 minutes. Given the nature of the music explored here, this is a production that certainly demands some patient listeners to enjoy some of the individual tracks as well as the massive 4 hour long epic the full production experience invites to. We do get a little bit of everything over the course of these four hours as well. Alien noisescapes and elegant songs with a bit of a Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk presence sits side by side with sparse, ominous vintage sounding dark displays and light toned, elegant, repetitive excursions as well as hard, tight and pacefilled runs. There is an ebb and a flow going on here in the individual songs as well as on the individual albums of this compilation, and songs that are closer to home in mood and spirit as well as the ones that sounds like they have come from a distant galaxy and delivered by life forms so strange and alien that it makes us question reality itself. There's a lot of variety at hand in other words, but all of it revolves around electronic music. It might be noted the drums and the electric guitar have their roles to play on this compilation too. Occasionally also with prominent and even dominant roles in the compositions. The cosmic, the futuristic, the dystopian and utopian, the robotic and mechanical are all assembled and present on this massive compilation. Some settings are a bit more prominent than others perhaps, but there aren't too many shades of them that have been left uncovered on this production.

Conclusion. Those with an interest in the electronic side of Krautrock and in Berlin School electronic progressive rock should have a field day with this sprawling compilation album by Fruits de Mer Records. If they can find it. Long sold out from the label, this is a compilation where interested parties will need to invest a bit of time merely to track down a copy that isn't sold at a ridiculously high collectors price I suspect.

Progmessor: January 2022
The Rating Room