Yage Translations

[OffLand]

Thanks for FSOL facebook group for spotting this one! This looks like a 5 track Yage remix/rework EP of PNG Translations!
The EP is in that newer Yage style (Pygmy People, Woodlands of Old, etc). It borrows the new elements from Translations. No original PNG samples here.
No idea why it got uploaded to Soundcloud and not their bandcamp. No idea if it will stay there.

yage translations joins X2X (27:22)
https://soundcloud.com/fsol-digital-rec ... al_sharing

[dubmasta]

Thanks for sharing. I just actually discovered that the word Yage means "ayahuasca", even though most likely pronounced differently: according to wiki - yagé (or yajé, from the Cofán language or iagê in Portuguese).

A very pleasant piece of music in general, not very fond of sitar playing through the whole track 1, even though I love the instrument. I would have loved the track without it at all, but I guess that was their vision for the release as I can hear sitar and indian percussion in other tracks as well. I reckon its the input from Gaz. The psychedelia reminds me of Amorphous Androgynous, at least the way they ended up using this moniker. I personally listen to Tales Of Ephidrina as FSOL music.

I enjoyed listening to it anyway, even though for a guy who is heavily hooked on Lifeforms, Dead Cities and ISDN, this is very light. On the other hand not all music can and should be breathtaking, as it can leave you without a breath, according to Brian Eno (If I remember correctly). It looks like the guys had some fun putting this together and that's what matters.

[OffLand]

And it's gone. My guess it was a teaser or accidentally uploaded as public.

[Enofa]

Accidentally made public. And I missed it! Oh well.

[OffLand]

It was very much on the Amorphous end of their sound. Very guitar focused. Only got a chance to listen to bits of it but sound like the 5 tracks were mostly reconstructed from The Lovers, Wooden Ships, Things Change, The Big Blue. I liked that all the tracks mixed into each other too.

[Enofa]

Wonder if that’s next years RSD release. Or maybe forthcoming Trip Maps material.

[dell1972]

Looks like it’s an upcoming release, 5 tracks, 25th March:

https://fsol.bandcamp.com/album/translations-remixes

[Enofa]

Seems like this is being released to coincide with a 2LP reissue of the original Transations, which will be back in print on 25th April - or probably earlier on Bandcamp.

https://www.juno.co.uk/products/future- ... 01/?nra=no

[Enofa]

Out now!

The Big Blue - Ok, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this, how different these versions would be. Definitely some familiar sounds - the acoustic guitar strums, the airy synth pad that's used sparingly here. We finally get into something familiar to the original at 5 minutes in! Ok, it sounds like the Big Blue now. Otherwise, pretty groovy sitar-led breaksy stuff.
Requiem - And this is not remotely what I was expecting. Chunky beats, booming bass, some old '70s organ rhythms. Plenty of live instrumentation in here but I don't recognise any of it as featuring in 'Requiem'. Maybe the piano? Ah, silence, end of side 1?
The Lovers - Oh, I do recognise this, at least. Not convinced we need any more versions of this track. Starts fairly conventionally, then we get elements of 'Papsico', fully approve of this, I love the way the two use the same bassline to such different effects, great to hear them mashed up together. The most conventional remix of the lot so far otherwise, either way, mostly just a straight rearrangement.
The Great Marmalade Mama in the Sky - Ok, much like 'Requiem', this heads in a very surprising direction from the start. Sitar, slow tabla beats, not even getting a hint of the distortion and breaks of the original. Organ from 'Requiem' is in there. Melancholic and moody. Very surprising. Unless there's some incorrect naming in here (wouldn't surprise me haha). Ends with birdsong from A:E:V / E7.02
Wooden Ships - Back into more obvious territory again, this is much more like the original. Oh, the first proper hint of Papua New Guinea finally appears!

It's an interesting project, I do really enjoy this slightly more electronic type of psychedelia. With this and Trip Maps, Brian's clearly enjoying working in this style lately, quite a contrast with the recent IDM-heavy FSOL. It makes me wonder whether E8 will feed off this, or whether it'll continue down a similar road to E6/7 as hinted at on Capsules. As a release in its own right, it's maybe very slightly shorter than I'd like, although to be fair if you stuck PNG at the start it would probably be about the length of one of the Virgin-era singles, so that's kind of fitting. Shame there's not a version of 'Things Change' on there to complete the set. Given that two tracks are pretty similar to the originals it probably makes replay value slightly lower than ideal, but the other three tracks are excellent and I enjoyed it a lot overall. Not essential, but definitely solid.

[darktrain]

I just get the feeling that gaz is not involved anymore?? Am i wrong? Hope so!

[nanio-tine 2]

i don't think he's been involved for a long time. he talked a bit about fsol on facebook in like 2015 but when he started posting updates about the new amorphous androgynous album he stopped talking about fsol alltogether other than sometimes telling people he wasnt interested in electronica. since he went mental about covid hes not been online and since environments 6.5 there are only like, three or four fsol tracks that sound like his ones (which always seem to sound like amorphous androgynous these days anyway lol)
morven bryce who i think is either his wife or housemate or something? still posts on facebook and she is constantly talking down ai, blockchain and most kinds of technology which brian seems to have embraced so i honestly dont think gaz has anything to do with fsol anymore and given that weve had no updates on the new aa album in six years it wouldnt surprise me if hed given up on music lol

totally fcked up my last email so im here on a new account hope everyones ok