ESCAPADE

‘Free-rock’, ‘Out-rock’, ‘Post-rock’, ‘Psych’, ‘Avant’ & ‘Space-rock’ - All of these are terms that have been used to describe the music of Escapade. While all are valid to some extent, probably the most accurate description came from one particular reviewer when he quoted them as being: "An aural hallucinogenic".

Escapade is a New York City based instrumental band, formed in February 1996 by drummer Hadley Kahn, who is also currently collaborating with Richard Franecki of Vocokesh, and with Colin Potter (Nurse With Wound, Organum, Christoph Heemann, etc).

The current band line-up, besides Kahn himself, consists of Paul Casanova (guitars & electronics), John Ortega (synths, processed bass & various processed sounds), Paul Hilzinger (synths, sampler, plus whatever else he can get his hands on), Russell Giffen (bass) and Rob Giffen (guitars & loops).

When Kahn formed the band back in the 90’s, it was his intention to explore the world of rock-based "spontaneous composition". However, unlike some others who have employed the same approach, Escapade's music does boast a remarkably consistent cohesion, a point that at times, has even caused some to comment that it actually sounds as if their music is in fact composed, as opposed to improvised!

All of Escapade's releases have been received with almost unanimous critical acclaim. Alternative Press said of them: "This brain-tickling music deserves a wider audience", and CD Services own resident Euro-rock man said: “Forget your 'Unknown Deutschland' and your Krautrock re-issues, because here is a new band that knocks most of that stuff into minor league status”.

 So, shouldn't YOU be checking them out?

Over two hours of instrumental music is on this, the official third album from this exciting new contemporary group. With a vast instrument line-up that includes keyboards/synthesizers, guitars, bass, drums, percussion, sampler, feedback generator, processed bass, e-bow, electric auto-harp, octapads and other various electronic devices, this recording takes their previous Cosmic Jokers/Agitation Free/Guru Guru style of instrumental music into yet another new, exciting and fresh musical dimension. Sensibly however, they have not left their roots behind entirely, so the mix of old and new on this double set is extremely satisfying. This inventive, atmospheric music comes via a massive array of layered sound pools and a sense of space and spaciousness that holds you from start to finish. The moods change from reflective to swirling whirlpools of melodic ensemble work, as the exotic combination of instruments showcase a sound that positively spirals into the outer reaches of the galaxy and back.

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Weight: 250.00 g

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It’s the latest studio album from one of the USA’s leading instrumental 70’s-styled Krautrock-influenced bands. Here, they showcase a much tighter set of tracks that have many similarities with Agitation Free’s legendary ‘Last’ album, or at the very least, the first half of it anyway, only there’s a whole lot more happening here. This music is composed spontaneously, although you’d never believe it when you hear the tightness of structure that’s on display here. While the music is, in a sense, cosmic, there are guitars, electric bass, drums, percussion, processed bass and samplers being used, all combining with the synths to produce a fantastic musical style that’s so much more than mere Kraut-Rock. There’s hints of early Grateful Dead in the guitar work on the final track, and touches of Can-like rhythms on one of the longer cuts, but overall, it’s just full of spellbinding music from start to finish. This will sound as good in ten years time as it does now – Absolutely stunning music to be experienced by a wide and open-minded audience.

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Weight: 150.00 g

With this album, you can almost hear the group saying - “Right, now that we've got all of THAT out of our system, we can REALLY start to explore the musical universe”; and, sure enough, on this follow-up to their debut release ‘Searching For The Elusive Rainbow’, they do just that. Overall, the sound is more essentially 'low key' than its predecessor, with which it complements quite perfectly, and it’s a fantastic instrumental album and equally essential listening. It's more solid, more interesting, well cohesive, flows well, and has an underlying powerful edge to it. The band features a wealth of guitars, bass, drums and synths/electronic effects, playing a highly charged yet restrained and brilliant amalgam of Kraut-influenced space music. Again, as with the first album, this compares well with things that were heard on the amazing live album from Agitation Free and is less noisy than early Guru Guru.

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Weight: 150.00 g

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A CD of previously unreleased archive tracks recorded ‘live’ in the studio, and it’s a really different kettle of Kraut from things that have gone before. Instead of the polished, multi-textured soundscapes, you will hear longer tracks of raw and wild electric guitar, bass & drums, jamming and sounding for all the world like some archive material from the tape cupboard of early Guru Guru than anything else. Despite the presence of synthesizers & other treatments that are kept very much in the background, this album’s stars are the players are those using the aforementioned instruments. From space music in an early 70’s guitar-based Krautrock vein, through to driving psychedelic jamming, this is one seriously hot album and comes unhesitatingly recommended to all those who like their music to have a primitive emotive feel and a raw edge, but with plenty of atmosphere and heart. Totally far out, and then some!

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Weight: 150.00 g

Forget your 'Unknown Deutschland' and your Krautrock re-issues, because here is a new band that knocks most of that stuff into minor league status! Escapade are an instrumental band from the USA that are right up there with, and at times better than, the likes of Can, Agitation Free, Ash Ra Tempel, Guru Guru & Faust. This is music that you will find to be just so intense, dynamic, powerful, full-sounding and accessible, that you will be playing it for a long, long, long time to come. With a sound built around a core of guitars, electric bass, drums, synths, sampler, feedback generator, synths and electronically altered bass sounds, this is absolutely incredible music from start to finish. Essential listening? You'd better believe it!!

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Weight: 150.00 g

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This is a crossover album in the sense that it will appeal to fans that like music from our guitar, psychedelic/space-rock fusion, and Euro-rock/contemporary departments. It is an AMAZING album that features all-exclusive tracks by an artist list that’s a quality 'who's who' when it comes to the aforementioned genres. This album is a firm favourite here and certainly one of our top five Euro-Rock albums of 1999. Anyone into the styles or the groups mentioned throughout this review should really try this album, because music in this genre doesn't come much better than the samples that are on this CD. Featured bands are: Chameleon, Ektroverde, Alien Planetscapes, Zen, Chateau De Fleurs, F/i, Volcano The Bear, Tangle Edge, Escapade, Timbra Komal, Iron Bong, Beyond-O-Matic and the Holy River Family Band.

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Weight: 150.00 g

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The second volume of the ‘Turn Century Turn’ project, and this one is a double disc set featuring 17 previously unreleased tracks that will delight anyone into contemporary instrumental music. It is firmly set in the sphere of Krautrock – A full on, non-stop variety of delights from an assemblage of guitar, synths/electronics, bass & drums driven bands that you don’t often encounter roaming in this pack-like manner… Circle, F/i, Pseudo Buddha, Zelany Rashoho, Oranj Climax, Djam Karet, Quarkspace, Melodic Energy Commission, Ektroverde, Faust, Volcano The Bear, Escapade, Tombstone Valentine, Mushroom, Tree Sine, 2012 and Subarachnoid Space all have exclusive tracks to offer on this attractively priced double album. 

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Weight: 250.00 g

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