Mahogany Brain - Smooth Sick Lights

Ziaus Tapes in with the good stuff once again, this time unearthing NWW List alumni Mahogany Brain's ahead of its time masterwork, Smooth Sick Lights. Recorded in 1972 and shelved until 1976 when it was first released on the brilliant Pole imprint, and then released again in 1977 when Tapioca took over the Pole catalogue, you'd be tempted to assume this was simply another product of the French prog underground - there's the time period, the label & NWW associations, that name ferchristsake... But alas, no. Well, not quite. This is some progressive action no doubt, but utterly perplexing within the context of early 70s Europe. What i take from Smooth Sick Lights (a great title, let it be noted) is far more akin to the free and uneasy tensions of something like Mars, a no-wave looseness and anti-rock approach that must have confused the hell outta a few of their contemporaries. Still, it was an open-minded period for music and Mahogany Brain embraced the spirit of the times. The first iteration of Amon Duul and Faust at their most untamed come to mind, too, of course, but what MB do so uniquely is confuse the lines between virtuosity and the untrained - are these great players unlearning at pace, or amateurs flummoxing the hell out of themselves and just about everyone else? Either way, i can see why Stapleton was so turned on to this. I'd suggest this sounds better in 2022 once you've heard everything else than it did in 1972 with the future yet to come. No-one plays like this now, intentionally or otherwise. And in Silkskin Dawn they've a genuine calling card, a just north of one minute masterclass in brevity that comes on like Mars' 3E being given the once over by Niagara. Absolutely yes.