(3 / 5)
Former prog’ rock synth’ player Tim Blake is seen as a pioneer and after he quit the band in 1975, he teamed up with French lighting designer Patrice Warrener to form Crystal Machine, pioneering the use of lasers and synthesisers in a live setting. Blake’s acclaimed debut solo album, “Crystal Machine”, was originally released in 1977 on the French experimental label Egg. Re-mastered and re-issued in March 2017 on the same date as this gem from the archives. The classic 1978 ambient masterpiece “Blake’s New Jerusalem”.
Tim first came to prominence as a member of Gong, where his synthesiser experimentation and mastery was demonstrated on albums such as Flying Teapot”, “Angel’s Egg” and “You”. He would also join Hawkwind from 1979 – 1980 and from November 2007.
Tim followed his debut album “Crystal Machine” with arguably his finest work, “Blake’s New Jerusalem”. Unlike his previous work, the album featured songs and the lengthy title-track would dominate the album’s second side.
“New Jerusalem” also featured the guest appearance of Jean-Philippe Rykiel on mini-moog. Tim Blake would later perform both “Lighthouse” and “New Jerusalem” as a member of Hawkwind, when he joined the band the following year.
Now regarded as a truly pioneering work, this edition of “Blake’s New Jerusalem” has been newly re-mastered and includes three bonus tracks previously unreleased on CD; ‘The Woodland Voice’ ( B-side of the ‘Generator Laser Beam’ single) and ‘From Outta Space’ and ‘Jupiter to Jerusalem’ – home demos recorded at the time of the album and released on the cassette “Waterfalls from Space”. The booklet features a new exclusive interview, and fully restores the original album artwork. Five tracks plus three bonus cuts.
By Simon Redley
(1 / 5) ‘Dull Zone’
(2 / 5) ‘OK Zone’ (3 / 5) ‘Decent Zone’
(4 / 5) ‘Super Zone’
(5 / 5) ‘Awesome Zone’
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