On any post, if the link is no longer good, leave a comment if you want the music re-uploaded. As long as I still have the file, or the record, cd, or cassette to re-rip, I will gladly accommodate in a timely manner all such requests.

Slinging tuneage like some fried or otherwise soused short-order cook. Embiggening the earholes

From Buttholes to Europop, from Loons to Bassoons.

13 April 2013

Kosovo

Reuploaded 12/04/2025



Finding musick in strife-ridden Kosovo has been an adventure. Clashes between the Serbs & the Kosovar in border areas still continues. Although Yugoslav authorities like to speak of ‘stabilization’, there is still the wounds of ethnic animosity, religious turmoil, & political problems that are fresh & bleeding. Amidst it all there are some great musicians trying to aide the healing or to soothe away the pain with their art. One of the earliest is…


Gjurmët was formed in 1980 by Migjen Kelmendi – vocals & rhythm guitar. He is the son of the writer & journalist Ramiz Kelmendi. Migjen was deeply inspired by New Wave music that was prevalent in the late 70s & early 80s. The original lineup included: Migjen; Bekim Dyla - lead guitar; Armando Gjini – piano & synthesizer; Tomor Kurshumliu - bass & vocals; & Petrit Riza – drums. and Bekim Dyla. That same year, the band recorded the first New Wave song in Kosovo.



In 1984, the band recorded the material for their debut album, however, it wasn’t until 1985 that the album was released. The reason for the delay of the release was the ‘controversial album cover’ which featured dancers performing the traditional Albanian Eagle Dance, making a shape of a double-headed eagle with their posture. The Communist Party felt the cover was not politically correct.  Eventually, the album was released by Radio Television of Pristina, on compact cassette only. It featured the band photo on the front cover on which Kelmendi is looking at his wrist watch as a comment on the release delay. The album featured a unique blend of New Wave, post-punk & Kosovar folk music. The following year, in 1986, the band disbanded. In 2002, a compilation album LP featuring a collection of material the band had recorded in the course of the 1980s was released.


 GjurmëtGjurmët compact cassette, RTP K 31002, 1985. 


Side A –
Eja (Te Shkojme Ne Prishtine)
O Moj
Kenga Ime E Pa Kenduar
Nji Grusht Qershi

Side B –
Ne Tren Per Perzeren
Kaqurrelja
Era
Vjet Per Vjet



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Genc Salihu is a musician from Prishtina, Kosovo. He has been interested in musick since his early childhood, when he began writing his first songs. He began playing guitar in his first band at the age thirteen. He is also the former vocalist for Cute Babulja. After seven years absence from public performance, he released Kangë e venë, which you can listen to here.


In the seven years hiatus, Genc Salihu was very busy. He just didn’t have the time to commit as fully as he needed to music. He opened the café-bookshop Dit 'e Nat', which since opening has become a cultural institution. His support & promotion of live music there has helped many others to make the first steps toward their music careers.

Working closely with young intelligent musicians & videographers has kept Salihu immersed in the process of creating fresh & poignant artistry. Genc says the new work is about cleansing, internal & external cleansing of our being.

The video for the song “Rrugëve” (Roads), which was directed by Kaltrina Krasniqi took the top prize in the Music Video Fest 2011, an Albanian video competition considered the ultimate  in all the Albanian territories.

Artists collaborating on Kangë E Venë are: Genc Salihu – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals, & keyboards; Armend Xhaferi – electric guitar & drums (track 4); Petrit Çeku – classical guitar; Visar Kuçi – bass & contrabass; Fraim Gashi – contrabass; Liburn Jupolli – keyboards; Shpend Ballata – violin; Festim Fanaj – violin; Erlinda Gashi – violin; Dardan Osmanaj – violin; Avni Thaqi – violin; Arsim Mustafa – violin; Yllza Baftiari – viola; Arianit Shehu – viola; Amanta Istrefi – cello; Nesim Maxhuni – drums.

 Genc Salihu ‎– Kangë E Venë, Dit' E Nat' Libra ‎– 002, 2011. 


Tracklist –
Rrugëve
Lufta Asht Bahçe
Çelu
Krejt Andrrën
ICU
Family Portrait (Prej Filmit)
Shejë
Kangë E Venë
I Dalun M'i Gomar
Ujku Don Mjegull
Flej

I have included a few bonus songs with the Genc material;

a live version of “Wish You Were Here” he performed at his Dit 'e Nat' club; &

the song “Shabani” by The Bloody Foreigners featuring Genc
(The Bloody Foreigners are :Fatos Bejta; Fatos Derguti; Ardi Kelmendi [brother of the founder of Gjurmët] & Josef Cook. They are Kosovar living & playing music in the UK who frequently work with fellow Kosovo musicians).



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Another prolific musician from Prishtina, Kosovo is Liburn Jupolli. He has been involved in numerous bands & musical projects. He played bass in well-known Kosovo band Madgod. He played keyboards on the previous entry, Kangë E Venë.


Dead Elder Dogs is a musical concept/band formed by Liburn Jupolli in 2011. They play mainly electronic/industrial/ambient styles. They also play some very slow tempo beat music called ‘Vex’ that ranges from 10 to a maximum of 40 bpm. D.E.D. is made up of a revolving cast of musicians depending on the project, either for vocal or instrumental parts or for live gigs. They have recorded various of these projects on the OnePiece label.



Involve in various D.E.D. projects have been: Liburn Jupolli - synths , electronics (laptops, midi controllers, custom built devices) & guitar; Timur Xhabiri - vocals, electronics (laptop, kaoss pad, midi controllers) & theremin; Labinot Kelmendi – vocals;
Morena Kabashi Kokollari – vocals; Adonis Kasneci – guitar; Senad Jamini – guitar; Blerta Kosova- vocals & Almir Fazlievic –Octo – electronics (laptop, midi controllers) & guitar.





“Invitation to Obscurity” - from the 2nd cd called Slow Manors, Fast Boxing
“Pregnant She-Wolf” - from the 3rd cd called A.W.
“Grigori & the House” - from the 5th cd called Bow Down or Die Trying To
“Haunted Beings of Prypat” - from the 6th cd called Air Raids, Nuclear Times, Good Times

Enjoy,


 






10 April 2013

Macedonia





 You never know how this searching the world for musick is going to go. Previously in Albania, I had to make some compilations of available tuneage, as the former Yugo area is quite tumultuous to say the least. Now here in Macedonia, two great bands with releases from back in 1988 that are poignant & vital today.

ALEKSANDAR MAKEDONSKI was formed in 1986, in Skopje, then Socialist Republic of Macedonia as an offshoot of the prominent punk rock group Badmingtons. It included: Vladimir Petrovski - Karter – guitar &vocals; Dejan Škartov - Deko – keyboards & backing vocals; Zoran Janković – Bajo – bass & backing vocals; Vlado Dimovski – drums; & Melita Stefanovska - backing vocals.

The former Badmingtons drummer Boris Georgiev decided to join the gothic rock cult band Mizar, the other band I am featuring today. He played on their first self-titled album released in 1988.

Unlike Badmingtons, who were a punk band, Aleksandar Makedonski was initially a more pop-rock oriented act. Aleksandar Makedonski recorded several songs for the national Macedonian Radio-Television music production. They soon became popular across the country. The group released its debut album Za heroje i princeze for Jugodisk record label in 1988. Differing from their previous material, the album was in Serbo-Croatian, because it was the most widespread language in the multilingual former Yugoslav market. In 1990, they recorded two songs, "Mi se igra" & "Sečavanja" in Macedonian at Mladinski Radio Klub 100, which were released on the Demoskop tape. 


Shortly thereafter the line-up changed. Melita Stefanovska left to joined the all-female alternative rock band Royal Albert Hall, while Dimovski & Škartov joined the psychedelic rock group Kleržo. Vladimir continued to work with a new bass player Mite Brljamov, but with a different musical style.

In 1991, they recorded songs for the second album at the studio of Nikola Kokan Dimuševski of Leb i sol, however it was never released. After a long pause, they recorded a new material throughout 1995, which was finally released as Aleksandar Makedonski's second album Moeto carstvo for the Makoton label in 1997. All three original members of Badmingtons are on "Moeto carstvo" along with bassist Zoran Janković. 


 Aleksandar Makedonski – Za Heroje I Princeze, Jugodisk LPD-0431, 1988. 
decryption code in comments

Side A –
Da, Da, Da
Neću Da Plačem
Celu Noć I Ceo Dan
Kucao Sam Na Tvoja Vrata
Rum & Coca-Cola

Side B –
Za Heroje I Princeze
Bezabi Babi
Kraj
Dođi, Jutro

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Mizar (Мизар) is a Macedonian darkwave band formed in 1983 in Skopje, Macedonia. Mizar's musical style is post-punk, darkwave & gothic rock. Mizar combines elements of bands like Joy Division along with traditional Macedonian folk & Byzantine music. Another highlight of their music is the two Goran's (Tanevski & Trajkoski), whose vocals are based on Eastern Orthodox church chants. Most of their songs are in Macedonian.

Mizar’s lyrics have a strong socio-political message. Trajkoski says that few Macedonian musicians dare to oppose the party line of the government or the political establishment:

The bands self-titled first release has achieved something of a cult status, especially in Republic of Macedonia & across the former Yugoslavia. It was the first Yugoslav rock record in the Macedonian language. Previously, Macedonian bands primarily recorded in Serbo-Croatian for marketing reasons, as it is the most widespread language in the multilingual former Yugoslav Federation. The album was a major success for the band. It is listed among the top ten rock albums ever released in Yugoslavia. Because of the band's avant-garde sound & image, its Eastern Orthodox Christian leanings & its support for Macedonian self-determination, they were viewed with certain degree of suspicion by the former communist regime. Still, the group received great media attention including numerous appearances on the national television.



On their self-titled first release, Mizar are: Goran Tanevski – vocals; Gorazd Čapovski – guitar; Sašo Krstevski – bass;  Katerina Veljanovska – keyboards; & Boris Georgiev – drums.

Mizar ‎– Mizar, Helidon ‎– FLP 05-074, 1988. 
decryption code in comments

Side A –
Devojka Od Bronza
Doždot
Magla
Iljada I Šeeset Leta
Uninije
Stoj

Side B -
Gradot E Nem
Hoden Že
Istekuvam
Zlatno Sonce

Enjoy,


09 April 2013

Albania




Before I slip outta da Dubwise mood, mahn, I’ll post up some skankin’ tunes from Roots Raid of Tirana, Albania. Prominently influential in the Albanian reggae movement, Roots Raid, along with MR Rez & Skavillage organized the 2011(now annual & in its third year) South Vibes Albanian Reggae Festival.


Here are a coupla long track to spark up a spliff & get mellow with…



& Roots Raid - Late Night Remixes – 46:03
As always, the decryption codes are in the comments.

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In Albania the most prominent rock bands & musicians only appeared after 1990. Before that period rock music was prohibited by the State. Although youth groups found ways to listen to rock through clandestine channels, music was never free & open.




Bojken Lako, the man mountain of doom, is considered as one of the most influential rock musicians in Albania. Born in Tirana, Albania in 1975 he was trained in classical piano. In the early 90s Bojken was experimenting with rock sounds with his first band, The Fish Hook, singing & playing guitar. Also in the band were Redi Hasa on bass & Heldi Kraja on drums. They released one album King of Beers on cassette. 



All three have continued their careers in music. Redi has received degrees in classical & jazz cello. Bojken has been in numerous bands over the years. He has entered Eurovision Song Contest for Albania many times. In 2012 he came in 10th in the finals (Te zakonshem feat. Breza). 



 

decryption code in comments

Tracklist –
Te zakonshem (feat. Breza – 2012 Eurovision entry)
Love love love (feat. Banda Adriatica – 2010 Eurovision entry)
Jeto sot kete dite
Rruge (feat. Ajkuna)
Merre lehte
Perse (feat. Crazy Girl)
Erdh pranvera (from 100 VJET MUZIKE TV show – 100 Years of Music)

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Vedat Ademi is a singer of rock & pop music. He was born in Kosovo in 1982, but lives in Tirana, Albania where he performs as Vedat Ademi & the Band. The rest of the band is made up of talented Albanian composers & instrumentalists: Endrit Shani – lead guitar & backing vocals; Kledi Bahiti – keyboards & backing vocals; & Klodi Hidri – drums.


Endrit & Klendi are also the main composers. They have both won awards in the Albanian Song Contests.

Tracklist –
Koha S’kthehet (Time No Return)
Si Ky Mengjes (In This Morning)
Mall Qe Djeg (Missing You)
Po Me Prite Ti (If You Wait On Me)
Si Dikur (In The Past)
Me Mashtruan Syte (Eyes Cheated)
Per Ty (For You)
Nje Jete me Ty (Life With You)





Before he was in The Band with Vedat, Endrit Shani had his own band, Burn. Endrit graduated from the Academy of Arts in Tirana with a degree in composition. He also graduated from Liceu Artistik Jordan Misja with a degree in guitar. He sings & plays piano as well, so is a very well rounded musician. His music with Burn is more youthful & less polished than his current material, but Burn has a very soulful touch.


decryption codes in comments

Tracklist –
Ajo
Te shihja si engjell
Nuk ja vlejti
Ecim te dy
Per dike
Larg me qendro
Vetem nje here s quhet tradheti
Njerezit qe takoj çdo dite
E dija (Kenga Magjike 2010 final night)

Enjoy,









07 April 2013

Cyprus

Reuploaded 12/04/2025


Sooner or later, I knew I’d be back to metal. Seems like the smaller the country, the less chance of anything but metal. I guess it just grinds everything else down.

Armageddon's music moves mostly in melodic Power Metal with progressive influences. Armageddon is the longest running Cypriot group so they must keep that metal monster well oiled & tuned to keep it going all these years. They have been a continuous live presence since 1985. At that time they were known as Heavy Duty, basically a metal covers band. As they wrote more of their own compositions & the fans grew to love these, they phased out the covers, although even today audiences ask for some of their old songs. Later in 1985 they changed the name to Armageddon. They have performed hundreds of times live in pubs, clubs, festivals & other places all around the island, as well as the rest of Europe..


After a lot of rehearsals, enough material was gathered & Armageddon recorded their first 4-song demo in 1987. The following year they recorded their second demo with eight songs, the four older songs from their first demo, but re-orchestrated after a year playing them live, plus four new songs.

Their first released work was an EP on vinyl in 1991 from All Records. Although the disk was loved by the rock & metal music enthusiasts, & it carved out a place for Armageddon as one of the best groups in Cyprus & elsewhere as well, only 500 copies were made. Although it received limited re-release on CD in 2003 (from some sources around Europe), it is still very difficult to find.

Armageddon on Rev. 16:16 are: Jimmy Mayromatis – vocals; Kikis Apostolou – guitar; Antonis Loizides – bass; & Blake Helton – drums.

Armageddon -  Rev.16:16 12" ep, All Records AR 107, 1991. 


Side 1 –
Raiders of Steel
Judgement’s Day

Side 2 –
The Colours Bleed to One
Rockin’ the Universe



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ScarletSnowPrelude is an post-rock screamo hardcore band formed in 2005 in Larnaca on the island of Cyprus. They take their name from the opening level of Vampire Night, a seminal Playstation 2 game. The name seemed rather unusual & aurally appealing; also pleasant was the idea that it didn't have much of a stereotypical connotations.They list the likes of groups as disparate as Every Time I Die & Joy Division as influences. They are working to master & refine their sound. How long they last remains to be seen; such is the nature of many bands in Cyprus, due to the island’s status as a transitional phase of many people’s lives.



Their latest sound includes some great synth-touched emo with a mixture of throaty vocal screams & surreal guitar rhythms very in your face. They’ve enjoyed successful gigs in Greece (at Underworld in Athens) & on Cyprus. In Cyprus they played with their former vocalist, Alex (Club Red in Nicosia) & (at Bands Fest at Club 11 in Larnaca) with their two new vocalists, Theo & Denis (who also plays guitar).

Their goal right now is to finish a ScarletSnowPrelude album that everyone is happy with. That’s the direction they're heading in at the moment. ScarletSnowPrelude are: Theo – vocals; Denis – guitar & vocals; Michael – guitar; Mario – bass; & Paymon – drums.

So here is an ep from ScarletSnowPrelude (I added a remastered bonus track).



Tracklist –
Ashley
Garden Month
Give them Cairo

Bonus track –
Ponder (remastered)



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& before I & I leave de I’land doncha know, Jah Øne be bringin’ some chronic Dub by way of Brother Haji Mike. Testifyin’ about the crime a havin’ but 1 gram, now.





Haile Selassie I,



 








Greece

Reuploaded 12/04/2025


Music is abundant in Greece. Since the beginning of their time, the Greeks have loved to dance. Traditional folk & classical Greek music goes face to face with the harshest of Greek black death gothic power metal. However, being the Contrarian that I am (as well as narco-anarchist & high as the sky) I decided to touch on two other ends of the spectra.

Psych-trance breakbeat-acid electronics goes face to face with 50s rockabilly & 60s garage rock.

Sentna is an electronic audio project functioning under the techno producer Apostolos Karalis. Sentna experiments essentially with the sounds of psychedelic techno-trance. Sentna’s vision is to deliver his own unique audio styles to the electronic musick community: combining cutting edge audio technologies & methologies; blending both hardware & sofware applications; experimenting with tech-groove rythms, industrial sound fx, mechanized atmospheres, inflated bass loops & razor distorted synths. He  is always attempting to invent new sonic formulas for the best acoustic results so that his tracks will give you an inward stimulation of your most eclectic neurons.

Sentna believes in FREE MUSICK. He believes that the meaning, the purpose & the true value of music can gradually & easily be lost when being used as just another selling product. After all, at the beginning of human culture & even now in some so-called ‘primitive societies’, when man's mind & conciousness were or are pure & not alienated by today's global system of depression, humanity uses music & arts for celebrations, ceremonies, inducing trance states, without the use of money, trade or any dealing method for its production. They were or are simply exploring the sound by observing the effect to their brains & the influence that it had to their lives, through living experience, not motivated by money, profit or self success.

 
 Sentna ‎– Nuhlimkilaka (Bringer of Confusion), Psychotropic Records ‎– PSTRO1, 2009. 


Tracklist –
Kahos Ekenza
The Way Back to the Center
4 Dimensions
I Think You do Care
Ant Dance
Etenoha
Nuhlimkilaka
Grandfather Peyote



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StrangeZero are SteliosZero - Στέλιος Φανουράκης (Stelios Fanourakis) & Io-V - Γιάννης Βασιλάς (John Vasilas), from Greece, traveling with machines, dreams & whispering screams. These two young scientists, Doctor John Vasilas & economist Stelios Fanourakis with musick as their “hobby”, a hobby that has translated their passion for music into a most remarkable discography series in the electronica / ambient / experimental scene.

They first met in 1984. They stayed in touch because of their tastes in music. In 1990 they started writing under various names using just a sampler & an Amiga 500. They made field recordings, taping rain sounds & sounds from the places wherever they travelled. They combined these samples with breakbeats, acid tunes & guitars. In many tracks they used vocals. All these tracks still exist in audio tapes & DAT.

For several years their music was put on hold. Stelios was working as a radio producer while Io-V went off to Beograd to study medicine. They got together again in 1998, when they decided to form a more stable unit, an electronic band. They named the band StrangeZero, a name that basically went out as a rallying call to all minorities or outsider groups, usually referred to as Zero’s. It is meant to signify that a Ø can become something when it’s strange, that it can have a unique identity.



StrangeZero were influenced by old Harthouse & Eye Q (techno recording Sven Väth’s Harthouse, a sub-label of Eye Q), strong acid 303 trips (Roland TB 303 - the 303s sound is affectionately referred to as ‘acid’ & it is the leading instrument in ‘acid techno’, a form of music that often focuses on one ‘pattern’ that evolves over the course of the track, from a low grumble all the way up to a distorted screech, achieved by the ‘tweaking’ of the 303 knobs), & experimental ambient sounds. They produced mainly spheric, trancelike music with an excellent choice of spoken words. A great example is the outro "All of Us". They have mixed the speech of a child, Severn Suzuki, at the UN Earth Summit in 1992 into the most appropriate musical framework. Dynamic music, produced professionally, sometimes with a slightly melancholic tendency.

Some people might write this release off as being too simple. & it is quite simple. Despite being filled with sensory overload, every note is given plenty of time to breathe & grow. Nothing is cluttered. The Music relies more on subtlety than forcefulness to work its magic. Every rise & fall, every ebb & flow is allowed to be relished & savored in its own time. The little story contained within the confines of these 13 tracks is a delight to hear unfold. If Newborn Butterflies tells us one thing, it’s this: the story tellers have returned with more fine wares to sample.

 StrangeZero – Newborn Butterflies, StrangeZero self-released 005, 2010. 



 


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The Blue Jeans are definitely the most well known rockabilly band that ever came out of Greece. The Blue Jeans were formed back in 1984 by Alex Berekos initially as a four piece band playing mostly covers. After two years of constant gigging they are offered their first chance to release an E.P. for the Wipe Out recording label. The E.P. features two original songs plus a cover of the instrumental surf tune "Wipe Out". Today this release is considered a collector's item.


In 1990 the band went through a lot of changes both in their line up & with their sound. They added an upright bass player & turned toward a more authentic Rockabilly style while keeping much of their signature sound. The new band was rapidly accepted. Gigs were well received by an ever increasing number of fans. The Blue Jeans soon became one of the hottest live bands in Greece.

In 1991 Angelos Michalopoulos joins the band on saxophone. They are picked to open for both The Cramps & The Ramones shows in Athens. There is not much time for anything but live club & festival dates. Finally the band gets some time to hit the studio, & in 1992 at last they release their first full album HARD TIMES. One of the album's songs, “You Better Watch Out”, is picked up for a UK Nervous Records/ Fury compilation called Streets of Fear released in 1994. Because of fans in England, they get to play at the Hemsby Rock’n’Roll Weekender #15 in 1995. Back in Athens after the festival,  the band decides to stop playing live for a while in order to concentrate on their future plans. They take a short break that lasts up to this day.

The Blue Jeans are: Alex Berekos – guitar & vocals;  Stelios ‘Boogie Boy Steve’ Berekos – double ‘trouble’ bass & Fender bass; Zafiris ‘Jeff’ Karpozolotas – drums & precussion; & Angelos Michalopoulos – saxophone.

 The Blue Jeans – Hard Time, Studio II ST II 03, 1992. 





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The Sound Explosion is a garage rock band formed in May 1991 in Athens, Greece. They got together in order to play garage punk & have great live shows, reviving the lost party days of the mid 60’s.


The line-up was: John - vocals, 6 & 12 string Vox guitar, & harmonica; Jim - Eko bass & backing vocals; Stelios - Farfisa organ, maracas & backing vocals: & Stavros – drums & tambourine. They disbanded in early 1997 but in 2009 they got back together again.
The line-up now is the same except for the organ, which is now handled by Stelios Askoxylakis, who replaced Stelios Drissis, who now resides in Belgium. They still play that old 60's styled garage/punk.

Thanks to their releases through foreign labels they encountered fans in several countries all over the planet. It was in 1993 when The Sound Explosion came up with the release of their debut 7” single “Hangover Baby/Some Other Guy”. Their next single release came through an American label, Dionysus Records in 1994. “I’ll Shake the Universe/Why Can’t You See?”. Their one & only LP was released through the German label Music Maniac Records in 1994, titled The Sound Explosion – Teen Trash vol. 14 from Athens-Greece on the label’s Teen Trash Series. They supported several foreign bands such as The Fuzztones, Dead Moon, Marshmallow Overcoat & The Others. In 1995, a third single was released: “Another Lie/Misirlou the Greek”. Even though they called it quits in 1997, they succeeded in releasing one final 7” in 2000, the four song ep The Last Recordings.

 The Sound Explosion - HanoverBaby/Some Other Guy 7", Pegasus Records – PEG 010, 1993.




Dionysus Records – ID074557, 1994.



Music Maniac Records – MMLP 88014, 1994.


Side A –
Inspector Clouseau in Outer Space / State of My Mind
Send a Message
She’s One of a Kind
Hopeless Endless Way
Don’t Turn Away

Side B –
Lost in Tyme
No!No!No!No!No!
My Baby Went Away with the Midnight Train
The Last November
In the Past
We’re the Sound Explosion


The Sound Explosion - Another Lie / Misirlou the Greek 7", Studio II Records – ST II 08, 1995. 



 The Sound Explosion - The Last Recordings 7" ep, Το Δισκάδικο – S-01-A, 2000.


A1 The S.EX. in Outer Space
A2 You’d Better Shake Right Now

B1 Watch Yourself
B2 She’s Sorry



Rock on & party hardy,