[View Neptune's discography and listen to their schtuff HERE]
One of the more puzzling developments I’ve witnessed during my decade-or-so as a music ninja lord is the relative obscurity of Neptune. Fantastic records, forward-thinking sound, prog/kosmiche sensibility before the great Prog Boom ruined it, the elusiveness of a band borne in Boston but only available for purchase from spazzoids in Britain … these guys are the real deal, sort of like Oneida for folks who find even Oneida to be too tamestream.
Untitled/Improv — along with Gong Lake and Intimate Lightning – forms the crust of my understanding of Neptune’s gravitational pull, and … from what I can gather … they’re pretty much willing to try anything to twist your ears like a big purple titty. No vocals, no “songs,” no singular identity beyond that of underground ghosts who release an colored-vinyl platter every year or two then disappear back into a cloak of darkness.
Dare I present a list of similar bands to whet yr ever-randy tastebuds? I dare:
- Tarantel (especially the more experimental side of this also-underrated post-life band)
- flash.bat (not sure if they ever followed up on that cool lil’ CD they put out on Locust Music, but I still think of them often)
- I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Black Dice and Eric Copeland; hell, maybe even post-BD project Sun Circle
- Aspects Of Physics (which formed from the ashes of Physics, which featured future Pinbacker Rob Crow)
- the solo recordings of longtime Gumshoe grope victim Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
- pretty much any band/label in the Shearing Pinx/Isolated Now Waves/Mongst/Totally Ripped axis
- The Flying Luttenbachers / Weasel Walter solo
- at times the always-looming, panic-button FREAK-out nature of Andy Ortmann/Panicsville rears its uglicious head
- Dilute (best known for their split 2CD with Hella)
- Sun Araw (in fact he probably listened to a lot of Neptune coming up)
- too many tape-based bands/labels to name (Desolate Horizon, several releases on NNA Tapes, Sanity Muffin, etc.)
- Sports (though this recent Feeding Tube releasee sounds like three Neptunes squish-squashed together)
Jesus Christ! I could have rambled all night about touchstones and such, but what I’m really trying to express is how dignified Neptune’s music is. It’s like nothing in the orbit you’re doubtlessly following these days, and best of all, you don’t have to pay silly cash to get ahold of their albums … yet.
Best get on it, sucker. If you need any more convincing, the live video below should just about do it for you. Almost insultingly awesome.
