VOID Archives - Guerssen Records

Get Off

GuerssenAdmin — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 22:00:00 +0000

Rare New Jersey band from the 70’s in a grooving, jamming rock in a Grateful Dead (in their seventies garb, post Pig Pen), Allman Brothers (with Duane still alive), Little Feat vein. This is the kind of record that gets better the more it goes on, with side two being one of the most desirable in the whole genre.

Mad Fables came together in the 1970’s before such labels as “jam band” or “indie band” existed. They self-produced and published their own music — they released “Get Off” in 1977 — and established a base of friends who enjoyed music and community. They called it “making a record”. Every year Mad Fables would celebrate the end of winter and arrival of Spring, by throwing a huge party to which the entire world was invited. Attendees were asked to bring their signature dish or beverage and the group would play spirited sets of music. The leftovers usually fed the group for a month. Mad Fables drew thousands of people to their self-run events. Far more people say they “saw the band live” than actually exist in the state of New Jersey!

After the group disbanded around 1980, the feasts continued as a type of once a year reunion. Shockingly enough, the Feast was held for 30 consecutive years. Mad Fables music was never destined for commercial acceptance. In its best years, its members’ incomes would never rise to the poverty line. But for those who were touched by it, the music burns brightly even today.

According to the band, Mad Fables’ music was the result of a process “that nourished and drew upon their collective experience, fusing the music with whatever emotions arose while playing. This audio alchemy unleashed an energy that enveloped those tuned to this type of frequency, and drove all to a joyful madness.”

*500x copy pressing on black vinyl with insert and a back cover design (the rare original didn’t have any).

*Vinyl reissue debut for this rare private press jam-band gem

*Grooving, jamming rock in a Grateful Dead (in their seventies garb, post Pig Pen), Allman Brothers (with Duane still alive), Little Feat vein

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The Rayne

GuerssenAdmin — Sun, 22 Jan 2023 23:00:00 +0000

From 1966-67 comes The Rayne, only released on an acetate at the time. Cool male/female psych from New York. 500 press on black vinyl with band insert.

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The City In An Owl’s Eye

GuerssenAdmin — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 22:00:00 +0000

Legendary and rare folk-psych private press record from 1967 that holds up well. Furthermore, the LP is legendary in a literal sense: until recently, few collectors really even knew it truly existed. And Roger Salloom? imagine Jack Kerouac, John Belushi, Lord Buckley, and Lenny Bruce, then throw in Leadbelly, Jimmy Reed, Lonnie Johnson, and Geoff Muldaur… all rolled into one person, and you have a glimpse of poet, singer-songwriter Roger Salloom.
Salloom was in the center of the 1960s San Francisco psychedelic scene, playing the Fillmore with Santana, Van Morrison, BB King and Procul Harum. In the 1970s he moved to Nashville to pursue songwriting, then disappeared for two decades to raise a family as a single parent and draw a syndicated cartoon. There is a story here. A story so intriguing that it enticed an award-winning filmmaker to make a film about the subject. So Glad I Made It, the Saga of Roger Salloom, America’s Best Unknown Songwriter, won six awards, was on the 2006 Grammy ballot, and received rave reviews across the U.S.
Let’s back up: in Bloomington, IN, Roger formed Salloom, Sinclair and Mother Bear. Moving to San Francisco in 1967, they performed in venues such as The Carousel, The Fillmore and The Avalon Ballroom alongside contemporaries Santana, Procol Harum and BB King. When Chess Records founder Marshall Chess sought to broaden the label’s roster, he signed Salloom, Sinclair and Mother Bear; this resulted in two albums released on Cadet/Concept. When Mother Bear went into extended hibernation, Salloom and co-leader Robin Sinclair found further success in Nashville with Area Code 615. Roger created an extended family of artist peers while in Nashville that included Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell and Richard Dobbins. Later, as a single Dad, Salloom had a challenging life throughout the 1980’s. After settling in Northampton, MA, he continued songwriting, recording and playing with artists such as The Band, John Prine, Jonathan Edwards, Jerry Jeff Walker, The BoDeans, Joan Armatrading and Leon Russell.
But before all that, Salloom was in Indiana, performing at a coffee house called The Owl. “The City in an Owl’s Eye” is from that period (1967) — and it is simply brilliant. Most of the LP is Salloom, presenting a Hippie Buddhism, era-appropriate, Indian raga-inspired droney homage to everything being nothing. Totally out there. A large portion of side two is a psychedelic voice/sound collage from a group called the Vest Pocket Players. A fair bit of digging reveals that a 19-year-old Kevin Kline (yes, the actor) was part of that group. Everyone else is a mystery. Void Records says: “I spoke to Salloom, who couldn’t seem to remember what I had just said, let alone who else was involved with the recording, or that group. Interviews with Kline have confirmed his participation, but he is unfortunately not currently returning my calls and so I haven’t been successful in finding out anything further.” “Roger William Salloom – a neurotic, gentle soul who weaves his experiences, ideas, and emotions into simple, yet profound songs beautiful enough to rival his infectious smile.” — Joanne Casale, Motif
A legit reissue of 375x copies on black vinyl. This small press is sure to sell out quickly…

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Episodes

GuerssenAdmin — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 23:00:00 +0000

Very rare album from 78-79. An amazing accomplishment of electric folkrock, harmony and more, as only Richard can do it. Much rarer and better than noted “Lavender Daydreams”, this was just a 100 press way back, now a legit Void press of 700 should get everyone a copy. “Love’s Fool”, “Breaking Away” are the highlights. Lyric sleeve is here. Original had just a tiny picture of Richard pasted on the cover. For the Void Reissues they have encompassed the picture as well as full backing artwork front and back. A nice one and way overdue to be reissued on Vinyl.

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Satori Circus

GuerssenAdmin — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 22:00:00 +0000

Richard Soutar was one of the earliest artists on the east coast to write, record, press and publish his own albums. In 1976, he self-released a trippy DIY gem of a record called “Lavender Daydreams,” followed by “Episodes” in 1979. Both albums eventually saw reissue as (long sold out) LP editions on Void Records, who are now going to release Soutar’s latest recordings in a band setting, Satori Circus, which has touches of hard rock, blues, and county — as handled in Soutar’s idiosyncratic way. Stated influences on the new album include the Doors and Mississippi John Hurt — and maybe much more accurately, an Adyashanti lecture: “all the crazy scenes you go through like a madman running in circles and suddenly seeing it clearly because you’re in this very quiet sacred moment that descends unexpectedly on you. Some people call it Grace, others samadhi, others Satori,” as Soutar explains.
“Satori Circus is a collection of songs I wrote over the last fifteen years… and some go back farther,” says Soutar. “It included sounds that aren’t being created anymore but I still love and I feel others might still want to hear. I played with sound effects more. I also had access to a mellotron and a Hammond B3 and anything else I could think of. Satori Circus is my movement into digital. It was very difficult and I struggled with my 8-track digital. It was like working with gloves on for an analogue and tape guy. There were extra steps and a lot of multi-function buttons, but there was economy too.” Limited to a 400 copies on black vinyl.

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Sugar bear

GuerssenAdmin — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 23:00:00 +0000

Super rare Florida swamp psych from 1972. Reissue from another private pressing from the 70s, this time featuring a charming chunk of rural rock from the Sunshine state. Originally released on No Label records this 4-piece produced an album of high originality defying categorization. A record of real depth and intelligence, including some harmonica playing and covering all kind of styles, from rock’n’roll to blues and country. Limited to 500 copies.

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