(Krautrock, Jazz-rock) Eiliff - Close Encounter With Their Third One 1972 - 1999 (GoD 036), APE (image+.cue) lossless

Formed in the late 60's by Rainer Brüninghaus, Houschäng Nejadepour, Detlev Landmann, Herbert J. Kalveram and Bill Brown, EILIFF were a German instrumental band who turned fusion on its head with a pair of studio albums featuring classy Canterbury-style jamming with bass, guitar and keyboards plus some ethnic instruments thrown in (mostly the sitar). Two live albums were also released, one of which only came out 30 years later. Being somewhat out of step with the then dominant Kosmiche tradition, the band never really made a name for themselves despite displaying some phenomenal musicianship. References include SOFT MACHINE, early KING CRIMSON, COLOSSEUM, NUCLEUS, VDGG as well as Miles Davis and Frank Zappa.

Their eponymous album (71) features some killer keyboards (electric piano), wild guitar and sax interplay with very complex grooves and extended jams. The similar but more psychedelic album "Girlrls" (72) is even more improvisational and jammy, with frequent nods to KING CRIMSON and DEEP PURPLE. On both live albums, the "Bremen 1972 Live" and "Close Encounters With Their Third One" (recorded in 71-72 but only released in 2002), the band moves effortlessly from energetic, fast-paced riffs to more spacey free-form passages with equal skill. The sound quality is surprisingly good on both.

Intense head prog, early 70's style, that will appeal to fans of SOFT MACHINE, EMBRYO and BRAINSTORM.
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EILIFF - Close Encounter With Their Third One
Don't be deceived by the Roger Dean-like cover art on this one. German band EILIFF was like no other contemporary band playing progressive music in the early seventies. These recordings were taken from a Cologne radio show called "Nachtmusik" which was aired on Nov. 10, 1972. Everything from SOFT MACHINE to early KING CRIMSON can be heard here albeit with much more force and with tinges of Eastern European free-form jazz. The technical prowess of the individual musicians is aptly demonstrated on the highlight track "Hallimasch" which is a free for all blow out jam which features some interesting changes and great Hammond Organ and sax interaction culminating with a crazed psychedelic guitar solo from Persian born guitarist Houshang Nejadepour. Two other tracks are also adventurous interpretations of compositions taken from their album "Girlrls" while "Lilybaeum" was a track which never made it on to a studio album. Fans of bands like SOFT MACHINE, Miles Davis' Bitches Brew sessions and VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR will not be dissapointed with this excellent live performance from this esoteric and overlooked band.
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- Bill Brown / bass
- Rainer Brüninghaus / keyboards
- Herbert J. Kalveram / saxophone
- Detlev Landmann / drums
- Houschäng Nejadepour / guitar, sitar