Spike: Orange Cloud Nine (Free MP3) Vinyl LP

The past year has seen a nonstop unearthing of buried musical treasures. Long lost recordings have been dug up and dusted off, giving shine to recordings that had not been heard in decades. If you've bought records from Iasos, Leon Lowman, or William Onyeabor then here's the next one you'll most likely be picking up. Back in the early 80s, Dutch musician Spike Wolters was busy in his low budget studio in Holland. Using early drum machines and synths along with a heavy dose of guitar, Wolters released four LPs on his own Spike Records label. The music is futuristic while bearing a certain primitiveness. At times his vocals, masked by reverb and delay, channel Phil Collins. Although the music is far from mainstream, he almost exists outside of society. Wolters is said to have sued his government for lifetime rights to the dole, he's also claimed to have been "stoned every day since March 1973." And things seem to move in slow motion in his world. We can thank Golf Channel for stepping in and releasing Orange Cloud Nine. Compiled jointly by label head Phil South and Abel Nagenast from Amsterdam's Redlight Records, the LP features a number of standout cuts. The artwork is designed by clothes designers Perks & Mini and the album includes liner notes from testpressing.org's Dr. Rob. Recommended.

• music label: Golf Channel Recordings 2013

reviewed by Michu Meszaros 02/2014