Alien Planetscapes
TOO YOUNG TO HAVE A TAPE RECORDER, TOO OLD TO GET A DRINK!!! (own label) MC
From Audion #4, page 28.
Review by Alan Freeman.

Despite the exceedingly daft title, this is actually a pretty good tape of live electronic music, from a trio of synthesists - Louis Boone (also guitar), David Prescott and Doug Walker (also flute and guitar). The tracks are lengthy and rambling (it’s a c90!) and oozing with energy. I’m often reminded of Throbbing Gristle’s AFTER CEASE TO EXIST, Cluster (1st and 2nd LP’s), Konrad Schnitzler’s ROT and also some Tangerine Dream live tapes I’ve heard.

I assume, to really appreciate this, one would have to listen to it at the same volume as the performance, though it does work quite well on a quieter level. The small audience (sounds like 10 people or so) enjoyed it too!

Alien Planetscapes
SPACEROCK (private release) MC
From Audion #5, page 29.
Review by Alan Freeman.

Maybe you recall my previous Alien Planetscapes review (Audion #4, p.28), well this is completely different. Dedicated to - Amon Düül II, Hawkwind and Third Ear Band, it’s not as rocky as one may expect, but the spirit is there. Recall (if you know them) the long Düül improvisations like Chasmin Soundtrack and Yeti, the spacey abstract drifts of early Hawkwind, and you’ll be getting close to the sound produced here. Other points of reference I can find include - Pink Floyd (parts of Saucerful Of Secrets and Echoes), Tangerine Dream (early recordings), Ash Ra Tempel, Gong; in fact this is a melting pot of influences and ideas.

Performed live, an emotional energy is exuded in this single 60 minute improvisation. Forceful and demanding listening, yet very enjoyable too! Ever-changing, but not always noticeably, the sounds ooze and glide. Musicians move from one instrument to another thus avoiding the possibility of the music becoming static, vocal effects, oboe and flute are added to the multi-synths, guitar, bass, and occasional drums line-up. Anyone into psychedelic space-rock improvisations should love this tape. I hope they get to use a professional studio and record an LP in this vein, that would be great - as live "home" recording and duplication does lose a bit of sound quality and dimension.

Alien Planetscapes
COULD BE TODAY (BBP) MC
From Audion #7, page 31.
Review by Alan Freeman.

These guys seem to be trying to get more tapes out than we can Audion's! Yet again, this is very different to the other releases I've heard by them.

Here we go into the wild lands of spooky cosmic abstract synth music. In fact it sounds, much of the time, like a rehearsal session for a Tangerine Dream concert circa 1971: great atmosphere, but this is totally lacking in composition, progression or communication between the two musicians. That's the problem - it sounds like a rehearsal, not a finished product. (Unlike their SPACEROCK album, reviewed in Audion #5 p.29 - Ed.) A great shame really as it starts off really good.

This leads me to recommend to Doug Walker and co. to be more selective as to what they release in future. It's all well and good holding to the ethic of recording things live, but even live recordings can be edited to miss out the duff moments! (And especially the occasional bum notes! - ED.) Ah, but then this would only be a c40, not a c90, but wouldn't it be better for it?

Alien Planetscapes
ACT OF REASON (-) MC
SPACEROCK 88 (-) MC
IS IT THIS THAT’S THAT? (-) MC
From Audion #10, page 25.
Review by Alan Freeman.

Further treks thru’ deep space have led to the production of even more artefacts from the Space Station Studio.

The results, as witnessed on these three tapes, show that as a musical unit Alien Planetscapes (Doug Walker and Carl Howard) are gaining a sense of intuitive communication in performance.

ACT OF REASON and IS IT THIS THAT’S THAT? further embellish their catalogue of Teutonic inspired spacey synth/sequencer music, and whilst being good are definitely lacking in the sound recording quality stakes. I know Doug Is a keen bootleg tape collector, but surely such music would be far superior if recorded professionally.

SPACEROCK 88 is far less rocky than their previous SPACEROCK tape, mainly because it lacks the drums. With an expanded line-up of extra synth (Barney Jones, ex-Mars Everywhere), guitar and bass it flows nicely with occasional meandering solos. Dedicated to Van Der Graaf and Gong, the actual sound is far closer to the latter’s quieter moments.