Blanga LP (orange/red/yellow smash vinyl - 300 made)

OK, what you need to know about Blanga is that it features the core F/i lineup of Richard Franecki, Grant Richter and Brian Wensing, and it has remained a favourite for both the label(s) and the band ever since. It saw the group reconfigure into a tight unit and blaze their way through six tracks which are the perfect balance between their rock impulses and more cosmic wanderings.

The opener, "In The Garden Of Blanga", churns through space like a ritualised Hawkwind; "Blanga's Love Song" features gurgling, raga electronics in an early Tangerine Dream vein; and the closer, "Grandfather Blanga And His Band Light It Up", is a glorious lo-fi dirge of grimy psychedelic rock. In between, the band presents light, shade and a trip to the outer spheres. Ahoy!

This LP edition is in a run of 300 copies on 'orange mash-up' vinyl, with slightly reconfigured artwork from the original. The theme of the Chinese opium den is still there, though different pictures are used (more due to the fact that Getty Images subsequently bought the photos originally used for the CD and now charge silly money for their use). Anyway!

The world of Blanga awaits...