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LP
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BONF 010LP
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Reissue, originally released in 1967. 1967, just like it was yesterday, pre-Vietnam War scenario, high hopes, and a new bright horizon, soon to be fall. Meanwhile, the music and -- in this case -- the celestial vocal harmonies of the East Coast unit formally known as Free Design. Their 1967 debut Kites Are Fun is still a case in point and a major influence on today's alternative pop. Often referred as the East Coast answer to Mamas & the Papas, the band had a more ethereal and eclectic approach. From the gentle orchestral accompaniment of "Make the Madness Stop" to the folkish bossa of "When Love Was Young" through the sensational arrangements of "Proper Ornaments" -- a number eventually championed by Madlib in the stunning tribute The Now Sound Redesigned (2005) -- you'll find more than a singular approach. Produced by none other than Enoch Light, the album is still an astonishing piece of heavenly art-pop with such a lysergic counterpoint. 180 gram vinyl; edition of 500.
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LP
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BONF 001LP
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Bonfire Records present a reissue of The Free Design's Heaven/Earth, originally released in 1969. A vocal band that made it through, the Free Design have been more than an exception in the glittering world of the psychedelic circus. That was the Age of Aquarius in the end, but in the long run the four-piece had an enormous impact on the younger generation. Released in 1969 Heaven/Earth is a cornerstone on its own and 30 years later the band had a sort of epiphany, thanks to the spanning interest of artists such as Cornelius, Beck, Stereolab, and crate digger master Madlib. By now the Free Design are considered in the same league of The Beach Boys and The Carpenters. Under the influence of the Hi-Lo's and Peter, Paul and Mary, the Free Design rose through the folk scene of the Greenwich Village coffee houses, achieving national prominence with the enchanting "Kites Are Fun". They would prove to be at least the artistic equals of such popular contemporaries as The Association, The Mamas and the Papas, The Fifth Dimension, and Harper's Bizarre, but without quite matching their commercial success. Rather than be dictated to and diluted by the majors, they chose to commit to the artistic freedom and potential to develop offered them by the producer Enoch Light through his independent set up Project 3 Total Sound. Licensed by Cherry Red. 180 gram vinyl.
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CD
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MA 052CD
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Originally released in 2001, this release saw the return of one of the most idiosyncratic and original groups from the sixties: The Free Design -- cited as a main influence by artists like Stereolab (who named an entire EP after the group), The High Llamas, Saint Etienne and Cornelius (who reissued their sixties recordings on his own Trattoria label). The group recorded seven albums between 1967 and 1973, and originals of these albums are now extremely sought-after. Free Design main man Chris Dedrick agreed to a one-off reformation in 2000 to contribute to the Marina compilation of Caroline Now! The Music of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. This led directly to a full-scale reunion, and Cosmic Peekaboo presented the first new material by The Free Design in almost 30 years. Performed by the original line up that recorded their 1967 debut album Kites Are Fun, Cosmic Peekaboo is a complex masterpiece of unique beauty, abstract vocal harmonies and truly unusual arrangements of all new original songs. Over 30 years, The Free Design remain separate from the pack with a completely unique artistic vision. Cosmic Peekaboo is as heavenly and artful as pop can be.
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LP
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MA 052LP
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LP version. Originally released in 2001, this release saw the return of one of the most idiosyncratic and original groups from the sixties: The Free Design. The group recorded seven albums between 1967 and 1973, and originals of these albums are now extremely sought-after. F Performed by the original line up that recorded their 1967 debut album Kites Are Fun, Cosmic Peekaboo is a complex masterpiece of unique beauty, abstract vocal harmonies and truly unusual arrangements of all new original songs. Over 30 years, The Free Design remain separate from the pack with a completely unique artistic vision. Cosmic Peekaboo is as heavenly and artful as pop can be.
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