In depth liner notes by Douglas Mcgowan and Jason Patrick Woodbury * Extraordinary cover art by astronomer / entomologist ?tienne Trouvelot * Remastered audio, including a previously unreleased track and several others previously cassette only. Three years in the making, The Microcosm: Visionary Music Of Continental Europe, 1970-1986 is the first major overview of key works from cosmically-taped in artists needing little introduction - Vangelis, Ash Ra Tempel, and Popol Vuh - and and unknown masterpieces by criminally overlooked heroes like Bernard Xolotl, Robert Julian Horky and Enno Velthuys. Whereas I Am The Center called for a reconsideration of an entire maligned genre, The Microcosm requests nothing more than an open mind to consider this ambient, new age, neuzeit, prog, krautrock, cosmic, holistic stuff, whatever one calls it - as a pulsating movement unto itself, a mirror refracting the American new age scene in unexpected, electrifying ways, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt the universality of the timeless quest to express "the Ineffable" through music. Drawing from major label budgets and homemade cassette distributed circumstances alike, The Microcosmdemonstrates a depth of peace profound to behold, and clearly expands the boundaries. Lovingly conceived and lavishly presented by producer Douglas Mcgowan (Yoga Records) and liner notes contributor Jason Patrick Woodbury (Pitchfork, Aquarium Drunkard), The Microcosm features stunning cover paintings by ?tienne Trouvelot, and labels by Finnish savant Aleksanda Ionowa. TRACKLISTING: 01. VANGELIS - CREATION DU MONDE 02. RALPH LUNDSTEN - B?N 5 - F?RLЏT OSS VЏRA SKULDER 03. ASH RA TEMPEL - LE SOURIRE VOLђ 04. POPOL VUH - BR?DER DES SCHATTENS - S?HNE DES LICHTS (ABRIDGED) 05. ARIEL KALMA - ORGUITAR SOIR 06. BERNARD XOLOTL - COMETARY WAILING (VALLEY PLATEAU) 07. PETER MICHAEL HAMEL - EINKLANG 08. FRANCESCO MESSINA - UNTITLED 09. ROEDELIUS - WENN DER S?DWIND WEHT 10. DEUTSCHE WERTARBEIT - DER GROSSE ATEM 11. ROBERT JULIAN HORKY - DANCE FOR A WARRIOR 12. KARL SCHAFFNER & LOTHAR GRIMM - CARAVAN 13. SUZANNE DOUCET & CHRISTIAN BUEHNER - SHIVAS DANCE 14. ENNO VELTHUYS - MORNING GLORY 15. DEUTER - SPIRALES 16. GIGI MASIN - SHIP BEETEL
