Saint Etienne's
Bob Stanley and the British Film Institute's
Jason Wood compiled
Cafe Exil: New Adventures in European Music 1972-1980 as an exploration of the types of music
David Bowie and
Iggy Pop might have been listening to in Europe during the time period, particularly during their Berlin years.
Fantastic Voyage is a continuation of this concept, focusing on music that appeared in the wake of
Bowie's famed Berlin Trilogy, recorded with
Brian Eno and producer
Tony Visconti. The selections range from artists associated with the burgeoning new wave and post-punk scenes to veteran art rock figures who were entering new phases of creativity. The set opens with
Simple Minds' "Theme for Great Cities," a propulsive instrumental that could make an ideal theme for a travelogue program. There's stiff industrial funk from
Cabaret Voltaire and
Thomas Leer, as well as
Ryuichi Sakamoto's quirky electro jam "Riot in Lagos" and more abstract electronic explorations from
Patrick Cowley and
Harald Grosskopf.
Grauzone's timeless, electrifying "Eisbär" represents the Neue Deutsche Welle movement (though the band was actually Swiss), and the closest connection to the earlier Krautrock scene is the inclusion of the languid, groovy "Ode to Perfume" by
Can's
Holger Czukay. The collection's more theatrical selections include
the Associates' "White Car in Germany," "No Self Control" from
Peter Gabriel's third album, and
the Walker Brothers' radical reinvention "Nite Flights." The compilers not only pick a track from
Robert Fripp's solo debut
Exposure (its art-funk title track), but the weightless, atmospheric "The Farther Away I Am" from
Sacred Songs, the amazing
Daryl Hall solo effort that
Fripp produced. Other surprises include a synth chanson ("Patriarcat") by
Brigitte Fontaine and
Areski Belkacem and a sci-fi disco tune ("Silicon Chip") by
Basil Kirchin, best known for composing soundtracks and library music.
Fantastic Voyage is a fine sampler of experimental pop sounds that would influence adventurous musicians throughout the following decades. ~ Paul Simpson