The first of six productions released by UK vinyl specialist label Fruits de Mer Records in November 2013, The Fruits de Mer Annual 2014 is a collection of bits and pieces from the year we’re about to leave behind that for some reason or other didn’t fit into any of their other productions, yet were to good to not be released. From what I understand this label tends to release such tasty leftovers on an annual basis, and this particular edition is a really tasty one.

The Giant Blue Zeta Puppies arrange a happy marriage of surf guitar 60’s style liberally flavored with careful space rock effects and soaring keyboard textures on two blazing, energetic songs: Joe 90 Theme (by Barry Gray) and Lost in Space (by John Williams). In between this vibrant duo Astralasia has a nifty psychedelic rock flavored run through Johnny Remember Me (by Goeff Goddard), in this take it’s a case of a spaghetti western in space, splendidly executed. Astralasia returns with a dub mix of this song at the end of this single too, a case of spaghetti western in space that have relocated to Jamaica. Nice stuff.

Just prior to Astralasia’s Jamaican adventure we’re presented with a nice little treat however. With hiss and crackles aplenty, a previously unreleased track by obscure 60’s band The Raiders is rolled out in all it’s psychedelic glory. Frail, plucked guitar soloing on top of a sparse rhythm arrangement is the name of the game here, with a brief pace filled interlude sporting a not quite as tantalizing darker toned guitar motif in the driving seat. We’re soon back to the psychedelic joys recorded almost 50 years ago though, a fine little piece of rock history now preserved in vinyl history courtesy of Fruits de Mer Records.

My rating: 88/100