Dark Entries and Honey Soundsystem have teamed up to release “Catholic”, the lost opus of disco pioneer Patrick Cowley and Indoor Life vocalist Jorge Socarras. Perhaps one of the most revolutionary and influential people in the cannon of disco music, Cowley created his own brand of Hi-NRG dance music coined "The San Francisco Sound." Born in Buffalo, NY on October 19, 1950, Patrick moved to San Francisco at the age of 21. He studied at the City College of San Francisco and met Jorge Socarras in 1973 through mutual friends. The duo’s first collaboration was a ten-minute trance like piece that Cowley composed for a performance piece by Socarras in 1975. Patrick, who played drums, guitar and keyboards, provided the perfect match for Jorge’s vocal talents. Between 1975 and 1977 they recorded an album’s worth of material before Socarras moved to London and Cowley started playing synthesizers for Sylvester. Upon Jorge’s return to San Francisco in 1979, the duo would re-record some of the “Catholic” songs with Patrick’s newly accumulated equipment. Meanwhile, Socarras met the musicians with whom he would form Indoor Life, and in 1980 Patrick co-produced their first album before the band relocated to New York in 1981. The “Catholic” album was offered to San Francisco’s Megatone Records who passed on it. Fast forward to 2007 when Honey Soundsystem was contacted by John Hedges, former co-owner of Megatone Records. Hedges’ was moving to Palm Springs and invited the crew over to his basement to collect over 2,000 records from his collection. Among the archives were three moldy boxes of quarter inch reel to reel tapes featuring unreleased music by Cowley, including the “Catholic” material. The reel was passed on to Stefan Goldmann of Macro Recordings in Berlin who tracked down Jorge Socarras to clear the rights, and released the album on CD in 2009. 

“Catholic” is a genre-bending concept album that ranges from minimalistic proto-techno to synth-driven post-punk, pre-dating the dance punk acts LCD Soundsystem and The Rapture by almost 30 years.  It shows a much broader range than any Cowley or Socarras material available and gives a totally new perspective to one of the most inspiring eras in music history. Influenced by Tomita, Wendy Carlos, the Velvet Underground and Roxy Music, “Catholic” fills in the gaps between these artists and preempts bands like Talking Heads, Units, The Human League or Chris & Cosey.  Patrick forges his unique electronic sound from his collection of synthesizers, modified guitars and self-constructed equipment while Jorge’s vocals go from hypnotic to camp, singing about gay love juju and tackling classics by Donovan and Stoller & Leiber.  


Featuring over 80 minutes of music, never before released on vinyl, this compilation contains two bonus tracks not on the CD. The tapes were meticulously restored by mastering guru Rashad Becker at D+M, in Berlin, then remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA.  The vinyl comes housed in a glossy dual pocket gatefold featuring the intended album cover from the original “Catholic” photo shoot in 1979 plus original hand-lettering by Arch Connelly aka A. Style for the first 45rpm single that never was. Inside the gatefold sleeve contains lyrics and an essay from Jorge Socarras. For the 32nd anniversary of Patrick's death, Dark Entries and Honey Soundsystem present a glimpse into the innovative minds of two geniuses. These recordings shine a new light on the experimental side of a disco legend who was taken too soon. All proceeds from “Catholic” will be donated to the San Francisco AIDS Housing Alliance. 

16 Hurdy Gurdy Man

A few months ago, I hit up Micah Van Zandt and suggested we do some covers of a band we both like - T. Rex - to help clear a creative logjam we were both suffering from. The homie was immediately all for it and got right to work on a few deep cuts, and after a few evenings of hard work, we were able to get two of these done by Marc Bolan's birthday! Crazy.

"Hang-Ups" features one of the best guitar solos I've ever played, and Micah's take on "Cosmic Dancer" is indeed cosmic. Maybe people will like this!

Micah played the piano and the lead and background vocals. I played slide guitar, synth bass (in lieu of him having synthesized cello on a short basis I could play) and did some background voices.

Cosmic Dancer (T. Rex Cover)

100% classic psychedelic music!
A love letter to California and the mid 1960's-mid 70's Counterculture. 

Trax:

The Beach Boys - Don't Go Near The Water
Love - ¡Que Vida!
Jefferson Airplane - Triad
The Mothers of Invention - Wowie Zowie
Brian Auger and The Trinity - Isola Natale
The Undisputed Truth - California Soul
The Doors - Strange Days
The Strawberry Alarm Clock - The World Is On Fire
The Mothers of Invention - Plastic People
Can - Cascade Waltz
Shuggie Otis - Sparkle City
Love - She Comes In Colors
Marianne Faithfull - Tomorrow's Calling
Sweetwater - My Crystal Spider
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Spanish Castle Magic
The Strawberry Alarm Clock - Tomorrow
The Electric Prunes - I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)
Love - My Flash On You
The Mothers of Invention - Trouble Every Day
The Doors - The Spy
Brian Auger and The Trinity (Featuring Julie Driscoll) - Season of the Witch
The Standells - Rari (Full version)
The Byrds - Eight Miles High (RCA version)
Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit (Mono Single version)
The Electric Prunes - Kyrie Eleison
The Mamas & The Papas - California Dreamin'
The Byrds - You Ain't Going Nowhere
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Almost Cut My Hair
The Beach Boys - 'Til I Die

RADIO HEMP ROSE: Trouble Every Day

The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Anemone

A few songs I recorded in 2002. Inspired by Todd Rundgren's Faithful album (1976)

Emitt Rhodes - Somebody Made for Me

Recorded september 13 live at A-Synth Fest 2014
Grabenhalle St. Gallen, CH
All rights remain with the artist
Photo by Katja Ruge Photography

A-Synth Fest

The Space Lady - I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night (The Electric Prunes Cover)

UNITY: The Pavarotti Sessions is an album recorded in the spring of 2017 by students of the United World College in Mostar, and is comprised of original songs and covers. It was recorded in the Pavarotti Center studio in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Marlene (Jackson C. Frank)

Bluesrunthegame