ZOASTRA
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| Kevin Harrison early 1970's |
Zoastra was a newly created experimental synthi-band formed by Kevin Harrison in 1973- 4 which never fully got off the ground but which historically forms a bridge between the stylistics of Kevin's early band Whistler (Avant Garde jazz rock c 1969 - 70) and the later band Urge (c 1979 / 81).
The following information is from an interview I (Trev Teasdel) did with Zoastra in June 1973 for Hobo - Coventry Music and Arts Magazine.
Zoastra consisted of the core members of Whistler, moving on from their Jazz / Rock roots into an an area more associated with Eno and Roxy Music and David Bowie, by way of influence.
Kevin Harrison went on to help form Transposed Men in the late 70's with Neol Davies and John Bradbury, doing some of the Neol Davies songs, like On My Radio,that became associated later with The Selecter.
Kevin Harrison went on to help form Transposed Men in the late 70's with Neol Davies and John Bradbury, doing some of the Neol Davies songs, like On My Radio,that became associated later with The Selecter.
John Westacott (Bass and Electric footware - Grunts!)
Richie (Headrock) Medlock (Drums,impressions,vocals / writer)
Zodicoaxial (Kevin Harrison) (Guitar / 12 string / electronics / composition).
Lynda Harrison (Synthesiser / keyboards and vocals.)
Note - there were two line ups and Kevin describes the early line up below.
About Zoastra
Notes from the Hobo interview -
"In the room I witnessed all kinds of electronic boxes and synths as Kevin tried to explain the concept of the new band to me.
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| Lynda Harrison - early 1970's |
Kevin gave me the following lyric / poems for Hobo (see below). The lyrics were created using Da Da / William Burroughs cut ups techniques that David Bowie was experimenting at the time.
I don't think this outfit ever got to the gigging stage, which is a shame as the material sounded quite amazing, long before synthi-bands became the norm in the early 80's. Kevin Harrison and his wife Lynda were among Coventry's most experimental musicians and as such highly underrated in the scheme of Coventry music.
In 2007, Kevin Harrison commented on Zoastra after I first posted this material on the early Hobo site.
"Zoastra was indeed a transitional project, it was certainly more experimental than Whistler but contained seeds of the cut-up poetry/prose that 'Urge' employed to good effect in the late seventies.
Envisaged as a Science-Fiction / Faction vehicle there were 2 line-ups, the first included myself - Kevin Harrison, Charles Bullen (later a 'This Heat' member and former guitarist with Al Docker's band Tsar)), two drummers Gary Curtain & Al Docker, Lynda Harrison and John Westacott, this formation rehearsed twice at The Nags Head, Nuneaton.
The second line-up is the one you describe and rehearsed every weekend at Packington Lodge for a month or so, we almost did a gig for a barbecue there, but they opted instead for a band playing Rolling Stones covers!"
At the interview in June 1973, Kevin Harrison provided me with a copy his cut up lyrics for Zoastra - here
Mirror image falling
Visceral plains converging
Tactile dactylites tacky on Vu-screen
Increase photo-image fall-out
Micro-sonics beaming in on all sides now
We must not reiterate
Protect isometric scanner gamma shields
Psyche in on sound and image flakes
Laser-tronics up full-sound.
Dip! – Cut!
Re-program atmosphere
Dials set zero
Now Millennium.
Lyric by Kevin Harrison
And thus I was transcended into the Kozmic Realm of ZOASTRA. ZOASTRA being the collective name of four musicians joining creative forces to produce what they call "Strictly 70's Head Musik".
Got sussed in a space
Got spaced and sussed the
Angle at which all life
On this planet evolves
Like an envelope the smaller
Part of encapsulation
Bitten by my transmuted mind
Found alive two ice-frozen
Humans licked down the waste
Eaten true in haste.
Lyric by Kevin Harrison
"Zoastra are, at the time of writing, considering the possibility of visual effects to illustrate their muzik further.
If you are into spacey head muzik then watch out for Zoastra. If you are a dancer, then beware, unless you are the weirdest dancer this side of Swanswell!!
Neon strip ice-cream dripped back in time
To Formentara
Cinematic surfing girls serve it up in dreams
Venus seems so far, Lurex factor sleeps
Micrograms run down zingel, lightening
Caressing skin, time spaced abstract
Vegas!
Lyric Kevin Harrison
Below part of my notes from the Hobo interview with Zoastra.
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