EILIFF — Eiliff (1971-1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

EILIFF were an early 70s prog band who released two albums before breaking up. "Eiliff" is their 1971 debut. The band seemed quite influenced by early Frank ZAPPA, SOFT MACHINE, and VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR. Listeners are quickly treated to countless complex, yet gritty, sections on each of the 4 tracks. There is an emphasis on sax and electric piano interplay, but the album also features excellent guitar work (although some solos border on noodling). Most of the vocals reminded me of the MOTHERS OF INVENTION. They tend to be dissonant, somewhat sloppy, yet charming. Overall, this is great stuff if you enjoy early 70s prog. If I were to point out a flaw it would have to be that EILIFF had the tendency to sound exactly like their influences. So, the ZAPPA-influenced sections sound exactly like ZAPPA, the SOFT MACHUNE-influenced sections sound like long-lost SOFT MACHINE recordings, etc. There is nothing wrong with that, of course, because it sounds like EILIFF did quite a bit of research and they did it correctly, but if you're looking for originality maybe you won't find it. Fans of SUPERSISTER, and MATCHING MOLE should definitely check "Eiliff" out. progarchives
Tracklist :
1. Byrd-Night Of The Seventh Day (5:05)
2. Gammeloni (6:43)
3. Uzzek Of Rigel IV (10:53)
4. Suite (20:38)
Credits :
Houschäng Nejadepour - Electric, Acoustic & 12-string Guitars, Sitar
Rainer Brüninghaus - Organ, Electric Piano, Sounds
Herbert Kalveram - Saxophone
Bill Brown - Bass
Detlev Landmann - Drums

EILIFF — Girlrls! (1972-1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Unchanged line-up and an even uglier/tackier artwork than on the debut album, Eiliff's second album is a tad more on the prog rock side than its predecessor, recorded the year before. One of the few things that did change is that keyboard player Brüninghaus is not only playing organ, but ha also plays electric piano and saxman Kalveran has not only a tenor sax, but an alto sax as well. It might seem relatively minute changes, but they will make a difference in this album, in terms of interplay and composition.

Opening on the 6-mins Eve Of Eternity, Eiliff seems to have listened to some more Focus, (although both groups were more or less contemporary) and you'd swear they'd be copying Finch has that group not yet been recording. King Of The Frogs is another example that Eiliff should never be caught singing. Not only are the vocals catastrophically bad, but while they're on, the rest of the track's production simply sucks as well. After two verses, the singing stops for a narration backed by a free-jazz improv, before picking up again. The album's best track Journey To The Ego closes the first side in a brilliant hard drivin' jazz-rock manner and one of the album's best moment.

The title track opens the flipside and is easily the albums' most Canterburyan track, eyeing at Soft Machine and Nucleus, easily the album's apex, especially once into its slower torrid middle section and its slow build up to the original riff. The 9-mins Hallimasch is unfortunately plagued with those awful vocals (and again the recording production of the rest of the group being botched), but once over with them (as if a chore), the track opens up into a red-hot groove with Najedepour (guitar), Kalveran (sax) and Brüninghaus (el piano) exchanging excellent lines and solos that Secret Oyster wouldn't disown.

While this second album is marginally better than the debut, it is most likely that Eiliff, like many other kraut-jazz-rock groups, were probably most at ease in concert and surely with their bassist not singing. While neither album are essential, prefer this album to their debut and maybe check G O D's Encounter of The Third Kind, the Bremen broadcast being much too short. progarchives
Tracklist :
1.  Eve Of Eternity    5:57
2.  King Of The Frogs    5:45
3.  Journey To The ''Ego''    6:08
4.  Girlrls    6:40
5.  Hallimasch    8:48
Credits :
Bass, Vocals [Vocal] – Bill Brown   
Drums, Percussion – Detlef Landmann
Guitar – Houschäng Nejadepour
Music By, Arranged By – Eiliff
Organ, Electric Piano – Rainer Brünninghaus
Tenor Saxophone [Tenor], Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax] – Herbert Kalveram
Words By – Bill Brown (tracks: 2, 5)

EILIFF — Bremen 1972 (1972-2009) Three Version | APE + WV + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Eiliff, living together in a house in Cologne-Rath, did release two LPs and a 7" single. Elaborated works of art indeed, but too elaborated to be consumed by the masses. They are reminiscent of Soft Machine, but didn’t work on that on purpose. Like the most jazz-rock bands they all performed highly professional. So Rainer Brüninghaus isn’t the only one who knows what he is doing. Jazz-rock is a style of music which sounds kind of cold – too cold for some people. A fact that might be reinforced by absent vocals. On CD one can find Eiliff’s gig from 4/19/1972 which took place at the underground bar Lila Eule (Lilac Owl) at Bernhardstraße. A bar which always was found in trouble with the cops and the authorities. The gig was recorded and broadcast by Radio Bremen. The master tapes were kept safe properly, and now given free for release. GOD
Tracklist :
1.    Journey To The "Ego" (8:07)
2.    Suite (33:35)
Credits :
Bass – Bill Brown 
Drums – Detlev Landmann
Guitar, Sitar, Tambourine – Houschäng Nejadépour
Keyboards [Tasten] – Rainer Brüninghaus
Saxophone, Bells – Herbert Kalveram
Songwriter [All Songs Written By] – Eiliff

EILIFF — Discography 1971-2003 | 4 Albums | Two Version | APE + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Founded in Cologne, Germany in 1970 - Disbanded in 1973
Formed in the late 60's by Rainer Brüninghaus, Houschäng Nejadepour, Detlev Landmann, Herbert J. Kalveram and Bill Brown, EILIFF were a German instrumental band who turned fusion on its head with a pair of studio albums featuring classy Canterbury-style jamming with bass, guitar and keyboards plus some ethnic instruments thrown in (mostly the sitar). Two live albums were also released, one of which only came out 30 years later. Being somewhat out of step with the then dominant Kosmiche tradition, the band never really made a name for themselves despite displaying some phenomenal musicianship. References include SOFT MACHINE, early KING CRIMSON, COLOSSEUM, NUCLEUS, VDGG as well as Miles Davis and Frank Zappa.
Their eponymous album (71) features some killer keyboards (electric piano), wild guitar and sax interplay with very complex grooves and extended jams. The similar but more psychedelic album "Girlrls" (72) is even more improvisational and jammy, with frequent nods to KING CRIMSON and DEEP PURPLE. On both live albums, the "Bremen 1972 Live" and "Close Encounters With Their Third One" (recorded in 71-72 but only released in 2002), the band moves effortlessly from energetic, fast-paced riffs to more spacey free-form passages with equal skill. The sound quality is surprisingly good on both.
Intense head prog, early 70's style, that will appeal to fans of SOFT MACHINE, EMBRYO and BRAINSTORM. progarchive

1971 ♦ Eiliff — Eiliff - st. (1994, World Wide Records – SPM-WWR-CD-0067) FLAC

1972 ♦ Eiliff — Close Encounters With Their Third One (1999, Garden Of Delights – CD 036) FLAC

1972 ♦ Eiliff — Girlrls (1994, SPM-WWR-CD-0068) FLAC

2003 ♦ Eiliff — Bremen 1972 (Garden Of Delights – CD 082) APE

EILIFF — Close Encounter With Their Third One (1972-1999) RM | Two Version | WV + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

These top musicians would have really deserved the big breakthrough, but only Rainer Brüninghaus eventually made it. At the time, their two LPs were too sophisticated and progressive for the general public, and fans of progressive music found them too jazzy. This is why they could hardly please anybody and their very elaborate music did not find many listeners. It’s good music, but you must get used to it. For experts only. Next to the totally unknown "Lilybaeum" - the stress is on "ae" -, this gig contains stage versions of three tracks from their second LP. As far as the recording quality is concerned, the same comments made with respect to the Gila CD apply. You’d better make up your own mind. The 32-page full-coloured booklet contains many pictures of Eiliff and all the other features for which this series has become known and appreciated. GOD
Tracklist :
1. Lilybaeum (4:47)
2. Girlrls (18:47)
3. Hallimasch (15:12)
4. Journey To The Ego (7:45)
Total Time: 46:31
Line-up / Musicians
Bill Brown - Bass
Rainer Brüninghaus - Keyboards
Herbert J. Kalveram - Saxophone
Detlev Landmann - Drums
Houschäng Nejadepour - Guitar, Sitar