- LP
- Recommended
- New Release
Pyramid
Pyramid
Outernational Sounds - Cat No: OTR021
- updated:2026-07-07
Pyramid’s debut album, originally released in 1980 on the Melbourne-based independent label *East* but long out of circulation outside Australia and considered a “phantom album,” has been officially reissued by *Outernational Sounds*. This funky, under-the-radar gem—a quintessential example of Australian jazz fusion—was recorded by a quartet featuring pianist/composer David Hirschfelder, drummer David Jones, bassist Roger McLachlan, and trumpeter Bob Venier.
Track List
Available for the first time since its original release in 1980, this is compelling, funky, exploratory jazz from Melbourne, Australia.
The album opens with the floating Song For Bobby, a downtempo gem with the heartbeat aura of Herbie Hancock’s Butterfly; Orchestral Excerpts (From The Symphony Of Life), In The Basement and City Of Stone are high-grade fusion jams with one eye on Weather Report and Return to Forever, the other on the organic Australian sound of Alan Lee and John Sangster. The album closes out with the completely improvised Universal Suite, a 17-minute excursion which begins with a cinematic opening reminiscent of electric Miles at his most introspective before taking flight on passages of hard-driving Latin percussion, shimmering fusion and gritty funk. Slick, cultured and in close dialogue with the most advanced sounds of the era, Pyramid documents one of Australia’s great fusion bands at the height of their powers.
The album opens with the floating Song For Bobby, a downtempo gem with the heartbeat aura of Herbie Hancock’s Butterfly; Orchestral Excerpts (From The Symphony Of Life), In The Basement and City Of Stone are high-grade fusion jams with one eye on Weather Report and Return to Forever, the other on the organic Australian sound of Alan Lee and John Sangster. The album closes out with the completely improvised Universal Suite, a 17-minute excursion which begins with a cinematic opening reminiscent of electric Miles at his most introspective before taking flight on passages of hard-driving Latin percussion, shimmering fusion and gritty funk. Slick, cultured and in close dialogue with the most advanced sounds of the era, Pyramid documents one of Australia’s great fusion bands at the height of their powers.
The album kicks off with “Song for Bobby,” a track with a pleasant, ethereal feel reminiscent of Herbie Hancock’s “Butterfly,” followed by fusion jams that evoke Weather Report and Return to Forever Tracks like “City of Stone” and “In The Basement”—all meticulously crafted and sophisticated—masterfully blend exceptional technical skill with rich improvisation. The highlight is the 17-minute, entirely improvised “Universal Suite.” Beginning with a quiet introduction reminiscent of Miles Davis’s introspective electric period, the track unfolds dynamically, shifting through Latin percussion, dazzling fusion, and funk—a process that feels like a telepathic experiment among the band’s four members. This is the intense debut album from one of Australia’s premier fusion bands, which disbanded after releasing just two albums. Mastered by Dubplates & Mastering. 180g heavyweight vinyl. (Original Japanese text by Adachi)