Dark Bottle- Krautbilly Freakout (Self Released)

Dark Bottle are a Finnish psychedelic rock band that feature banjo player Donald Lupo. The lead vocals are shared by Donald and Teemu. This CD was released at the end of the year in 2020. It features 4 long tracks and starts off with the moody Molly Malone taking some inspiration from Irish folk but also rocks and then gets really spaced out at the end. Die Bibliotkek von Babel starts very slowly and is sung in German by Donald. The banjo, bass and guitar are the only instruments at the start. Then this track really rocks with some great guitar solos and I add some spacey synths but sadly they are mixed so low you almost don+t hear them at all. Great psych rock track.  The Sun only Shines when I Leave starts with some delay guitars like Anthem from Rush and then the banjo kicks in and off we go. A great mix of bluegrass and psych rock. Killer guitar solo..  Make Finland Rake Again is probably my favourite track as it is a piss take on Donald Trump and just also a great psych rocker. I get too mix in a bit of modular synth if you listen closely.  This is the bands third album and I think it is a real triumph and fantastic. I hope they also release this on vinyl..  Check ‘em out! 

https://darkbottle.bandcamp.com/ 

Ricardo D’ Orlando- Titan (Chloroform CH-016)

Alien Planetscapes guitarist extraordinaire, Ricardo is back with his latest creation. Says it was recorded during Winter 2021 and it features 9 tracks. The opening track, Titan, is a short less than 2mins synth improv. Quite bubbly and chaotic at times. Rev Gtr, is as you might expect, a highly effected guitar piece, cut and looped and reversed and just tripped out. Panic Room is back to some synths (EMS Synthi??) mixed with some shortwave radio and some nice effects. Mighnight Run has a very fast sequencer that is quite fuzzy and distorted while another lead (I am guessing a very twisted guitar) is tortured into submission in the background. Wow. quite unique. La Belle 1686 sounds like music from another universe. Slow strange drones, space bubbles, gurgles, excited blasts of sounds.. Tripped out. Silo 2 and 3 brings back the shortwave radio and sounds like you are trapped out in space in the pod trying to adjust your radio as well as your synthesiser so you can get back into the silo!!!  Buchla 100, I guess is a Buchla improvisation. There is a simple bass thump and a more high pitch rhythm that fades out around 2mins. The final track is WDR. Only 9 were listed but there was another track on the CD.. Starts with a synth drone, space attack bubbles and slowly things start to build. Then the alarms go off and the background intensity builds as well.  This was one of my fave tracks actually.  Another track appeared that was not expected and this is true outer space stuff. Floating, ambient stuff and it is by far the longest track at over 15 minutes. The next bonus track was under 2mins and has a dark undertone to the synth improv. Track 13 brings back the highly effected guitar, almost like a reprise of the 2nd track. This is special music for day trippers or night trippers who just want to get lost in another universe for an hour.. 

You can contact Richard Orlando if you’re on Facebook or email him at porcupinejones@yahoo.com

Floorian- Then Dark (SKP005)

Ohio based psych rock band Floorian are back with a new record. The bands 6th. I have followed this band since my friend Jerry had the band send me their CD some years ago. This CD is 7 tracks and about 45mins. The opening number is a nice spacey track with some acoustic guitar and a laid back vocal. Spool starts with some guitar and an ominous mood with an almost Spanish flavour to it. A bit experimental. Here Lies reminds me a bit of mid-era Sundial a bit with its relaxed flowing mood and vocal. IT gets a bit hypnotic as the main theme is repeated over and over. I missed a solo in this section. On Control starts slowly with just a low droning synth, guitar and voice. This builds up to one of the more heavy tracks with some cool guitar, deep vocals and a more psychedelic vibe. Cool track. Serpo starts off with some bubbling synths-space sounds and an effected guitar that creates a very mellow and spacey atmosphere. The keyboards play a much more major role on this track than any of the ones before. Beautiful dreamy melodies on this one. Cyclorama brings a mid-eastern doom feel as a major contrast to the last track.  The breakdown in the middle with a long delay vocal was a totally unexpected transition down to just bass and guitar.  A repeated line is played over and over for a bit and then a lead guitar starts to emerge. Great and diverse track. The Unknown Soon closes out this album with a strange noise start and distant voice. IT is a strange one this track and interesting way to end the album with an experimental sound collage of sorts that gets more intense and nasty, as it evolves.  Thanks guys for sending me the actual CD. It is greatly appreciated. 

http://floorian.com

MÅNESKJOLD- I LÆ FOR SOLVINDEN TAPE (DENMARK 2021)

Måneskjold was a Danish space rock band who have moved more into a psych, hard rock band. This is their 2nd single from their new album due out in April on Kommun2.  Anyway, this track rock!  I really liked it a lot and it is not sung by Rasmus, who writes and sings on most of the tracks. It is sung in Danish and the title is hard to translate. The rest of the tape is a more lo fi recording of some rehearsal jams. The long track finishes off the tape side with a track that starts very slow and spacey before it builds up into something interesting.  Cool band. This tape is only made in 20 copies (numbered) so it is probably already sold out.  Enjoy..

http://maneskjold.bandcamp.com

Slight Layers, Predictions-Diviner Blues Sessions (Self Released)

This is a fairly new Hungarian band and this album features 4 long tracks (between 13 and 23mins) of stoned jammed out bluesy rock music. The opening track Vital Verifications is a 13min jam (the shortest on the LP) and is a slow bluesy one with a laid back vibe and a focus on the lead guitar playing. Subconscious Takes is the longest track at nearly 24mins and again pretty laid back blues guitar lead music. It gradually builds up and they rock out much more with some intense lead guitar. Montpellier Blues has this melody in the start where I could really hear a female blues singer just belting out some blues. This one like the others takes it’s time. 

The last 18min track, Definitive Porn, starts slowly but really picks up with some cool funky way guitar and they really are grooving by 2mins. A bit SRV like guitar playing. The jams take a long time to develop so you have to be patient with this album. I think some people are too impatient to enjoy this though.  If you are a fan of long jammed out instrumental blues rock with a Hendrix, SRV inspiration at times, you will dig this. The guys don’t have the energy of a group like Frozen Planet 1969 but it is a similar idea.  Check them out.. Máté Varga - Drums, Bence Ambrus - Bass, Dávid Nagy - Strat

https://psychedelicsourcerecords.bandcamp.com/album/diviner-blues-sessions

Saturnia- Stranded in the Green High (Sulatron Records st 2102)

Luís is back with his 8th album and this must be the most spacey one yet. It features 9 tracks in 57 minutes. As with most of his album he recorded all the instruments himself.  The LP version only features 7 tracks.  Pan Arrives is a very short opening piece that leads into Keep it Long. This has that same vibe as The Real High but different lyrics and cool way to start the track and album with a bit of sitar! Fibonacci Numbers has this epic keyboard feel and a bit of Beatles inspiration, as did the first track. The vocal is very laid back as the music just flows. The bells are a nice touch. Smoking in the Sun is such an amazing number. You feel stoned listening to it. I just float away totally with the great melody and all the space sounds flying around. Just an incredible instrumental number. Super Natural (14mins) features the tambura and a very laid back vocal, some bird song and is quite dreamy. Later the Mellotron kicks and then the next section a nice synth solo is played and then back to mellotron (not sure if he has a real one?). Love the wide diversity of keyboards and synths he uses on this one. As well as the nice bass line and laid back drums. Master musician!!!  When I am High, starts off with some nice piano playing then the mellotron kicks in to take the lead. Lots of spaced out sounds as well and nice stoned vocals. Love the spaced vibe and backwards guitar parts as well. Trippy. Perfectly Lonely (1 of the CD bonus tracks) starts slow with more backwards-highly effected guitar, a bit of GONG, and later he starts to play the drums. Butterfly Collector features some more nature sounds, and we enter into a full on trip again. I love the keyboard melody on this one. Very spaced and a bit of an eastern feel develops over time. Just Let yourself Go (also a CD bonus) finished off this 57min journey and is slow and the guitar lead almost a bit jazzy while the background is really spacey (what is synonym for spacey??).  Nice way to end the record. For sure going to be in my top 10 for 2021!!! Luís is a totally unique artist in Portugal and stands up strong and proud in the Psychedelic scene. A real triumph!!

On this album he plays guitars, sitar, tambura, bass, bass pedals, gong, organs, synthesizer, Rhodes piano, Mellotron, chimes and drums. And of course he sings. Ana Vitorino performs the spoken word on Pan Arrives and And Winga plays the Djembe on Keep it Long. The tracks were recorded between 2018 and summer 2020 at Lagoa do Calvo and mixed by Luis Simões. He also did the cover artwork. 

http://saturnia.bandcamp.com

http://saturniamusic.com 

Rob Lawson- The Nameless Wave (Tiny Tapes

The Nameless Wave is a long track, nearly 17mins and not a lot of effects. You can tell Rob is improving this playing of these homemade dulcimers. Braton Jig (with Slips) is a short 3 min track. Quite focused and some very nice playing and melodies. Maui Cave has some simple drums sounds like he is playing with something metal on the strings. The last track is called Bells and is, as you might expect a track with the sounds of bells.  Not sure how this one was made. Nice. Later one he returns to play the dulcimer. This one is more straight up dulcimer playing compared with the last album.  Check it out..

https://www.facebook.com/rob.lawson.754

https://robertlawson1.bandcamp.com/ 

Ricardo D'Orlando- Titan (Chloroform CH-016)

Alien Planetscapes guitarist extraordinaire, Ricardo is back with his latest creation. Says it was recorded during Winter 2021 and it features 9 tracks. The opening track, Titan, is a short less than 2mins synth improv. Quite bubbly and chaotic at times. Rev Gtr, is as you might expect, a highly effected guitar piece, cut and looped and reversed and just tripped out. Panic Room is back to some synths (EMS Synthi??) mixed with some shortwave radio and some nice effects. Mighnight Run has a very fast sequencer that is quite fuzzy and distorted while another lead (I am guessing a very twisted guitar) is tortured into submission in the background. Wow. quite unique. La Belle 1686 sounds like music from another universe. Slow strange drones, space bubbles, gurgles, excited blasts of sounds.. Tripped out. Silo 2 and 3 brings back the shortwave radio and sounds like you are trapped out in space in the pod trying to adjust your radio as well as your synthesiser so you can get back into the silo!!!  Buchla 100, I guess is a Buchla improvisation. There is a simple bass thump and a more high pitch rhythm that fades out around 2mins. The final track is WDR. Only 9 were listed but there was another track on the CD.. Starts with a synth drone, space attack bubbles and slowly things start to build. Then the alarms go off and the background intensity builds as well.  This was one of my fave tracks actually.  Another track appeared that was not expected and this is true outer space stuff. Floating, ambient stuff and it is by far the longest track at over 15 minutes. The next bonus track was under 2mins and has a dark undertone to the synth improv. Track 13 brings back the highly effected guitar, almost like a reprise of the 2nd track. 

This is special music for day trippers or night trippers who just want to get lost in another universe for an hour..

Heavy Trip- Heavy Trip (Burning World Records BWR068)

This is a new Canadian band.  This was released back in 2020 as a limited vinyl release in 500 copies. BWR has now released it on a CD. It features 4 tracks just like the LP and comes in a nice digipack with cool artwork. The trio rip out the jams with some way guitar furry and heavy riffs fro the first side of the record, ala Earthless, Madmess, early The Machine, etc.. Side 2 starts with a bit slower more stoned track but the guitar is totally ripping!!!  At 5mins though they really kick it up another notch. Perfect music to just light one up and fly!!  Track 4,  Treespinner is for sure the most doom oriented one with some cool flanger effects mixed in as well. Quite psychedelic guitar after the 7 min point. I really dug these guys.. Cool release.. 

https://heavytripdudes.bandcamp.com/album/heavy-trip

http://burningworldrecords.com

Black Sabbath- Vol 4 Super Deluxe Box Set

The Paranoid super deluxe box set was awesome, especially the quad mix down CD. That is the way I like to hear Paranoid now. Also, the two live concerts were really cool and great quality. Excellent book etc.. so I was excited for this one and also the fact that Steven Wilson was involved as his 5.1 and remix work is amazing.

CD 1 is a remaster of the original album from the 1/4 mix down tape, presumably. This information is really lack in the book. It sounds great. CD 2 is 6 songs that they found the multitrack tapes, so Steven Wilson was able to make new mixes of Wheels of Confusion, The Straightner (end part of Wheels), Changes, Laguna Sunrise, Snowblind and Under the Sun (instrumental). All of these were different takes or works in progress. None as good as what made the album. Mixes are good but this is not something you would probably hear very often. For instance, all the cool psychedelic stuff and guitar solos is missing from Wheels of Confusion. It feels totally different and incomplete after you have heard the original  CD 3 is another CD mixed by Steven of different takes of Wheels, Supernaut, Snowblind and Under the Sun, some with false start, etc..  Again, interesting to hear how these songs evolved from take to take, especially Wheels of Confusion. Under the Sun with the skat vocal was fun to hear but I think the things on this CD, after you have heard them once, you probably won’t revisit this much. 

 Finally CD4 is a live concert from the very end of the Vol 4 tour in 1973, where they were already starting to introduce new songs that would appear on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, like Killing yourself to Live. It would be nice if they had had an archive show from earlier in the tour when they played songs like Wheels of Confusion and Under the Sun. They do 4 songs (Tomorrows Dream, Snowblind, Supernaut and Cornicopia). The band was still so killer at this point. This is very similar set to the Live at Last show. 

The book was fantastic and a lot of info but I still missed a lot of info about the recordings, mixing, and stuff they could have included. They talk about demos that were made in London before the LA Record Plant session. Wonder what they were??   I have to say that so far this one, which cost 2x as much as the Paranoid box for the same amount of materials, is a disapointment. Especially since for none of the first 4 albums now have they located the master tapes so a proper 5.1 mix could be done. Anyway, I hope that they find the master tapes for Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Steven Wilson can do a 5.1 mix. We will see. 

https://www.nuclearblast.de/en/products/tontraeger/vinyl/vinyl-boxset/black-sabbath-vol.-4-super-deluxe-box-set.html

Rob Lawson- Cashmere doesn’t follow you to Malaysia (Tiny Tapes)

Rob Lawson is a multi-instrumentalist from the UK based in Spain. He has created over 150 CD-rs in the last 10 years or so. He took a break to do poetry and other projects but is back making music again. This is his 2nd CD of music created with his own homemade dulcimers.  The first one was featured shorter pieces but this new one is one long 50min improvisation (broken into 4) on dulcimer but using some effects pedals as well. It starts with a repeated theme until about 3:30 then it shifts to a lower volume and he starts to use some some effects and the intensity of the plucking of the starts to increase and he returns to a repeated theme. The track sort of comes to a stop at 9:05 and continues with a sort of almost Japanese eastern tuning or sound. This track is over 30mins and returns to more clean sound and then some effects here and there. Track 2 has this really cool effected sound, sort of wobbly and time stretching…. a bit trippy. Track 3 has fewer effects and sounds like there could be a 2nd layer recorded. There is also a light tapped drum like rhythm, perhaps he makes with his feet or hand. Track 4 features a drum machine, bass and guitar and is something totally different. The same repeated rhythm over and over for 2mins and then it sort of stops and he starts to play dulcimer again. That was a surprise!  These last 3 tracks are not on the band camp page for this release. I am not sure why. 

The Nameless Wave is a long track, nearly 17mins and not a lot of effects. You can tell Rob is improving this playing of these homemade dulcimers. Braton Jig (with Slips) is a short 3 min track. Quite focused and some very nice playing and melodies. Maui Cave has some simple drums sounds like he is playing with something metal on the strings. The last track is called Bells and is, as you might expect a track with the sounds of bells.  Not sure how this one was made. Nice. 

I don’t know if everyone is into listening to this sort of stuff but it is pretty interesting to hear at least once!!  If you are wondering about the title, Rob said it came to him in a dream.  Rob has started to put up his new but only one of his older musical output on bandcamp. Check it out.. 

https://www.facebook.com/rob.lawson.754

https://robertlawson1.bandcamp.com/ 

Mushrooms and Moonboots by Gary Moonboot Masters (Self Published 2012)

My friend Jerry Kranitz posted something about this book and being as I was a big fan of the Magic Mushroom band, I had to read this. It was published almost 10 years ago and Gary has retired to Australia with this family, and is no longer active in the music scene but what an activity did he have! This was a real down to earth read that really put you straight into what it was like to try to live off music back in the 80s (when it was actually possible for a few years, compared to today).  A lot of great inside info about the festival scene, growing up and raising your own family in small town England. All the amazing concerts he was able to see and be part of and of course details about the making of the Magic Mushroom band, their albums, the trials they had and also the successes.  Also, Gary was a part of the early line up of Australasia with Swordfish, who was a later member of the MMB band..  It was a great read and I highly recommend it. It is available from Amazon. 

Heads Music 2- Classic Krautrock Revisited (Fruits de Mer Records strange fish 21)

Fruits de Mer makes some of the world’s greatest compilations and tributes and there are so many killer tracks on this double CD/3LP set.   Most of the bands on here you will be familiar with if you know this label: Vespero, Cary Grace, Jay Tausing, Maat Lander, Schizo Fun Addict, Legendary Flower Punk…  but then there are some more obscure artists that I am not that familiar with like Spurious Transients (who cover two Kraftwerk songs), Das Blaue Palais (covering Faust, Amon Düül and Mythos), The Arthur Park (CAN), Rob Gould (Brainticket), Black Tempest (Edgar Froese), Revbjelde (Embryo), Tony Swettenham (Agitation Free).  CD starts off with Vespero, who perform quite cool and spacey versions of Amon Düül II (Between the Eyes) and Eloy- Castle in the Air (from the amazing album, Floating).  Their take of this track is a minute shorter than the original. Das Blaue Palais take on Faust’s Krautrock from their 1973 album Faust IV! This features some really nice guitar playing and layers of sounds. They also play a track from Mythos from their 1975 album Dreamland.  Both cool versions. Cary Grace does really well taking on Surrounded by Stars by Amon Düül II. Tony Sweetenham takes on Agitation Free’s Rucksturz from the 1st album, Malesch. The original is only 2mins but here it the main theme is played but he extends and expands upon this nicely with mainly organ and some acoustic guitar. Revbjelde take on Dreaming Girls from Embyro’s Steig Aus album from 1973. This version is more chilled somehow but maintains that nice ethinc vibe. Jay Tausing performs Father cannot Yell by Can from the debut album, Monster Movie.  This is quite a challenging track and very well delivered.  

The 2nd CD (Lp sides 4-6) are not as rocking and more electronic and spacey with three Kraftwerk covers, Edgar Froese, Cosmic Jokers, Michael Rother (Neu).  Das Blaue Palais cover the early Amon Düül with a super spacey version of Snow your Thrist and Sun your open Mouth. Schizo Fun Addict have one of the most spacey and psychedelic tracks on the whole comp with Galactic Joke Part D (inspired by the Cosmic Jokers).  I had heard the version of Sonnenrad by Michael Rother before on one of the live shows by the Legendary Flower Punk.  Quite laid back. Rob Gould takes on One Morning by the Swiss act, Brainticket from their 2nd album Psychonaut!  Also, quite relaxed and some very nice piano playing.  Three out of the next 5 songs are by Kraftwerk- Neon Lights by Maat Lander, Autobahnmelodie and Autobahn Verkehrsgeräusche by Spurious Transients. I did not dig these very much.  I was totally caught off guard by The Arthur Park’s the sort of poppy cover of Moonshake by CAN.  A damn impressive compilation. 

http://fruitsdemerrecords.com 

SOOTHSAYER ORCHESTRA- S/T (Lay Bare Recordings)

Soothsayer Orchestra is Pieter Hendriks from the Dutch bands Reaching Forward, Born From Pain en Black Bottle Riot.  I have never heard these bands but I like a lot of the music on Lay Bare Recordings. This album features 9 tracks, where Pieter plays all the instruments (drums, acoustic guitar, organ, vocals, etc..).  The opening track you get to hear all these instruments.  Black Velvet Deathbed is dark but also quite some interesting melodies that go into indie rock after the dark piano intro.  Euryale has a nice organ, acoustic guitar, handclaps and some of the vocals are spoken word (with or without effects). Dead Lovers Eden starts with some drums and then the electric guitar and a happier vocal (not dark and gruff, like most of the other songs).  Heaven Seeker continues similar to the last with electric guitar, minimal piano lines, brooding vocals and music. Quite haunting at times but more uptempo, almost rocking at the end. The Gallow Awaits is mainly just piano and vocals and of course a dark subject. The Rooster Calls, the beginning vocal reminds me of a track by Black Space Riders and this is one of the more rocking tracks. Bedelhym is a short less than 2min track with that slow dark Tom Waits like vocal. A bit of synth is heard amongst the acoustic guitar.  Amidst the Coiled Snakes ends this dark emotional album. This track features a guest female vocal and is one of my fave tracks on the album. 

This is an extremely diverse and personal record.  Tom Waits is for sure a huge inspiration. This is very different from what I listen to normally and also from what is released on the label.  Good work… 

http://laybarerecordings.com 

The Chemistry Set- Paint me a Dream 7” (Hypnotic Bridge Records)

The UK psych band, The Chemistry Set is back with their new single and not released on Fruits de Mer but a Los Angeles based label, Hypnotic Bridge Records. The A side is an original track and I love the more heavy guitar and the way it cuts through the mix at times on this over all 60s inspired rock track but with TCS, trademark sound.    

The B-side is a cover of the song, the Witch by Mark Fry.  I probably never heard the original.  This is something very different from the A side which is a rocker, this is more of an experimental folky strange track to start and then it rocks and psyches out! The bio mentions Red Krayola and I think that is pretty accurate. Another excellent release.  The single is released Feb 12th.. Great work again..