review: Moon Duo - Escape

This duo from San Francisco really set me off on a trip with their latest EP "Escape". I believe that in the meantime they already released another 7 inch and a split 7 inch... but this 12" EP does it big time for me.

Last year they released two more 12"'s of which one through Sacred Bones... known from Zola Jesus and Factums to name just two other excellent contemporary acts from the USA.

Anyway this new EP has all the elements to please the real freak out there... it has the minimalistic way of doing things like Suicide did, the drums (from a machine / sample) and the guitar are doing their thing in that classic Jesus and Mary Chain way and then all of this is done in a 60's acid rock style. For me this description already sounds like heaven but from vinyl... well... it is like the trip I always wanted...

Blasting loud through my speakers in a slightly lit room... dozing off on these tracks that take about 7 minutes each... I feel like lying in a corner on the floor at one of these acid test Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters pulled off... still I could stand up and dance my head off in the flickering strobelights at any moment soon...

"Escape" is released on the Woodsist label from fellow acid heads Woods. There is also this recent compilation out on Woodsist entitled "Welcome Home: Diggin'The Universe - A Woodsist Compilation". There is another great track from Moon Duo on that one. Next to that you will hear various contemporary interpretations of psychedelic and beat music from a total of thirteen bands. Worth checking out too...

Moon Duo is planning to tour Europe spring 2011 together with Turkish band Kim Ki O. Kim Ki O of course recently releases their debut LP "Dans" on my Enfant Terrible label.

Well... that is it... sorry I am back to my trip now... join me by tuning into Moon Duo here...

review: new bunch of psychedelic music

I have probably been listening longer to psychedelic music as to post-punk, industrial, elektro and that kind of stuff. Really since a long time psychedelic tunes have been filling the air in my living spaces. There are moments the records stay where they are, but there is always a time to get into this type of music again. Recently my interest has been attracted again both in the records that are in my collection already for a long time as well in new releases. Here a few recent releases I guess you should know about...

The record I am playing mostly right now is the album 'Powers Of Audition' by Jonas Reinhardt. This is truly a mindblowing piece of music. It has the spirit of the 1960's for sure but who cares as long as it is done good. And... this album is very good. You are taken away on waves on music... at times light and playful and at other moments more dark and haunting and from more ambient kind of pieces to psychedelic rock tunes.

Also very 1960's but with touches of 1970's is the new Wermut album 'Ether'. This new album might come as a surprise to some people familiar with this band. I guess most people know their minimal elektro tunes. Still this new album is very much Wermut if you have followed the bands releases and contributions to compilations. On 'Ether' you hear... well some Klaus Schulze to start with... that is for sure. The pulsating synth waves floating around are Kosmische Scene inspired without a doubt. But still... there is also a lot of Wermut in it... when it comes to the dark mood for example or the adding of post-industrial touches and of course the singing. I think this album with its four long tracks is great and a record which shows again this band is not to be pinned down on one or two or whatever genre and style.

Much darker and going into some sort of dark ambient style is the Attestupa record 'Begraven Mot Norr' on the great Release The Bats label. Picth black, very hauting and probably too experimental for most die hard acid heads but I am in love with this dark trip.

Not as much a black mass as the Attestupa but still dark is the Street Drinkers side of their split album with Skeppet. It has the same experimental note as the Attestupa so if are not sure if you can handle this music without ending up with a bad trip only play the Skeppet part of this release. That one is also my favorite but for other reasons. Skeppet brings together psychedelic pop without being pop, and in a trippy daydream sort of way, and some excellent lo-fi electronics. The two long tracks are just superb and a great soundtrack to doze off on a nice summer day. Together with the Jonas Reinhardt this music has been spinning a lot here...

To come down to Earth again there is the very nice new Woods album "At Echo Lake". If you listen to this and the previous Woods album you might think this was recorded in the 1960's. Psychedelic folk and acid rock are the game of Woods. It is done in this Greenwich Village sort of tradition but also with a typical West-Coast touch well ik just makes me happy all the time. It is charming and lovely and true authenthic hipster stuff.

The Wermut, the Attestupa and the Skeppet/Street Drinkers split are for sale at my webshop... for Jonas Reinhardt and Woods just ask your specialized local recordshop... they should have these or will be able to order them as they are distributed very well.

Have a happy trip...