I had previously reviewed …As Your Wanderer Taps At The
Invisible Gate when the band self-released it, but thought I would put the
review up again as Worst Bassist Records have given it the vinyl treatment on
some cool looking purple wax.
Nothing sparks my interest in music more than the sentence “new
album that consists of one 37+ minute song” and it’s a journey in to space that
not even the Space X entrepreneur could wrap his brain around.
Previous offerings from the Nashville 3-piece have clocked
in at 9 and 16 minutes but this truly is a trip into the minds of a band that are
taking you to realms beyond. This time the vinyl version splits the 37:35 over
both sides of the record.
Everything starts feeling high up amongst the clouds as the
guitar strums and the slow drum rhythms hypnotically hold you out there.
There’s some keyboards moving in and out of the mix and the guitar begins to
take flight and walk in to the distance reminding me in parts of Sons of Alpha Centauri
and Yawning Man. At around 6 minutes the guitars really kick in and you feel
the deep space like stomping groove as the instruments bend together slowly
over the outer space keyboard effects. Add some soaring guitars to the mix and
you can picture the kaleidoscopes of light in your mind as though they were
playing right in front of you.
The eerie keyboards continue on as the guitar and bass
output gets fuzzier, the elevated guitar work takes on another level and sounds
huge, and they all intertwine for quite some time. The soaring guitars over the
hypnotic drone like wall of fuzz is reminiscent of Electric Moon and Black Moon
Circle, and how they take you from there to an almost dreamy landscape of what
sounds like the sounds behind the atmosphere.
From here on you need to close your eyes and enjoy the trip
as you take a heavy psych ride through the planets of space rock, accompanied
by Ryan Westover (Bass/Synth), Frank Hand (guitar) and Kate Haldrup (Drums).
To add to the mind trip of an experience, an accompanying
video has been produced by Stan Brakhage/Terrence Malick Films that lasts the
full 37:35.
I highly recommend that you check out ElonMusk as they
really have something special in the making here.
Many bands have tried recreating what they do live on vinyl
or CD, and as good as many bands have done, there is only a handful that manage
to “take you there” with the recording, and then there is Electric Moon, the
true kings & queen of the live record. Looking back through their catalogue
of releases, you are spoilt for choice with live recordings for a space jam
mood or trip out mood or a heavy psych mood.
Recorded at 2019’s Freak Valley Festival in Germany late
into the evening of a moody stormy day, Sula, Lulu and Pablo take you on four
long cosmic journeys through the night sky and onwards towards the vortex that create
a kaleidoscope of colours in the listeners mind.
Having previously watched the performance that was filmed by
Rockpalast several times on YouTube, the use of deep rich blue lighting is what
sets the mood for what the next 65+ minutes inserts into your subconscious.
Increase begins and evolves in what sounds like the magnetic
fields between the Earth’s atmosphere and the edge of spaces gravitational pull.
The keyboards and effects float in and out and attach themselves to one another
as the atmospheric twist starts to take control. The cymbals start to crash and
the bassline hooks everything to it, creating the soundwaves for the guitar to
lock into and start your journey into the cosmos. As you hit the ten minute
mark you are well and truly travelling through the asteroid belt at speed with
a drum/bass rhythm that is hypnotic whilst constantly hurtling forwards, space
rock style. Played loud and you can feel the intensity force itself through the
sound waves and out towards the outer reaches. After one final solar blast, the
rocket defuses and everything starts to reduce back to its former self and the
satellite falls into its flight path and the mission is complete.
If Increase has taken the satellite to its destination, then
777 is the satellite kicking into the orbital mission that it was designed to
complete. 777 is hypnotic, fuzzy and moves like a satellite that is hurtling
round its designated planet at speed whilst battling the elements of a meteor
shower. With many an Electric Moon song, the spaces between the sounds creates
an added atmosphere, but not in the first ten minutes here as its all intensity.
Think an updated revamped version on London’s UFO club from the 60’s/70’s with
liquid lightshows and strobe lighting. The final third of 777 see’s the
satellite’s booster’s kick in to slow everything back down and conserve what
solar energy is left before the sun’s power vanishes behind the moon. Within
the 20 minutes of 777 all 3 members push their instruments to another level and
beyond.
The Picture is an epic 19 minute hypnotic space rock epic.
The trance inducing rhythm section is time perfect and pulls you deep into the
darkest parts of the universe beyond any solar system. Guitars soar, cymbals
crash and a multitude of electronics and feedback make the intergalactic
journey even more abrasive. At around 14 minutes you reach probably the
furthest point away from home as all goes quiet before something pulls you back
in rather abruptly.
A shorter version of D-Tune has its warm Middle Eastern feel
to it as it builds up layer upon layer to create a rich fuzzy feel to it. The
way D-Tune rolls along and evolves is like a mystical orb that your brain tunes
in to, especially when witnessing this type of musical live. If you know what I
mean by this, then you just know. It’s no special club or musical gang, it’s
just something that happens (usually in a dark room full of strobe lighting)
and a 5 minute song can turn in to a couple of hours.
To finish is the addition of Der Mondsenator auf dem Weg zur
Erde, an acoustic track performed as an extra session back stage. It feels up
close and personal with the organic unplugged vibe that feels delicate but is
still busting with power. If you look out there, the visual version is quite
easy to find.
What else can I say? Electric Moon hit a rich vein of form
several years back and it continues with a healthy stream of studio albums,
live records and re-releases that never disappoint.
If you were at Freak Valley in 2019 then this is the perfect
way to freeze the memory in time, and if you weren’t there then headphones on,
lights off, kick back and nod.
Rock Freaks Records have released a limited run of vinyl on
a couple of different colours and Sulatron Records have released the CD
version.
Psychlona turned some heads back in 2018 with their debut Mojo Rising and have been gigging away to build up a loyal following ever since.
Returning again on Ripple Music and Cursed Tongue Records, the Bradford 4-piece
have well and truly returned on another level with Venus Skytrip.
Blast Off starts trippy and space like with some astronaut
dialogue in the distance and I’m thinking have they psyched out for this
record, but no, the drum beat pulls the track up over the repetitive guitar line
that moulds itself around the wall of fuzz that quickly follows. It’s not too
fast and not too slow and just grooves along like the vehicle of your choice
with a speed gauge that is getting pushed to the limit. I can see why people
have made the Fu Manchu comparisons but I’m thinking more of the 90’s Swedish
bands (Dozer, Lowrider etc.) in the way the song sounds like a variety of big
heavy soundscapes.
I’m sure I heard 10,000 Volts being played last time I saw
them live as I remember the song starting slow and moody with a load of early
Sabbath doomy blues rock in there. It’s a definite slow burner that swings back
and forth, making it a real head nodder. The last few minutes have the guitars
taking control and walking you off into the night sky after throwing the
listener a few wah-wah’s. 10,000 Volts is made for a dark festival venue full
of drunken punters.
Blow has a bluesy swagger to it from the start and stomps
along like The Sword with a bit of Clutch moulded into the background.
If you worship at the altar of Fu Manchu or Nebula, Star
will be your stand out “go to” song on the album. From the opening riff to the
first solo action, Psychlona work through the gears of their (insert your 70’s muscle
car of choice here) and it doesn’t let up. Cutting through the big wall of fuzz
after a couple of minutes is the introduction of some classic cow bell that
kick starts even more epic soloing. Star ticks all the right boxes for the
Stoner Rock party jam!
Edge of the Universe feels like the band are pushing their
boundaries further with some darker doomier riffs, a big rumbling bassline and
sliding guitar chords with a southern twist that warps the mind.
Resin is easily my favourite song on the album. Starting all
laid back and trippy, the single drum track and bassline set the tone as the
guitars float in and out to create an ambience before a wave of guitars crash
over you. It does feel like they’ve managed to catch a point in time that reminds
me of what Unida did with songs like You Wish and Last Day, when they let the
instruments take the listener to a place somewhere between the end of the
horizon and the beginning of space. Played live I can see Resin turning into a
20+ minute jam. The band have done a video for Resin that’s full of old 50’s
and 60’s surfing clips and it all fits together really well with the music
complementing the culture and vice versa.
Tijuana kicks the throttle back in again and feels like
you’re on board the rocket that’s taking you on the Venus Skytrip, and The Owl
takes you on a 9+ minute psychedelic doom jam that builds with a deep hypnotic riff
that marches you through the dark red skies before floating away towards the
light.
Psychlona will win over a lot of new fans with Venus Skytrip
and when the pandemic subsides and gigs can actually happen again, I am looking
forward to seeing them rock this out live.
I also have to mention the production quality of the mix and
production done by Andy Hawkins and the cool psychedelic artwork done by Kyrre
Bjurling.
As quick as it was pressed on vinyl Venus Skytrip had
already sold out, but they have already repressed it on sun star yellow.
