The magical Welsh psych folk/rock/pop band Soft Hearted Scientists is back! The recordings of this triple LP started already in 2019 but lots of things happened in between. I've been a big fan of the band for years so was really thrilled when Fruits de Mer announced this release somtime last year. The CD version of the album was already released last year on The Hip Replacement but this version has four extra tracks, most of them pretty long (especially "Waltz through the Weekend" at 16:42!).
Like always, the Scientists conjure up a magical combination of wacky, whimsical humour, simple but highly effective melodies and psychedelic soundscapes in the best tradition pioneered by The Beatles, Syd's Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues, the Stones and many other masters. The sound is still pretty modern and really great. Spreading 16 tracks to 3 vinyl albums is big task but the Soft Hearted Scientists really pull it off. I just love every moment of this album and I can play it several times in a row, no problem. There are some faster songs but mostly we get moody, melodic and atmospheric stuff with great harmonies and beautiful vibes. I've got no difficulties in understanding why Fruits de Mer's Keith is so much in love with this band since so am I... Totally mesmerising stuff and of course highly recommended.
It's been a while since I last told you about what's going on with Astral Magic. Since the release of Sacred Mysteries CD (still available!) there was the very limited lathe-cut 7" Virtual Fixtures / Kinder der Sonne on the Irish label Fuzzed Out & Astromoon. A side from the album We Are Stardust, B side a previously unreleased kraut oriented instrumental. Like before, it sold-out in few minutes.
Then I put out the second 7" lathe-cut single recorded with the Kultti-25 guys in analog studio: Mind Eater / Lurking in the Dark. Only 50 copies made but some still available so be fast! It's a heavy Hawkwind worship thing...
On the 1st of December something really special was released... I've been in contact with ex-Hawkwind singer Bridget Wishart for years and reviewing some of her releases but now it was finally time to work with her on an album! Ad Infinitum is a progressive space rock album that also features Vince Cory and Lauri Kajander on guitars. The CD includes the previous single as bonus tracks. The first 100 copies were sold out in a month but we now have the second pressing available from our Bandcamp site. Fresh news is also that a limited LP edition of 100 copies with new cover design is now on pre-sale in the US! Just be fast to get a copy as they are going fast.
This year's first release was The Hidden Way CD-R limited to 50 copies. As you know I've been working a lot with Shane Beck The Last American Poet. This album has several tracks that I have made for his solo albums as well as one compilation track and several brand-new ones. Musically it is more electronic and experimental but very psychedelic! It seems people have liked it since I only have two copies of the CD-R left, so again, act fast if you want it!
End of Time is an album that was already recorded in 2020-21 and planned as a successor to Magical Kingdom on Tonzonen Records. Since this never happened, I thought it was now time to put it out on my own! It's a cool progressive and psychedelic space rock/pop thing with lots of input by the excellent Jonathan Segel on guitars, violin and mandolin. He also mastered the album again for maximum quality. As usual, only 100 CD's were pressed and for some reason lots still available over here!
I bet many of you are familiar with the author and psychedelic musician Paul Roland, right? He sent me some of his CD's and books about the occult for review years ago, so I sort of got to know him. Been a fan for years, of course. It was still a bit of a surprise when he suddenly contacted me and said that he wanted to make psychedelic space rock with me! Well of course I was in. Within a week or two we had a five-track EP together. Again, Jonathan Segel joined in for some electric guitar, violin and viola, thanks for that my friend. I also want to express my gratitude for the amazing Andy Wainwright who does most of the Astral Magic art nowadays. Contact him if you need some cool psychedelic designs! The creative collaboration with Paul went so smoothly and fast that I'm sure this was not the end of it. 150 copies of the EP have been made on CD and they wil be released on the next Bandcamp Friday March the 1st. There is also a new T-shirt design and plans to also put four of the tracks on a limited edition 10" lathe-cut so follow the Astral Magic Bandcamp site regularly for updates... Check out the EP teaser video for now.
Okay, this is the seventh Dr Space's Alien Planet Trip album and the third with Norwegian bass player Hasse Horrigmoe. Dr Space (Scott Heller) plays synths, Mellotron and Hammon organ. The almost 70 minute albun has six long, very hypnotic, repetive and monotonous instrumental pieces. There are no beats, just some sequencers/arpeggiators give sort of rhythm at times. A simple bass line is often repeated to infinity with spacey synth sounds going all over the place. Mellotron and Hammond offer some variety. Some people might find this boring, but it gives a very weird, other-dimensional vibe that I enjoy! This is definitely not for you, if you want pretty melodies and standard song stuctures, but if you enjoy more abstract and out-there soundscapes you should definitely check this out. Extra points for the amazing cover design by Dave Graham! The CD is a limited edition of 100 copies.
The Golden Hour is the second solo LP by Fred Laird (ex-Earthling Society, Tara's Bulba, Artifacts & Uranium etc.) under this monicker. Fred has also recorded quite a lot of stuff for my psychedelic project Astral Magic. There are also a couple of tapes and a CD(-R?) I have not even heard. Unlike on Mushin (Echodelic Records 2022) that had three long, ambient pieces, The Golden Hour includes nine shorter tracks that are more in the vein of latter day Earthling Society stuff. So, experimental and World music /folk oriented but also more krautrocking. And I love it!
Fred plays guitars, bass, bouzouki, Turkish
saz, organ, piano, harpsichord, pennywhistle, percussion, drum
programming, samples, synthesizer, coral sitar, Hulusi, PO133 Street
Fighter and electronic tanpur while Nick Raybould just adds djembe and shaker on "Invisible JuJu". The album has a wird, otherwordly and esoteric vibe, and although the instrumental tracks are relatively short they surely form their own universes. The sound is not too polished but rather home-grown that adds a charm of it's own. There's a wonderful loner psych vibe going on throughout the album and a suitable amount of variation on the music. My only worry is that it is already too late to find a copy of this lovely album since it seems to be very limited edition but I will start searching right NOW!
Uinumas is the fourth album by this great Helsinki based heavy progressive psych rock trio. I have been following them since the beginning and it's been an interesting journey. At least to my ears they have a style of their own but obviously they also have their influences. I guess it's safe to say they have gone into more progressive direction with this new album, but some of it is pretty heavy too. They have progressed as musicians and the vocals are getting bette rand better too.
There are seven tracks on the album. The A side ("Relentless", "Lumerians" and "After You") follow each other seamessly forming a very nice, constantly changing arch. The energetic bass line of "Skylined" at the start ob side B brings to mind Rush. No synthesizers though, sadly... They would fit in perfectly. "On Mirror Plane" is had more energetic bursts as well as more tranquil parts in good mesure. It strange thet the band's songs seem longer than they actually are. Not because they are boring, on the contrary, bacause they are always evolving and changing with only some parts showing up again. That makes it hard to really get to know the music, but obviously there will also be more to dig into in time. Some Kingston Wall vibes flow by for a moment, and soon the album is finished after some full-energy blasting. I will need to listen to this many times to really get into the bottom of it, but I can honestly say that it's a great and interesting album with lots of talent! Release date for the LP limited to 300 copies is 29.2. and you cab pre-order NOW!
