Avarus: Salon des Amateurs

Pome Pome Tones (PPT-1)

 

It’s been four year since the latest official Avarus albums IV and Toosassa were released, but there have been a couple of tapes since then. On Salon des Amateurs this Finnish free form experimental psych rock/folk/jazz/electronic outfit is joined by Jeffrey Alexander (electric guitar, Black Forest/Black Sea, Secret Eye Records etc.) from the US and Moritz Kleiner (synthesizer) from Germany. Other players are this time Jukka Räisänen (electric bass), Lars Mattila (electric guitar), Arttu Partinen (percussion), Tero Niskanen (synthesizer). These two, untitled side-long tracks on this very nice vinyl album were both recorded spontaneously at Kunsthalle in Düsseldorf, Germany, on May 30 2011 when Avarus was on their European tour. The sound quality is good and the band is clearly in great and inspirational mood. The A side starts off slowly with some electronic sounds and hypnotic bass line and monotonic guitar while Arttu slowly lets the rhythm grow. The track gets VERY hypnotic and trance-inducing in the middle and you will be transported into this strange, psychedelic Avarus world that only exists during their gigs. On side B they have a nice, almost dub like beat going and even some chord changes, until the track cools down into weird, quiet, jazzy drone. I might not be the right person to review this music since I don’t really know many bands like this, but I think Avarus is a great band and I do enjoy their strange, improvisational aural trips even if they’re pretty primitive, monotonic and whimsical. Or maybe that’s exactly the reason!

www.last.fm/music/Avarus

 

 

The Of: Oh It’s the Of

Green Monkey Records (GM1019)

 

Okay, first of all: any band that wears home-made tin foil hats and even trousers live and has CD cover art depicting people fighting against giant crabs and other weird sea creatures etc. can’t be all bad. This is indeed very odd and psychedelic stuff. The Of is a band from Roslyn, Washington, and if the name of this tiny town rings any bells then yes, that’s where the TV show Northern Exposure was shot. Twin Peaks was also shot quite nearby at North Bend. You get the picture, I’m sure. This is the second CD released by the band this year so I guess they are quite a productive bunch. I’ve never heard of them before, though. But they really are somewhat whacky. The band is a brainchild of guitarist John Carey who has a pretty exciting playing style that sometimes brings to mind Frank Zappa (just listen to the long instrumental “Sodo Monkey Part II”). The other musician seem rather good at well, and the instrumentation includes keyboards, bass, banjo, mandolin, cello, percussion and drums and everyone expect the drummer also sings. According to John, their music “contains digested and regurgitated pop, avant-garde, rock, blues, jazz and other forms as well”, and I think he is right. With song titles like “Softbelly Crab Excerpt”, “Seagull Attack”, “Whiskey & Pills” and “Mystic Fishstick” you just can’t go wrong. There are 12 tracks on the 64-minute CD. Some of my favourites are the sort of Primus sounding “Seagull Attack”, the very weird and psychedelic, short “Can’t Stop Listening”, the rocking, fuzzy “You’re in Love with the Of” and the longest track on the CD, the over 14-minute, experimental trip “Mouse Trash “Recipe”. I get the feeling that anything could happen on The Off album and indeed almost anything does happen here… There’s some groovy Grateful Dead vibes there too (especially on “Mystic Fishstick”), but most of the album is very experimental, funny or just plain weird. The sound is pretty good considering that the album was recorded using very cheap gear. This is not the kind of music I feel like listening to everyday, but there certainly is a moment for this kind of weirdness for most of us. Check it out!

wearetheof.com

Krautzone: Kosmische Rituale

Sulatron Records (st1304)

 

Krautzone was formed in 2011 by accident: this jam session just happened spontaneously and without thinking. Way to go! These psychedelic, experimental and cosmic kraut rituals feature Electric Moon’s Sula Bassana on synthies and Komet Lulu on drums (first time on drums on any album, to my knowledge!) plus other old friends from Zone Six, The Pancakes, The Spacelords etc. on more synths, guitar, bass and “cosmic atmosphere producing”… There are three long, spacey and laid-back tracks on the album that’s for now only out on limited, beautiful three-coloured marbled vinyl. “Liebe” spreads the message of free, kosmische love for 12:44 minutes, and also has some “Set the Controls…” era Pink Floyd in it. Excellent! The title track “Kosmische Rituale” is a 9:06 long piece that goes in similar paths in a rather minimal way. My favourite is “Only Fools Rush in” that takes the whole B side and really transports the listener into another, psychedelic and mystical universe. This is very hypnotic, trance-inducing and hallucinatory stuff, I love it! If you are a fan of really cosmic kraut rock like Ash Ra Tempel, Popol Vuh, The Cosmic Jokers, Amon Düül etc. you should definitely buy this album.

soundcloud.com/krautzone/sets

Papir Meets Electric Moon: The Papermoon Sessions

Sulatron Records (st1303-2)

 

Papir from Denmark and Electric Moon from Germany are some of the best psych rock bands in the world at the moment, so I was really looking forward to this collaborative space jam session to be released and it sure was worth the wait. The Papermoon Sessions were recorded spontaneously live but without any audience at the legendary Dragens Hule in Copenhagen on August 9th 2012 and no overdubs were added. Also featured on synths is Mogens Deenfort Pederden, the keyboard player of Øresund Space Collective. As it happens, Ralph Rjeily who was a very important and loved character in Copenhagen psych/underground music scene had just passed away that same day and the sad news had an impact on the sessions for sure. So this whole album is dedicated to Ralph, and perhaps is a bit melancholic in overall mood.

 

There are three instrumental tracks on this limited, coloured LP and CD. First we’ve got the 16:10 long “Farewell Mr. Space Echo” and this is very spacey and atmospheric jamming. The shorter “Red Dust” is pretty laid-back and airy stuff, but the over 20-minute “The Circle” is the main piece here. It starts to rock right away with some kraut rock vibes, but then it turns into cosmic drones after a few minutes. After a while it starts moving again and even gets a bit heavier and there’s some cool solo guitar work as well. The track gets quite intense towards the end as the musicians really start to find their psychedelic and intuitive path together. The last moments are peaceful again. Personally I would have liked to hear some more as this jamming somehow ends too soon, but lets’ hope that these guys will do more sessions together and in happier mood. This album didn’t just fit into my top 20 album list this year but I still like it a lot.

 

papirband.com/live/

 

www.electricmoon.de/

 

 

 

Best albums in 2013

In alphabetical order.

International Top 20:

The Bevis Frond: White Numbers
The Black Angels: Indigo Meadow
Carlton Melton: Always Even
Chrome: Half Machine from the Sun
The Cosmic Dead: Inner Sanctum
Earthless: From the Ages
Föllakzoid: II
Giobia: Introducing Night Sound
Hawkwind: Spacehawks
Master Musicians of Bukkake: Far West
Monster Magnet: Last Patrol
The Oscillation: From Tomorrow
Papir: III
Spids Nøgenhat: Kommer Med Fred
Nik Turner: Space Gypsy
Vibravoid: Delirio Dei Sensi
White Hills: So You Are... So You’ll Be
White Manna: Dune Worship
Wooden Shjips: Back to Land
Øresund Space Collective: Organic Earthly Floatation

Finnish Top 10:

Beastmilk: Climax
Black Lizard: S/T
Circle: Six Day Run
Dark Buddha Rising: Dakhmandal
Death Hawks: S/T
Domovoyd: Oh Sensibility
Oranssi Pazuzu: Valonielu
Permanent Clear Light: Beyond These Things
Sammal: S/T
Seremonia: Ihminen

Beastmilk: Climax

Svart Records (SVR 242)

This album somehow puts me on a flashback to my youth. In the late 80s and especially early 90s when I had listened too much to Black Sabbath and Hawkwind albums with my friends we sometimes put on black clothes and leather pants and went to see Finnish gothic rock, post-punk, death rock and new wave bands like Mana Mana, Two Witches, Shadow Play, Sunday Prize, Babylon Whores etc. in small rat holes in Helsinki like Shadow Club, Backstage and Semifinal. Some of the bands were more punky in The Misfits style, some more melancholic, dark and moody in the vein of The Cure, some had more pop elements and some messed more with metal. Hell, I even had a go in this direction myself with a band called Sixth Sense that recorded one demo and played with Two Witches among others. Helsinki-based Beastmilk somehow brings back those bitter sweet memories. They have definitely listened to their share of Joy Division, Killing Joke, Bauhaus, Christian Death, The Sisters of Mercy etc., but they still have a modern way of making apocalyptic death rock and their sound is often pretty heavy and also appeals to bored black metal musicians and fans. The band was formed in 2010 by Goatspeed (guitar) and Khvost (voice, Mat McNerney, also known from his psychedelic folk band Hexvessel and numerous other bands), the rest of the members are Arino (bass) and Pail (drums). Their first demo White Stains On Black Tape sold out very fast in 2010 and was then reissued in 2011 on 7” by Svart who also put out the next 7” EP Use Your Deluge in 2012. Beastmilk recorded their debut album Climax in Boston, US this summer with superb results and it seems this album will get them far.

The album starts off with the straight-forward “Death Reflects Us” and I got to say that Mat’s strong and soulful voice suits also this kind of music very well. A very effective, simple, heavy and rocking but melodic opener. “The Wind Blows through Their Skulls” and “Genocidal Crush” have more gothic post-punk vibes and I like those a lot. “You Are Now under Our Control” has a strong Joy Division/Bauhaus vibe, and the bit longer “Ghost out of Focus” is a bit more atmospheric, dark song and not that rocking or heavy. Great song, anyway! “Nuclear Winter” rocks hard and fast and has some The Misfits influences I think. “Fear Your Mind” could easily be an early Babylon Whores track (check out Svart’s forthcoming BW boxed set, by the way!) and “Love in a Cold World” sounds just like it was recorded in 80’s in the UK and has very cool, driving beat. The same goes for “Surf the Apocalypse” that also has dark, a bit more moody moments. The longest track (5:54) is the bit slower, gloomy and dark “Strange Attractors” that has echoes of The Cure and even Echo & the Bunnymen, although the sound is more massive. This is a very successful album and Beastmilk definitely has the potential to become huge all over the place. As it happens, they are playing live tonight at Bar Loose in Helsinki, and I will be there for sure. Check them out!

beastmilk-official.tumblr.com

Monster Magnet: The Last Patrol

Napalm Records (NPR 490)

Dave Wyndorf has been flying his heavy, psychedelic stoner rock space machine Monster Magnet since the late 80’s through open spaces and asteroid belts. He has had his personal problems and hard-ships like we all, but luckily the band is in great shape again and Mr. Wyndorf seems to be healthy, creative and full of power again. I’ve been a fan since the early days, so it’s a great pleasure to say that I think their new album The Last Patrol is very likely the best since Powertrip in 1998. It might even be better than Powertrip or the previous album Dopes to Infinity, but it’s too early to tell for sure. Dave and the boys have sort of returned to the roots of psychedelic, heavy stoner experience but along with the knowledge and experience gathered throughout their long space flight. The most commercial pop melodies have been dropped off, and the music pretty much focuses on what’s always been the best thing about Monster Magnet: the deep, hypnotic, mind-blowing and hallucinatory feel of hard 70’s styled stoner rock. Okay, there’s some blues, some acoustic parts etc., but most of the album just blows your mind like it should. And I think it’s really good to have also some more atmospheric sections with Mellotrons, percussion and stuff just to build up the tension again until your mind explodes.

 

The new album has nice tracks; the deluxe edition has two bonus tracks as well. The album is of course out also on four different, very cool looking limited 2LP vinyl editions that also include the bonus tracks. My favourite songs are the over nine-minute title track that has some of the most effective, mind-crushing riffs I’ve heard for a while, the slow and heavy “Three Kingfishers”, the fierce and energetic space rock blast “Mindless Ones” and the equally fast and furious “End of Time”. All the songs are winners, though, and the playing, singing and production are all top-notch. I especially enjoy the fact that there are lots of spacey reverb, delay and other effects on lot of songs which makes this album a pretty trippy experience. Dave’s vocals and lyrics are also excellent. This is definitely a back-to-form album and I think that everyone who used to like the band in the 90’s should really check this out. The Last Patrol rocks! The band is starting a long US tour soon for the first time in 10 years, let’s hope that everything goes well and that we will see them touring Europe again next year. Personally I’m really looking forward to see some of the new songs live!

www.zodiaclung.com