Magic Bus: Seven Wonders / Eight Miles High 7"

Regal Crabomophone (Winkle 20)

Magic Bus is a progressive psych rock band from Devon, U.K. I have not heard from them before and this cool little 7" is their first release on Regal Crabomophone / Fruits de Mer. Since it has an original on the A-side it's on the sister label as FdM is (usually...) reserved for covers only. Magic Bus has two albums and one single out before this release, and I think I just might have to find copies since this sounds very nice. They clearly are highly influenced by the Canterbury scene of the late 60s/70s, especially Caravan comes to mind while listening to their lovely sounds.

Their own song "Seven Wonders" is taken from their latest album "Transmission from Sogmore's Garden" and starts off in a peaceful, slow mode with great, soft vocals, gentle guitars, organ and flute. Later on things get more progressive and a bit heavier, and there's a groovy organ solo at the very end. I like this a lot! The Byrds are of course one of the original innovators of the whole psych rock genre, so it's a little miracle that their mind-altering hit song "Eight Miles High" hasn't been previously covered by any band on Fruits de Mer. This excellent rendition starts with just vocals and organ, and after a bubbling psych sound effect the song starts moving and we're in blissful aural heaven. They really make this track sound like Canterbury scene still also being respectful for the original harmony vocals etc. and I love it. What a great debut release for Fruits de Mer / Regal Crabomophone and I have a feeling there will be more...

www.facebook.com/magicbusbandofficial

nick nicely: 49 Cigars 7"

Fruits de Mer Records (Crustacean 66)

Fruits de Mer really are great binding with many of my biggest underground psych heros of the last few decades... nick nicely started his career by releasing a couple of great psych pop singles in the early 80s before disappearing into obscurity for years. "49 Cigars" was originally released as the B-side to "Hilly Fields (1892)" in 1982. This strange and mesmerizing single was called "the best psych single since the 60s" by NME and I think they were pretty much right. This four-track EP, second for Fruits de Mer by nick, compiles together the original version with a very different, freaky and jammy, extended live version of the same song, a recent, trippy remix of "Belinda" from nick's latest album Space of a Second and, from the same album, the weird and wonderful "Lobster Dobbs" that of course was destined to be released on Fruits de Mer due to its marine title... Well, I love everything this guy has ever done, so it's obvious I also really enjoy this limited edition 7"! Somehow nick's music has a highly hallucinogenic, otherwordly and warped-out nature of its own still maintaining some elements of melodic psych pop, rock and even experimental electronica. This little EP is enough to transport you into another dimension, so let's see what his next album will do... Highly recommended!

www.facebook.com/Nick-nicely

Vibravoid: Stepping Stone 7"

Fruits de Mer Records (Crustacean 67)

It's no secret that Vibravoid, one of Germany's leading psychedelic rock bands, is one of my favourites, so naturally I'm very excited every time they have a new release out. These guys have never let me down, so I just KNOW they will deliver the mind-bending goods. This new 7" just out on the marvelous Fruits de Mer Records is of course no exception, this is pure aural ear candy. This 7" EP includes three covers of classic psych tracks from the 60s. First, they do "a bit more" psychedelized version of "Stepping Stone" by The Monkees, what a clever move! I'm sure this will go down well in live situations as well, very groovy stuff! The next track is something new for Vibravoid: "Hole in My Shoe" (originally by Traffic) has amazing quest female vocals by Italian mod jazz singer Viola Road! This really makes a difference (although I love Christian's vocals too, of course). This version is heavenly beautiful with sitar, mellotron, organ and other psych tricks. Just wow! Vibravoid has released a couple of earlier versions of  "The White Ship" (H. P. Lovecraft) before, but the version here is even more spacey and hazy, if possible... Also a bit longer than on their Gravity Zero album released in 2012. This will transport you to an another zone for sure... Very trippy! Get this piece of art a.s.a.p. since Vibravoid/FdM stuff usually is usually sold out very fast.

www.stonedkarma.com/vibravoid

Kanoi: From the City to the Stars

Clostridium Records (CR 011)

I had never heard Kanoi before Clostridium Records generously sent me their first LP limited to 500 copies a couple of months ago. Kanoi is a solo project of Benjamin Kantschieder from Austria. From the City to the Stars was recorded in 2012-2013 and released in 2014. Clostridium Records has already put out a new album by Kanoi this year, but I don't have that one yet. This debut album has a laid-back, sort of bluesy vibe and includes six, rather varied songs.

The album starts off with the slow, bluesy and a bit stoner rock styled title track. The sound is pretty primitive and nods to the original heavy psych age of '68-'70. There's nothing special here, but it works in its own genre, although I'm not exactly transported to the stars. The only psychedelic element is the effects on the meditative vocals, although the guitar freaks out a bit too. There's just guitar, bass, drums and vocals, like on most of the album. "Cracks" is an older track but remixed here, and it's a more acoustic, peaceful and pretty affair. "Witch Mt." is heavy boogie rock in the vein of The Groundhogs.

The second side begins with the folky and tranquil "Obstacles" and this gets closer to space in my mind also sounding a lot clearer that most of the songs. Very nice! The mid-tempo heavy psych rock piece "The Heather Blazing" brings to mind The Bevis Frond which is not a bad thing in my books. The solo guitar work is pretty neat as well, but the sound definitely rather primitive. The album is finished with the moody "Suspicions Aside" and it is a slow, folky/country styled piece with some acoustic and slide guitar that gets heavier towards the end with some cool, psychy guitar soloing. Check this guy out, he has tons of stuff on his Bandcamp site!

kanoi.bandcamp.com

Kirkbinsinek: Sis Pus Sus

World in Sound (WIS-3025)

It's a rare but very cool situation that I have already bought an album that I really like on vinyl and then receive a promo copy on CD but that's what happened here. Kirkbinsinek is an excellent psych/prog/ethno/space rock band from Turkey and I'm digging them a lot! Sis Pus Sus already made it to my July hotlist so it's obvious I enjoy it a lot, but let's get beyond that now...

Now I don't really know that many modern Turkish psych/prog/rock bands, but they have a long tradition in this kind of music since the 60s as a potlach of Western and Eastern musical traditions. Just think of Erkin Koray for example! Anyway, as far as I know, Sis Pus Sus is the first album by this heavy psych prog band from Istanbul. It's obvious that the members have been playing music for a long time since they are very good. The album includes nine original compositions that have just the right amount of ethnic, Turkish elements in melody, rhythm and vibe to make things sound interesting. They also sing in Turkish which sounds pretty exotic as well. Their music is quite progressive but not too difficult to enjoy. There are plenty of psychedelic and spacey parts but also folk elements enhanced by the cello player. Other instrumentation includes just electric guitar, bass and drums but that's plenty for this marvelous band. They also have that groovy element that reminds me of Korai Öröm from Hungary, but without the trance/techno elements and synths. Sometimes I'm also reminded of I won't go through all the tracks individually here, let's just say that there are no fillers and I definitely command you to listen to this album as soon as possible!

www.facebook.com/kirkbinsinek

Viaticum - Plays Kosmikrock

Self-released

Viaticum is a rather fresh band from Switzerland. This double vinyl album released in 2014 by the band themselves is their second release. There are eight songs on the 2LP and most of them are pretty lenghty. I like most of the album, but not everything. The first track "Colonize Me Gently" made me think is this supposed to be cosmic or psychedelic rock? Okay, luckily things get much more "out there" on the following, long (13:14) and atmospheric stoner rock jam "Fat Heart", one of my favourites on the album.

Viaticum's music changes from heavy, fuzzy stoner rock to melodic post rock/metal and there's also some prog, punk/noise rock and and even reggae influences ("Shittle-12 Hates People") in there to make things even more varied. I like the fact that they tend to be adventurous, but personally I might have edited down the album a little bit. Having said that, at their best Viaticum definitely delivers the deep, hypnotic and heavy stoner rock vibe many people grave for. They can also create those moody, chilled-out moments that are very welcome in between the heavy, intense parts. To my ears the band works best on the instrumental passages, but it's a good thing that there are also a little bit of vocals every now and then. They might use some more effects on the lyrics next time, if you ask me. Sometimes the vocals work out fine like on the beautiful "Hintergrunderfüllung".  "Entity" is one of the most straight-forward rock track and somehow reminds me of Monster Magnet. Some of the long instrumental parts have some Swans or GSY!BE vibe in them. There is mainly just guitar, bass, drums and vocals on the album which is fine of course, but for example some spacey analogue synths would have increased the "kosmik" factor. All in all, this is an album worth checking out since I think many readers of my blog might enjoy Viaticum Plays Kosmikrock. Oh yeah, it's also out on CD-R.

viaticum.bandcamp.com

Überkraut alert! Dj Astro to spin vinyl in Turku this Saturday!

If you happen to be in Turku, Finland, this weekend, please come to this free/no age limit outdoors (weather permitting) happening in the old town:


www.facebook.com/events/1613106918977158/


There will be a very special cosmic kraut live gig when E-Musikgruppe Lux Ohr plays together with Hisko Detria! Some live psych/prog/doom to warm you up: Garden of Worm!


I will play some psych and doom & what ever... Should be fun!


Here's the timetable:


21:00  DJ Astro
22:00 Garden of Worm
23:00 E-Musikgruppe Lux Ohr/Hisko Detria
24:00 DJ Astro
02:00 The End...