Crystal Jacqueline and The Honey Pot - I Talk To The Wind 2 x 7"

Fruits de Mer Records (crustacean 92)

Crystal Jacqueline is without a doubt one of my favourite female singers from the U.K. at the moment and together with guitarist/arranger etc. Icarus Peel they can do some psychedelic sonic miracles. This time they have interpreted five classic 60s/early 70s tracks for a cool double seven-inch release.

The excellent double EP starts off with a soul-tingling version of Traffic's "Mr. Fantasy". I'm in heaven already during the intro! This one has very cool, authentic 60s vibe but with modern sound quality, not easy to achieve. The Mellotron etc. of course helps! Amazing stuff, anyway. Things are going to get even better with the beautiful "I Talk to the Wind" originally released on the debut King Crimson album in 1969! Ah the flutes, the vocals, again the Mellotron and everything else... Just breath-taking! A few years ago, I was happy to score a cheap single called "Zabadak" by a 60s bunch named Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich. The A-side was okay pop psych that I remembered hearing before but the main issue here was the trippy, hypnotic, Eastern-tingled B-side "Sun Goes Down". This was a winner for sure! It's good to hear a bit darker, fuzzier song here as well. Rare Bird's "Sympathy" has been covered many times but not recently, I think. Great, melancholic song and a superb version too. The double EP is finished with an eight-minute "Dreams" by Tonton Macoute and I don't think I've ever heard this song before. It's a good choise to have one song with also some male lead vocals to give the EP some more variation. This version is twice as long as the original... Wonderful!

www.facebook.com/crystaljacquelinemusic

Dj Astro spins vinyl at Blowup Vol. 5!

Alright, it's that time of the year again! Blowup Festival Volume 5 will happen this week from Thursday to Saturday at Korjaamo, Helsinki. You can still buy some single day tickets over here but it's very close to being sold-out.

I'm honored to be djing there again, this time at the smaller Attic (Vintti) stage upstairs. It is a cool place and I've been telling Esa to include that into his festival and it finally happens! The Attic will only be in use on Friday (Dj Astro & DJ Jugh reunion! It will be like the old times at Roadburn/Psychotropic Caravan/Slip Inside This Club) and Saturday (Dj Astro with Dj Valentin Kocmoc). It should be fun! Please check us out in between the bands and have a blast.

Here are the timetables:

And don't forget the pre-festival club with the mighty Ufomammut tonight at On the Rocks!

Dj Astro to Helsinki Psych Fest Vol. 3!

At last minute's notice Dj Astro has been asked to the rescue to dj at Helsinki Psych Fest Vol. 3 this Friday 4.10.2019! There will be no vinyl players so it will be a CD-only night, unfortunately.

This time the HPF will take place at two stages of a new venue Tiivistämö along with another venue nearby called Magito. In addition to live bands like Hidria Spacefolk and Meteor Vortex, there will also be other cool activities like movies and theatre... Check it out!

www.facebook.com/events/2053317714968759/

September hotlist

Early Autumn has been pretty hot...

Lumerians - Yellow Cake 7”
The Myrrors ‎– Black Sand: Live In London
Comacozer ‎– Mydriasis
Acid Rooster ‎– S/T
Hawkestrel - The Future Is Us
Earthling Society ‎– Sci-Fi Hi-Fi (new vinyl version)
Kozmotron ‎– ¿Qual?
Ecstatic Vision ‎– For The Masses
Alan Davey's Psychedelic Warlords ‎– Captain Lockheed & The Starfighters Live!
Alan Davey's Psychedelic Warlords ‎– Hall Of The Mountain Grill Live (London 2014)

Cool stuff once again! Have a nice Autumn everyone.

     

Sendelica ‎– Cromlech Chronicles IV: The Door Into Summer 2LP

Fruits de Mer Records ‎(Winkle 37)

This is the latest studio album by Welch psychedelic space rockers Sendelica and the fourth and final part in the Cromlech Chronicles series. Pete, Glenda & co have established themselves as one of the most prolific and experienced modern bands in their field which is something to be proud of. This time the band's annual pilgrimage to Mwnci Studio in Wales resulted in four long, mellow and trippy tracks that fill in three sides of the double album. The fourth side has a unique UV printing on it that looks really cool and is something I've never seen before!

The 19-minute "Lightstar" starts off with some soulful sax by Lee and slowly builds up into a dreamy, summerly jam. As the promo sheet states, this album has a bit of late 60s/early 70s West Coast vibe to it. This is very mellow, pleasant and sort of spiritual stuff, just close your eyes and enjoy. The 23-minute "Saturnalia" leads us into this ancient pagan celebration in a hypnotic manner. After the little faster beginning it has a similar, peaceful vibe than its predecessor. Very nice! On side three we've got "Nine Miles High - Lightstar Reprise" and finally the heavier space rocking starts. At the start they of course loan a bit from The Byrds classic "Eight Miles High" but then just take it one mile higher! Later on they go back to the original theme and after some guitar feedback the track turns into "Lightstar (Reprise)" with some more cool mid-tempo jam rock. Another killer album by Sendelica although not necessarily one of their best or most inspired. This is still available so get your copy now!

www.facebook.com/Sendelica-191174294239796

London Underground ‎– Space Edition 2LP

GaGeGi Records / Fruits de Mer Records ‎(CRUSTACEAN 89)

London Underground are an Italian beat/pop/prog/psych rock band formed in 1998. They have released four CD's in between 2000 and 2018, and Space Edition is their first vinyl outing. On the first LP you can find a slightly reprogrammed version of their latest, instrumental album Four and the second LP is comprised of stuff lifted from the three other albums, so this release in in fact a compilation. And a really good one as it is! I had never heard of these groovy progsters before and am enjoying their sounds a lot.

The first three tracks "Billy Silver", "Three Men Job" and "At Home" are all rather peaceful, soulful and chilled-out, very nice and smooth. I can find some Pink Floyd vibes but not just that. I love especially the use of organ and synthesizers. "The Comete" has more of a smokey, jazzy feel to it, very groovy but still mellow. "What I Say" sounds like some long forgotten late 60s prog/jazz fusion band jamming, cool. "Ray Ban" is another jazzy, groovy piece and "Tropic of Capricorn" written by Brian Auger is a clear indication where a big part of their inspiration must come from. Very nice! The over 7-minute "Jam" ends the first LP in a marvellous way with some pretty intense playing by the whole band.

"Fanfare" is a heavy prog Arthur Brown cover and works really well here as well. The older London Underground songs usually are shorter and also have vocals. "Squadron Leader" is a pop/mod styled energetic and happy song, "Mass Babtizer" a bit more progressive and interesting for me. "Can't Find the Reason" (originally by Crane/Farlow) is a beautiful, peaceful track and then it's time for another burning, funky, jazzy Brian Auger cover "Ellis Island". "Everything Is Coming to an End" has a bit of The Who vibe I guess, not bad at all. One of my favourites is the next piece "Honey Drops" that has a hypnotic, instrumental groove going on with some great Mellotron etc. "Dharma for One" is of course a Jethro Tull cover but the band more like make it their own. Arzachel is one of the best 60's psych rock bands and their "Queen St. Gang" one of the most idyllic instrumentals of that time. Here London Underground makes a bit like a trip hop version of it and I like the update. The energetic jam "Faster and Faster" ends the album and makes you want to hear more. This is real killer package of groovy, psychy, jazzy, proggy moods inspired from the late 60s / early 70s but updated to our age in a very successful manner. Dig it! The album was sold-out on preorder, but if you are lucky, you can still find a copy...

www.facebook.com/londonund

Astral Visions Mixcloud Show #89 online!

 Please go to: https://www.mixcloud.com/AstralVisions/astral-visions-088/

Tracklist

#

Track

Artist

1

Sulfur (from S7T)

Acid Rooster

2

Can't Get There (from Can't Get There 12" EP)

Minami Deutsch

3

Suolaulu (from Suolaulu / Sininen 8")

Tuhosieni

4

Phil Mitchell'd (from Zero Fucks 10" EP)

Helicon

5

Turn The Tide (from A Prayer for the Birds)

Crystal Jacqueline

6

The Sea (from NYX)

Weltraum

7

Shut Up and Drive (from For The Masses)

Ecstatic Vision

8

Tellus (from The Hägersten Sessions )

Svenska Psykvänner

9

SurRaelism (from The Ascended Master Teachings Of...)

Junzo Suzuki & Snakes Don't Belong In Alaska

10

VI.I (from VI)

Papir

11

Grinder (from Pi)

Nazca Space Fox

12

Jupiter Rising (from Blood and Wine)

Goatess

13

Mars (from XX)

Ufomammut

14

Defining Moments (from V/A: From A Distant Shore)

Internal Planet

15

The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear In Smoke) - Live (from Hall Of The Mountain Grill Live)

Alan Davey's Psychedelic Warlords

16

Magnetic (from Always Already Here)

Jonas Munk & Nicklas Sørensen

17

In Between Times (from V/A: From A Distant Shore)

Us & Them