Into the Sea is the second full-length album by Swedish instrumental kraut/psych rock group Automatism. They have also released one split 10" with Pavallion last year, another great move by Tonzonen. You can also hear these musicians in other groovy bands like Kungens Män, New Rose, Partikel and Fanatism. Their music is largely based on improvisation but they seem to play same tracks at least twice. This is based on the fact that the new album features two re-recorded themes from the debut, the more NEU! tracks oriented "Propeller Propulsion" and "Standing Wave". They are pretty different now, though. What makes these tracks and the whole session (recorded in Svartsjölandet Studio) feel different is the use of upright bass giving a more jazzy vibe. This is very appropriate since the album features a cool version of the Alice Coltrane classic "Journey In Satchidananda"! Oh joy. In addition, you can fiend a new track, the pretty celestial and tranquil "Sparkler", another winner I might add. So we've got just four numbers but they are long, creative and adventurous so you'll really get your money's worth. All in all, this is highly pleasurable, mind-altering and somehow positive and uplifting experience and warmly recommended. The line-up is Hans Hjelm: guitar, synthesizer, percussion, Gustav Nygren: guitar, Mikael Tuominen: bass, guitar, percussion
and Jonas Yrlid: drums. Jakob Sjöholm is also guesting on guitar on the Coltrane cover. This is again a very limited edition of just 300 copies so get it fast or you will miss out!
Check out my first Astral Visions Mixcloud Show of the decade with mind-blowing tracks by Electric Orange, Inkal, The Janitors, Magic Shoppe, Dreamtime, Kirkbinsinek, The Underground Parties, The Cult of Dom Keller, Automatism, Yuum, Doctors of Space, AMT, Vibravoid, ØSC and Violet Nox!
Kosmos is a progressive, occasionally Eastern-tingled psych folk/rock group from Turku, Finland.This is their fifth album since the 2005 debut Tarinoita voimasta. I've been a fan since the beginning and reviewed all the previous albums as well, I think. The main band was at the time of recording Päivi Kylmänen: vocals, Kimmo Lähteenmäki: drums, conga-drums, organ, mellotron, Kari Vainionpää: guitar, bass, Olli Valtonen: shrutibox, taalmal and Ismo Virta: guitar, mellotron, organ, synthesizer and drums. In addition, these musicians are also featured: Juha Kulmala: reading, Arto Kuronen: bass, Sini Palokangas: violin, saxophone, xylophone, Kari Riihimäki: electric guitar. That's quite a cast and combination of different instruments and talents and that's also exactly how this album sounds like.
The title track "Ajan peili" ("The Mirror of Time") is a wonderful, atmospheric, lush and pretty song with nice female vocals, guitars, mellotron, violin etc. As always the ethereal, esoteric vocals are in Finnish but also translated into English on the insert which is cool. Great tune, anyway! "Eilinen" (”Yesterday”) is a more cheerful progressive folk rock number like the bit more acoustic "Kohti taivasta" (”Towards the Sky”). "Aina lähellä" ("Always Close") is a soft, mellow folk piece with ksylofon. "Salainen oppi" ("The Secret Doctrine") is another rather minimal, tranquil piece with some cool mellotron, sax and Pekka Streng vibes. It is dedicated to Madame Blavatsky... "Jatkuvuus" (”Continuity”) includes meditative narration and is a psychedelic, sort of darker, almost oppressive number and the last track "Minä olen" (”I Am”) gets closer to progressive space rock á la Gong or something. Very cool, I'm loving especially the end of the album again! You can buy the limited, hand-numbered vinyl edition of 300 copies or professionally printed CD-R and in my opinion you really should. On of the best ten albums released in Finland last year!
Lastryko is an improvisational, instrumental kraut/space rock band from Gdynia, Poland. Apparently Lastryko is their second album and it was released in March this year so I'm a bit late with this review (once again...). The band is formed by Wojciech Lacki (bass), Jacek Rezner (drums), Artur Bieszke (guitar)
and Maciej Szkudlarek (synthesizers).
The album has six tracks and lasts for around 45 minutes. The hypnotic opener "Jeden" sounds a bit like early Föllakzoid, dreamy & trancey."Dwa" rocks out a bit more with a steady drum beat and a bit louder guitar stuff. The next track "Trzy" is more ambient in nature, atmospheric stuff. "Cztery" has a synthesizer arpeggio going on and a cool more electronic krautrock vibe, I like it a lot. "Pięć" is an airy, rather minimal jam and the last track "Sześć" a longer (8:07), psychedelic excursion bringing to mind some of the lighter, instrumental passages of Circle or Pharaoh Overlord. All in all, a very pleasant album full of cool jams, but I somehow have a feeling that they could have evolved at least some of them a bit more with overdubs or something. Check it out!
Once again, I decided to do separate lists for foreign and Finnish albums. Here we go (in alphabetical order)!
Top 20 foreign albums: 3rd Ear Experience With Dr. Space – Ear To Space Acid Rooster – S/T Altın Gün – Gece Centrum – För Meditation Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek – Kar Yağar Dreamtime – Tidal Mind
Ecstatic Vision – For The Masses
Gong – The Universe Also Collapses
Hawkestrel – The Future Is Us
Hawkwind – All Aboard The Skylark
Kungens Män – Hårt Som Ben
Magic Shoppe – Circles
Moon Duo – Stars Are The Light
Orsak:Oslo – S/T
Psychic Lemon – Freak Mammal
The Spacelords – On Stage
Twink – Think Pink IV: Return to Deep Space
Uffe Lorenzen – Triprapport
Weltraum – NYX
White Manna – Ape On Sunday
Top 10 Finnish albums: Earthbound Machine – Destined for the Grave The Fërtility Cült – Kosmodysseia Hexvessel – All Tree Jupiter – Iosomnia Kosmos – Ajan Peili K-X-P – IV Oranssi Pazuzu – Live At Roadburn Pharaoh Overlord – 5 Tähtiportti – Abiristeily Waste Of Space Orchestra – Syntheosis
Silver Cloud Express is an "inter-galactic rock" band from the Sonoran desert, Tucson, Arizona. The trio is formed by Jamie Laboz (vocals, guitar, keys and sonic wizardry), Cristina Williams
(vocals and bass) and Daniel Thomas (drums). Postcards From Outer Space is their second EP following Colors released last year. Both EP's are available at the band's Bandcamp site as a digital download but you can also buy the new one on CD.
I have already used the excellent tittle track "Postcards From Outer Space" on my latest Astral Visions Mixcloud show so my readers have probably heard that by now. If not, check it out now at least! I love the relaxed, spacey atmosphere of the rather melodic but psychedelic track. Excellent work! "Here & Now" is a bit more pop oriented and not so spaced-out but I love it too. The EP is finished with alternative/indie rock/dream pop song "Silver Lining" that isn't too bad either although a bit closer to main-stream. I could easily imagine this stuff been played on radio, it has a certain mass appeal to it. I hope the band will release a full-length soon since they certainly have a lot of potential. Personally I wish they would concentrate on the more spacey/heady material but I'm sure I will like it anyway.
