Doctors of Space - Adventures in the Deep Seas of Sound

 Doctors of Space Music (DOS-007)

 

Okay, another new album by Doctors of Space (Dr Space: synths, Fender Rhodes. Mellotron, Hammond, mix & mastering, Dr Weaver - drum machines, synths, bass, electronic & acoustic guitars)! Dr Space things this is their best yet and I must agree. At least it's the most coherrent and worked on.

This 60-minute album is based on three jams by the duo. Dr Space then recorded short synth interludes, then Dr Weaver added guitars and bass and afterwards Dr Space mixed it all together during several weeks. The mix also includes some gong samples from Luis Simoes from different (OSC) recording sessions.

The albun is divided into four parts. "Part One" is mostly hypnotic, repetitive space rocking. "Part Two" sees the duo going into electronic trance music direction, it gets rather danceable, but still very cool and spacey. And hypnotic! "Part 3" starts off in a peaceful, bit experimental way. Trippy stuff. At six minutes we get a funny rap/funk beat and the track gets pretty groovy! Sort of surprising way to go but I enjoy it. "Part Four" is clearly the shortest at under 10 minutes. It's an relaxed ambient ending with some more intense sounds layered on top. Very nice! Stops very suddenly, not sure if intentionally or by mistake. Just 100 copies of this made so get it fast.

doctorsofspace.bandcamp.com/music

Eternal Flashback - I out now!

 

Eternal Flashback is a new psychedelic project by Shane Beck, Vince Cory and Santtu Laakso (yeah that's me...). Out debut album is out now and includes just one, 38-min long track "Trip One"! Only available in digital format, at least for the time being. Check it out below.

Shane Beck (The Last American Poet) - spoken word.
Vince Cory (Sonic Trip Project) - guitars, theremin & multi effects.
Santtu Laakso (Astral Magic) - moogs, percussion.

All music by Cory and Laakso, poetry by Beck. Mixed by Cory and Laakso, mastered by Jonathan Segel. Cover design by Andy Wainwright.

sonictripproject.bandcamp.com

Øresund Space Collective – Espaço

 Self-released (OSC2024-LS019)

This limited edition CD must be the most tranquil release by the band yet. The albu includes just two loooong jams that were recorded in September 2023 at Dr Space's studio in Portugal. In addition to stellar synths by the good Dr, we have Jonathan on guitar and violin, Hasse on bass, Luis on guitar, gong and noisebox, Larry on rhodes and Tito on brim-brau, drums and pecussion. Hey, three of them are also Astral Magic collaborators!

The title of the opener, "Umma", might bring to mind Pink Floyd, and there are some similarities in the peaceful, meditative vibes it brings too. This is very relaxing but also super spacey track that really acts as an espace from all your earthly troubles and stress. Something like this is very much in demand sometimes! It transports the listener into another dimenion altogether. just wonderful... "Birim Magic" starts off in a weird Ethnic/World Music style, but a lot of stuff happens during this, almost 43-minute-long ride. It is also very peaceful and dreamy in the middle, but some rhymths got added later on: first percussion and then a drum beat when we get closer to the end. The violin and bass espcpeially remonds me of Mahavishnu Orchestra a bit, so some jazzy/fusion vibes in there too. Not very common sounding OSC jam, which is a good thing in my books. After some cosmic dreamspaces the jam gets more intense towards the end without never really starting to rock out. Another very cool piece! It's nice to see OSC still putting out high-quality releases after all these years. There seems to be still 16 copies left on their Bandcamp site...

oresundspacecollective.bandcamp.com/

Astral Magic stuff!

 Hello!

Quite a lot has happened in the wonderful world of Astral Magic since my last post. 

Since the Astral Magic with Paul Roland - Mind Melt Machine CD EP there have been already SEVEN new releases!

 Strange Sensation CD, limited to 100 copies, was released in April the 5th. This album is a sort of successor to Am I Dreaming?, so more in the vein of 60s/70s psych/garage rock. Jaire Pätäri from Octopus Syng plays the drums, and the CD also includes a unique mix of Mind Melt Machine from the previous EP as a bonus track. Also featured are Perttu Lindberg – drums on “You Can’t Hear Me” and Jasmin Anglén – backing vocals on “Haunted Mansion”. Eye-popping cover art by Andy Wainwright, as usual.

Then we released a very limited edition home-made CD-R The Secret Paths: More Rarities with Shane Beck. This one has new versions of tracks that were originally made for his solo albums as well as plenty of totally new stuff. Very deep and psychedelic!!! Still a couple of copies left, but be quick...

Cruising the Celestial Highways has been in the works for years... It is the instrumental krautrock album of Astral Magic! It was ment to be an LP release but we'll have to settle for a limited edition CD for now. Just 100 copies in cool digipack.

The Highwaymen:

Santtu Laakso: music, mix, production, bass, synthesizers, motorik beats.
Jay Tausig: live drums, guitar, saxophone.
Pete Bingham: guitar.
Fred Laird: guitar.
Jonathan Segel: mastering.
Andy Wainwright: cover design

 

 Shadows over Jupiter was originally released on tape in 2021. I also made a 2LP version with three extra tracks, but it has proved to be too expensive to manufacture... I recently decided to remix all the tracks for a better sound quality. So a limited CD edition called Shadows over Jupiter Remixed was put out. Art by the original graphic designer Juha Takalo. Some great and quite different Astral Magic stuff on this one. Also features Jay Tausig and Fred Laird! Just get it.

After Shadows over Jupiter Remixed I decided to do limited edition of the previously vinyl only 2022 album Magical Kingdom on factory-pressed CD-R. Just 50 copies and going fast! Some fans do not buy vinyl and have been asking for this, so... And with three bonus tracks!

Floating in Space is a long-time project with my old friend Vesa Partti. We started it in 2021 or 2020 but it was put aside for some time... We finally decided to release it this Summer! First a digital single of the title track, then the whole album on limited edition CD. Vesa plays all the guitars and also does some vocals. I just love this album!

Floating in Space CD also includes the latest single recorded in analog studio with the Kultti-25 guys Tapio and Aki and some new faces: Joonas Soini on another guitar and the legendary Pentti Dassum on modular synths! The single Emerald Tablet / Taste of Sunlight (in My Mouth) was released in digital form last Friday but unfortunately the lathe-cut 7" version is a bit delayed. There will be only 50 copies of these made! Amazing art again by Andy on Floating and the new single...

I recently went to UK for almost two weeks. I visited the wonderful Kozfest for the second time, hang around with my friends Custard Flux and also finally got to Cardigan, Wales, for the Fruits de Mer Records festival 20th Dream of Dr Sardonicus. I also had a dj slot there playing only Astral Magic stuff! What an amazing journey… Astral Magic compilation Different Dimensions was included in the goodie back, I think I have sold all my copies now.

Other forthcoming releases include the CD's Interstellar Relations and Those Who Came from the Stars as well as a limited edition 10" lathe-cut version of the Mind Melt Machine EP with Paul Roland... Stay tuned!!!

Anton Barbeau - Dogstar / Queen of Eyes 7"

 Fruits de Mer Records (winkle 51)

I bet most readers know my pal and Astral Magic collaborator Anton Barbeau by now. Anton seems to live about  equal amounts of time in Berlin and California and why not. He's almost as productive as I am with several albums a year released. His latest single has a new original "Dogstar" on side A. This is a great, hard rocking glam rock stomper that brings to mind Marc Bolan, in a good way. One of Anton's biggest heros, along with Syd Barrett, David Bowie, Robyn Hitchcock, Julian Cope and lots of others, I suspect. Things don't stop here, since somehow, Anton managed to get Barry "The Fish" Melton (Country Joe McDonald and the Fish) to play some loud lead guitar through his custom-built Mesa Boogie! Very impressive. This song really works. For the B side, Ant chose a more atmospheric and melodic cover by Robyn Hitchcock called "Queen of Eyes". Wonderful! This single is also limited to just 300 copies so hurry up if you want one and I think you should.

www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/dogstar.html 

www.antonbarbeau.com 

 

The Sand Pebbles - Sometimes A Great Notion / Desire Lines 7"

 Fruits de Mer Records (winkle 53)

The Sand Pebbles form Australia are one of those bands that I have to thank Fruits de Mer Records to even know about. They have been around for over 20 years and released seven albums. This new single is limited to just 300 copies which is sort of sad since it has hit potential. The three-minute A side "Sometimes a Great Notion" brings to mind The Who or something similar, a 60s vibe but with a bit more modern sound, though. The violin gives a nice extra mood. I must say I still prefer the B side taken from the previous album, though. "Desire Lines" starts off like a perfect Neu mash-up in a very motorik manner. Amazing! The vocals are quite low in the mix. There's a great break in the hypnotic beat and then they go again. Lovely little release!

www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/pebbles.html

www.facebook.com/thesandpebbles/ 

nick nicely - Mike Hall Is Calling 7"

 Fruits de Mer Records (winkle 52)

Yes! The big underground psych pop hero from the 80s, Nick is back! A brand-new limited edition 7" single is out now. Only 300 made on black vinyl! I've been a huge admirer of nick nicely for decades so it is always a big thing for me.

"Mike Hall Is Calling" is a hazy, beautiful, melodic and psychedelic song that only Nick knows how to produce. It is adventurous but pretty easy to digest in a same time. Lushful orchestration, dreamy vocals and clever sound manipulation , it's all there. What a marvellous piece! On B side, things get a lot more experimental and wild with "Wonderful Day", what the hell just happened? There's even some free jazz vibes in there, totally trippy stuff. Another excellent nick nicely single, just get it!

www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/mikehall.html

nicknicely1.bandcamp.com/music