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keskiviikko 2. lokakuuta 2013

Vibravoid: Distortions (Deluxe Remastered 2CD-set)

Stoned Karma Records (SK003CD)


This new, remastered deluxe 2 CD edition of Vibravoid’s 2009 album Distortions will hit the streets in November along with a new 2LP edition. I don’t have the LP yet, but the CD is phenomenal… These acid heads from Düsseldorf have put the whole album back together from the original sources using analogue equipment from 1973 and the results are stunning and the sound richer and fuller than before. The tracks are in totally different running order and there is loads of bonus material (150 minutes in total). Whoa!

The new version starts off with the mid-tempo, 60’s oriented “Random Generated Future” and that’s a perfect way to launch the listener into psych rock heaven. “Eye Shaking King” is maybe the best Amon Düül II cover I have ever heard. Loving the vocal effects… One of the highlights for me is the next, previously totally unreleased studio outtake “Leave It All Behind” since I really like this hypnotic, mesmerizing track! The Spacemen 3 influenced “Save My Soul” chills everything out for over eight minutes with its mellow mood, Mellotrons etc. The original opening cut “Christmas on Earth” rocks hard and in a raw, punky, garage way, and then it’s time for the over 19-minute Can cover “Mother Sky” that the band also often plays live up to this day. Excellent! “Save My Soul (Reprise)” cools things down again in a blissful way. We don’t get the experimental “Mother Cubehead's Daily Black Out” that was the bonus track on the original CD, but the band dives into stuff from the very rare and sought-after Kraut Rock Sensation E.P. on Fruits de Mer that had four covers of classic kraut rock on it. We get unreleased, extended versions of “Ruckzuck” (Kraftwerk) and “Rauchkraut” (Mashantra) and I like them a lot! The rest of the bonus material on the first CD is very welcome as well, since this is the first CD appearance of “Trip to Tripolis”, the two experimental pieces “Chosmochaos” and “Within a “Cosmos” are totally out-there and it’s also nice to hear a couple of demo versions of “Random Generated Future”.

The second CD begins with some historical material from the time before the band became Vibravoid. Most of these eight songs are the best tracks from the Turned on Acid album previously releases in 2003, but two are different versions. There are also some cover songs like “Anxious Colours” by Painted Faces and the Pink Floyd classic “Astronomy Domine”. Very interesting, but the sound quality is not as good as on CD 1. The rest of the CD is filled with six live tracks recorded in Bari in 2010. “Christmas on Earth” and “Vivid Vision” have been previously released on the B-side of You keep on Falling 7”, but “Oscillations” (a great Silver Apples cover), “Black and White”, “Ballspeaker” and “Your Mind Is at Ease” are previously unreleased versions. Especially the last two, long tracks are really good since the band has lots of room to improvise and blow our minds which they do really well! The sound quality is very good as well, so just let yourself go into deep space… The CD comes with a cool 12-page booklet that unfortunately has some mistakes but what can you expect from space heads like this. A very welcome addition to the Vibravoid catalogue and I can’t wait to see the 2LP that might even have some different material on it.

www.stonedkarma.com/vibravoid

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