Out now on Astral Magic Music!

 

Hi there!

Some new releases out now. After the digital single The Ego Tunnel, the album Astral Architects was released on the Bandcamp Friday, 4.9.2026. CD comes in cool digipack with stunning artwork by Andy Wainwright. Just 100 copies made, get it from here. Also lathe-cut vinyl available on demand from elasticStage, UK.

This album started when I got my first wah pedal ever and got a bit carried away... Jonathan added some more guitar and viola, Shane did spoken word for one track. This album rocks pretty hard! 

Another release for the September Bandcamp Friday was Strange Vibrations - Psychic States. It's me, Shane and Jonathan, just like it should be. I personally liked this album so much that I put it out as a factory-made digipack CD-R, limited to 50 copies only. Only available from the Astral Magic Bandcamp site over here.

I have already a new Astral Magic album with oz Hardwick coming out in a couple of weeks and then we have the Bridget Wishart solo album (check out the single mix video below...) on Halloween but more on those later... Keep on spacing out by spacing in!

Best wishes,

Santtu 

 

Pinhdar - Comfort in the Silence

 Friends of the Fish 26

This Italian duo is sort of a wild card on Fruits de Mer Records: they are definitely not psych, prog, garage, space or krautrock. I'd say they are closer to 80's UK Goth/synth/Darkwave with some trip hop elements. Not bad, in any way, but definitely something else that we (or at least I) have gotten used to with FdM, Friends of the Fish etc.

The album includes nine dark, dreamy,  mostly mid-tempo pieces created with synths, electric guitars, drum machines and female vocals. I like the soundscapes they make and the vocals are excellent too, but somehow this does not really make it for me. I guess this is just not my kind of music, since I can't really pinpoint anything wrong with it! Lee Pomeroy of Archive apparently plays some bass on the album, if that rings to a bell (I've got no idea). The album was mixed by Ian Caple (Tricky, Martina Topley-Bird). The album is also available on CD from the band's web site.

www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/comfort.html

 pinhdar.com
 

Man & Machine - Earthman 10" EP

 Friends of the Fish 94

 

When I first heard "Earthman", the beautiful and hypnotic opener of this EP I fell in love and knew I had to get it. It somehow reminded me of Steven Wilson in his dreamy, semi-acoustic Porcupine Tree mode, even the vocals. Man & Machine is a solo project of Tom Roche from Airdie in Scotland. He started already 15 years ago to record his tunes with the help of producer Stuart MacLeod, but apparenly this limited edition (300 copies) 10" vinyl EP is his first release.

So, the opener is perhaps my favourite, a really great track with wonderful vibes. "Sleepyhead" is a more acoustic number, rather melancholic and peaceful. Loving the soft vocals, again. "Otherwordly" is another pretty acoustic track with some electronics, but this time instrumental. "Lost at Sea" is another winner, melancholic and beautiful stuff. At first think of "Solitude" by Black Sabbath but with a few more chords and modern sound. I like when the drums join in after two minutes and the song starts to evolve more. Very nice! The shortest piece on the EP is the two-minute "Safespace" that starts with some organ sounds and vocals and then we get some acoustic & backwards electric guitars etc. The EP ends with another version of the opener, "Earthman (Lost In Space)" and it's really a more spaced out, instrumental mix that I also enjoy a lot. I recommend that you buy this 10" as soon as possible, since when the big audience hears this everyone will want to have it!

 

www.fruitsdemerrecords.com/earthman.html 

manmachine3.bandcamp.com/album/earthman-ep