krautrock / psychedelic rock / garage rock

It's hot in Belgium. Everybody is covered in sweat and the sun burns people's skin. Under a clear sky, with only a few clouds to be found, the city is suffering from the smog coming out of the exhaust pipe of the countless of diesel cars on the highway. People carry on their daily tasks, weary and out of breath. I see them walking in the streets, dragging themselves along the pavement, barely able to see what happens on their smartphones. In here, the center of my living room, a mild breeze is blowing. There is ice-tea, or other refreshments. There is also the music by German psych rockers Vibravoid, transforming my speakers into time machines. Summer is coming.

The music transforms my living room into a sixties or early seventies festival meadow. Instead of bright daylight, it is now dark, late at night but still warm. On the stage and on a few screens surrounding the area there are plasma projections. There is feedback, fuzz and noise coming out of the speakers, followed by immersive rock music. People are dancing, drinking, smiling. I bet some of them are stoned out of their mind, but hey, it's the sixties. Everything is allowed in here. Look, there is even a couple getting in on...

Fantasy can be a fun thing but fact is, I can perfectly envision all these happenings while I listen to Vibravoid. On 'Vibrations From The Cosmic Void', the band once again wildly elaborates on old school psychedelic rock, kraut- and garage rock. Opening with the gritty rock tune 'Vibrations From The Cosmic Void Part II', this album takes you along everything that was fantastic about those decades. Personally, I prefer the long tracks, like the massively immersive 'Melodies Of The Stars'. These feel like enormous jam sessions, floating three feet above the ground.

Of course, Vibravoid has been featured here before, not that long ago. I remember me complaining about the band's mission to "revive a dead genre", something I simply don't believe in. However, I won't complain this time. Reviving or not, dead genre or not, this album is a brilliant piece of work, destined to overtake big stages a psychedelic festivals. There's plenty of those nowadays so I really hope I soon get the chance to see these plasma projections and hear this mind altering music.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to travel through time and space on the tones of 'The Intergalactical Playground'...


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krautrock / psychedelic 

psychedelic rock / krautrock / neo folk

doom / blues

techno

electronic / darkwave

shoegaze

death metal

ambient / downtempo / post rock

death metal / power metal

americana / alternative rock / indie

bandcamp

stoner metal

krautrock

 Musical millipede Aidan Baker and his Caudal trio return with album number three. According to Aidan, this is their most "poppy" album to date. When I read that, I had no idea how a poppy Caudal album would sound. What did they do? Invite an autotune brunette? Have Dr Dré make the beats? Have DJ Khaled scream his name over all the songs? 
So today I finally decided to dig into this (and several other) albums. Coincidentally, before this one I was listening to Red Snapper. I didn't realize how close Caudal and Red Snapper actually are. The transition between the two bands was seamless, apart from the fact that there's no sax in Caudal.

On 'Fight Cry Fight', Caudal delivers nine songs. The longest ('The Blue Meds') is eight minutes long while the others barely reach the maximum commercial airplay length. Perhaps that is the poppy part of this album, short tunes. Everything else is pure Caudal, which obviously is exciting. Their blend of krautrock, post rock and drone rock sounds rather lighthearted and joyful, in sheer contrast to the cover art. In fact, a track like 'Divisible' even reminds me of Alice In The Cities, another smile evoking post rock act.

'Flourish' takes on a more jazzy approach and adds a sense of space rock to the whole thing. It also seems to be one of the most complex tracks on this album, and again, Red Snapper comes to mind. 'Low Red' is an incredibly friendly tune, something that sounds like The Cure jamming on a beach in late summer. 'Sunwashed' does something similar, be it a bit faster. I guess this is the sound of Joy Division trying their hand on krautrock, something like that. Oh well, poppy or not, this is simply another highly enjoyable Caudal album, one every fan of krautrock should possess.


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psychedelic kraut doom

Ok, ok, one more doom metal album before I engage in other activities, like preparing dinner for example. Yet, this isn't just another doom metal album. In fact, none of today's reviewed albums were. One was so vintage Black Sabbath would be jealous about it, the other was laced with classical instruments and Gregorian chants and this one is one long and heavy LSD trip. Then again, you might expect something like that with a title like 'Drug Magick'. So, grab your mushrooms, your weed, your LSD and your whatnot and join me on a psychedelic kraut doom hallucination with Polish occultists Doomster Reich.

Opener 'Gimme Skelter' pretty much immediately comes up with this awesome blend of heavy doom metal and groovy krautrock. It also already showcases these psychedelic jam solos. So I guess it's no wonder that a band like Jefferson Airplane comes to mind when I listen to these tunes. They are with good company too because gradually acts like Hawkwind, Black Sabbath, Captain Beefheart, Ash Ra Tempel, Cathedral and Jimi Hendrix also seem to join the jam. At one point I was even thinking about Ozric Tentacles and that doesn't often happen when I'm listening to a doom metal record.

Now, I must admit that I had one minor doubt at first. For me, many albums win or fail because of the vocals. Here, at first these seemed to be a little let-down. Yet, gradually I got used to them as they started adding that awesome occult element to the whole thing, a bit like Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats do. Halfway through 'Rites of Drug Magick' I'm beginning to realize that this album might become one of my recent favorites. My favorite track here is the jazz 'Meet The Dead' for some reason. 

So yep, another doom metal album and another quite unique one. One that certainly comes highly recommended if you ask me. I mean, it is doom, it is psychedelic and it is kraut as hell. So what are you waiting for? Get your hands on this acid trip...


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krautrock / drone / shoegaze

A few months ago, Eric Quach (Thisquietarmy) and I were talking about his busy touring and recording schedule. He told me that he had been recording with Hypnodrone Ensemble again. I was thrilled. I had discovered this project a few years earlier and immediately become a fan. Now the new album is available, titled 'The Hunting Season Is Open!' and once again it is a pleasurably trip to bury yourself in. The set-up is similar, Aidan Baker and Eric Quach deliver the drones while Felipe Salazar (Caudal, Muerte En Pereira), Jérémie Mortier (Alice in the Cities, Lady Shot from a Tree), and Dave Dunnett (Man Meets Bear) play the drums.

Yes, three drummers. That should make up for some potent rhythm section. However, in track one those three sound very modest, almost subdued. I don't mind but somehow it feels like this multi-drummer thing is not yet reaching its full potential on this one. That will probably change soon. On a side note, I wonder if the idea comes from Dirk Serries who once formed Fearfallsburning, also with three drummers. It was one of the heaviest drone-ambient things I've ever heard.

Perhaps heaviness is not the characteristic Hypnodrone Ensemble aims for. Perhaps here  the focus lies on immersiveness and a dreamy atmosphere. In that, this act certainly succeeded. Track two is equally friendly, a bit rougher but just as meditative as it's predecessor. For the record, there are four tracks, each over ten minutes long, so there is plenty of ambient rock jazz kraut goodness to be found here.

Oddly enough, throughout the album, the music invites me to continuously adjust the volume. I played track one on a mild level, track two a bit harder and track four on neighbours-annoying levels. Oh shit, I'm becoming my friend Marc, who often manages to annoy an entire city with his high volume jazz.  Oh well, I guess that's what good music does, no? And this is good music, you can be certain of that.

If I have to pick a favorite track here, it will number three. Here the drummers are more prominent than on the previous ones. Here they really got the kraut going. Minami Deutsch suddenly comes to mind. The band shows a similar joy-of-playing. I can easily imagine crowds dancing, shaking their behinds and nodding their head to this music. I hope one day I will be one of them. I really want to see this thing live. But for now, I'll just recommend it to the entire city, at high volume of course.


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darkwave / krautrock / drone

Pacific Threnodies

Sometimes I wonder, do bands look up their band name to see if it exists yet? I have been doing that for every single project I have ever been involved in, even in the days before the internet. Today, I see more and more bands who do not seem to care, like the noise rock act Kong who had no idea that there was already a Dutch band with that name. Or like Spirals. The search results literally gave me hundreds of pages and at least twenty bands. That must be confusing for festival organisers and fans, no? Or is that just me? Oh well, maybe I'm just becoming an old, whining man. Let's forget about this paragraph and dig into the music.

'Spirals' contains four track, each on ten minutes long and rather hard to describe. There are lingering basslines, reminding me of classic krautrock bands. There are guitar soundscapes, which come close to shoegaze, dreampop and ambient. There are slow, repetitive drums, bringing the post rock scene to mind. And finally there are vocals which somehow bring up the phrase 'Ministry doing black metal'. I know, all of that doesn't sound coherent if you read it but listen to this music and you'll be stunned out of your mind.

The accompanying biography mentioned acts like Om, Der Blutharsch and the Infinite Church of the Leading Hand and Lycia. And yes, I can hear these influences. However, it feels like this music comes from deep within the souls and minds of the band members. These feel like long,  dark and intense jam sessions in which the end result is way more than the sum of the respective elements. Yet, most of all, this is a surprisingly immersive album, one you can easily lose yourself in and let your mind wander. Try it, it's fascinating.


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psychedelic rock / krautrock

Sometimes it's funny how people promote music. This album, for example, was pretty much pushed as the rebirth of psychedelic rock, created by guys who claim that the genre should not have died. However, being a music reviewer, I have seen tonnes of psychedelic rock albums come in. This genre is far from dead. I don't understand why people would think such a thing. Ok, true, maybe on the radio but people who solely listen to the radio should not have an opinion about music. Oh well, I'm digressing again. Let's just say that psychedelic rock is still raging on in all its glory and immediately add that this is a damn good album. It's not a rebirth but a splendid continuation.

Vibravoid is a band from Düsseldorf, Germany, formed in 1990. Since then, they have been extremely loyal to the psychedelic garage sound of the late sixties. From The Beatles to Jefferson Airplane, these guys truly breathe that fuzzed out and Indian inspired sound. The heavy use of sitar gives the whole thing an authentic feel, although it sometimes also reminds me of Cornershop. You know, from 'Brimful Of Asha'. That being said, also Stone Roses come to mind.

Oh well, if you are really into vintage sounding psychedelic rock, there is absolutely no reason not to love songs like 'Om Gang Ganpayte Namah', 'The Legend Of Dr. Robert' or 'Echoes Of Time'. This stuff is genuine, not another bandwagoner jumping on the psych-train. I can only advise you to check this out. Besides, those three 'Krautfaktor' tracks at the end are nothing short of amazing. This is top notch hippie stuff!!!


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ambient / jazz / krautrock

My mind is an absolute mess these days. Not because of the holiday season, not even because there are so many releases that need to be reviewed. I guess it's just a creative generalist thing. I got worse since I decided to become a novelist and then it got worse when I started to work on my second book. It's absolute chaos up there with ideas and plots flashing through my brain. Usually, music makes it better but not this time. This time music just generates more ideas and plots. Oh well, I guess I have to learn to live with it. Luckily there are brilliant albums out there, albums that seem to calm my mental nerves. You guessed it, this is one of those.

Lotto is an instrumental and experimental three piece from Poland, formed by Łukasz Rychlicki (guitar, bass), Mike Majkowski (double bass, hammond organ and synths) and Paweł Szpura (drums). With 'VV' they deliver their third album, a fully improvised musical adventure that beautifully combines ambient, krautrock and psychedelic rock. Furthermore, elements of noise and jazz seem to present too, as if Einstürzende Neubauten met up with Tortoise and Kreidler.

What I like most about this album is the freedom that these musicians have given themselves. Noisy percussion? Sure, why not. Subdued techno beats? They're welcome. Eerie drones and sound sculptures? Absolutely. And meanwhile you're floating on an immersive bass sequence which Tangerine Dream would be proud of. Needless to say perhaps, but this is not your everyday rock album. 

On the other hand, I'm damn sure that this stuff will appear in my day to day playlist a lot from now on. I just adore this continuous weirdness. It's no secret that I am a fan of all things improvised and I am definitely a fan of Lotto. So yeah, I can only recommend this album to all fans of experimental krautrock and experimental ambient. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to close my eyes and listen to the album again.


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space rock / psychedelic rock

Earlier this month, I reviewed the album 'Hallucinations Inside the Oracle' by space rock band Øresund Space Collective. Not long after, another collection of psychedelic jams arrived through my letterbox, this time in the form of a 12" vinyl. I immediately loved the cover art so chances are big that this vinyl will end up on my wall while I enjoy these two huge jam sessions in digital version. The link with Øresund Space Collective is not  far off either. The trio, formed in Trondheim, Norway, met Dr. Space in Denmark and a long collaboration was born. Today, Black Moon Circle is a five piece with the addition of Magnus on organ, mellotron and rhodes piano.

The two tracks on this album are massive instrumental and psychedelic jams, space rock in pretty much every sense of the word. Driving on a steady and immersive bass/drum foundation, the band explores, improvises and jams in a highly enjoyable manner. Yet, Black Moon Circle seems to approach their trade a bit heavier and harsher than most of the colleagues. I can sense some doom metal riffs underneath the hypnotic wall of sound, and I can't say I mind, on the very contrary.

The opener 'Barnard's Loop' is my favorite track, possible because of the repetitive, almost trance inducing nature of the music. That being said, Snah from Motorpsycho occasionally joins the jam, perhaps that explains the heaviness. Besides, on 'Waves', I'm reminded of another Motorpsycho member, namely drummer Tomas Järmyr. This track opens with a mesmerizing blend of psychedelic rock and jazz, making it a bit more experimental than the previous one. So yeah, kudos to the drummer for this one.

In all aspects, 'Flowing Into The 3rd Dimension' is a brilliant piece of work. Obviously this comes highly recommend to everyone who is into sonic hallucinations and musical trips through the universe. If you are a fan of everything between Hawkwind and Ozric Tentacles, you will probably need this 12" in your collection. 


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ambient / krautrock / spacerock 

The world of music can be a perfect representation of how the world we live in can actually be. I mean, put four politicians in one room and they'll be fighting and arguing immediately. Put four seasoned musicians in a room and you almost always get something magical. Something like this Orchard album.
Orchard is a quartet of Aidan Baker (Nadja, Caudal, B/B/S/ - guitars), Gaspar Claus (Pedro Soler, Angélique Ionatos - cello), Franck Laurino (Zéro – drums), & Maxime Tisserand (Chapelier Fou – woodwinds). Assembled by Ici d'ailleurs label boss Stephane Gregoire, the group came together in the studio in Nancy, France in October 2016.

The musicians had never played together before, which might explain why the album takes its time to find its drive. The opening track, 'A Day, Staring At Eternity' is a long stretched piece of ambient and drones. It's a gentle track, flirting with elements from modern classical music and jazz experimentalism. 'Drawn With The Wind' brings in the drums and from then on we're slowly being lured into an immersive space/krautrock anthem. The band seems to find its drive. By now, I'm convinced that this will be a highly recommended album, but I already expected it to be.

The third track, 'After All The Sun Is Awakening' follows it predecessor's example but you can feel that the band is a coherent and well attuned group by now. Still roaming around jazz, krautrock, ambient and space rock, things are now turning into something that can best be compared with Caudal. This is definitely my favorite track on this album and then there are two more to come, two shorter ones,.'Fructification'  and the jazzy 'We Host You'. 

In all, this is a very successful experiment and an interesting album. It contains plenty of variation, even though the overall overtone is calm and gentle. Needless to say perhaps, but this one comes highly recommended. I'm sure that many - if not all - of these tracks often appear in my day-to-day playlist from now on. 


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