post metal / blackgaze / space rock

It's a heart-warming thing to see bands who are struggling to survive in this current climate, turn their attention to those battling with something that unfortunately, can't be fixed by a laboratory made vaccine, or a quick jab in the arm. Mental health is a constant day to day struggle for so many and any way of highlighting this has to be commended. So hats off to “post-everything” newcomers Agvirre and “space-rock's” Dead Cosmonauts who are releasing their forthcoming split single titled "Eye Of Mirrors", presented on a very unique 8" vinyl courtesy of Sheffield's "Do It Thissen Records".

The double-A sided split single is now available as a digital download on their respective Bandcamp stores, with all proceeds going to MIND mental health charity. Pre-orders for a very special limited lathe cut 8" vinyl with a double-sided sleeve will commence on April 2nd, so that's a nice piece of memorabilia to have for all those vinyl enthusiasts out there (myself included).

So, to the two tracks that have been released. Manchester's Agvirre release "The Letting Go", and have created a swirling and uplifting slice of blackened, grunge-infused high octane “black-gaze” that unfolds into a fierce and relentless wall of sound. The clever addition of the violin along with chanting and harmonised vocals only adds to the atmosphere and perfectly compliments the “shoe-gaze” dominated vibes. A torrent of blast-beats with double bass thuds and intense, high pitched screams complete the cacophony of fury and power. Its fresh uplifting and brings to mind the brilliance of Show Me A Dinosaur's "Plantgazer" album.  I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye on future releases from these guys. A terrific track.

Sheffield based Dead Cosmonauts take a daring and very successful stab at Vangelis' iconic Blade Runner (End Credits) theme and transform it into a crazy, psychedelic, post-rock trip. Patience is rewarded with this slow-burner of a track. Warm, textured interludes bring way to explosive guitars and crashing drums to create a futuristic and sci-fi inspired journey. Lead guitars scream and soar while the bass and rhythm guitars keep it all pinned down to the earths surface. A lot of layers and sounds are squeezed into the eight minutes running time, but it all sounds clean, airy and space-like. Re-imagining classic themes isn't an easy thing to do, but this is solid, memorable and shows the talent and creativity Dead Cosmonauts have in their arsenal. Well done guys.

Hopefully, everybody Will listen and ultimately purchase this digital download, and consider the vinyl to go with it, I know I certainly will. Congratulations to both Agvirre and Dead Cosmonauts on bringing the fight on mental health to the forefront. 

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Pat O'

space rock

Aeons – a term to signify periods immeasurable to mankind, when time and space blend into one entity where nothing really matters except for being itself. A term more likely used when talking about the longevity of space like our planet in connection and its development. However, it is definitely something that is quite a term if you use it for your record. Charlottas Burning Trio (or short CB3) did just that and published their fourth full-length with the name “Aeons”.

And by God, it is a record to listen to for ages. Not that it would be a completely new revelation in sound or songwriting, but it is a really good record to put on, listen to on your headphones and then just drift off. The five songs with a total length of 32 minutes clearly show how to blend a lot of different little stylistic into one amalgam of pure joy which is the essence of the record. You can hear three people – Charlotta Anderson (guitar), Pelle Lindsjö (bass) and Natanael Salomonsson (drums) – having the time of their lives creating these brilliant songs together. The sound is not focused on one instrument mainly, but displays the connection between the three, and guest saxophonist Martin Wirén on the last track. 

One hears a bit of stoner rock in the style of The Sword, a bit garage the way The Strokes did it way back, some space sounds that Bowie would have licked, some good old-fashioned rock riffs that Hendrix might have used, but there’s one thing that we don’t hear: vocals! And that was a really beneficial decision, because this way you can completely focus on the experience without having to think about lyrics and their meaning. You can travel from Planet Earth to space and back, having a closer look at the rings of Saturn, feel propelled around the dark side of the moon by some pumping drums and slowly drawn back to mother earth via some immensely attractive saxophone feature on the majestic finale “Apocalypse”.

A record to listen to over and over again. For all of its beauty and the joy it brings.


Thorsten

space rock / alternative/ electronic music

Monitor is an album released by Australian alternative / space electronic music act Laedj, from Melbourne. released on June 15. With an interesting, original, exceedingly vibrating musical style – deeply rooted in the preeminent density of expansive harmonies deliberately conceived as a tenacious space-oriented creative dissolution – Monitor reveals itself from the beginning as a marvelous, splendid and highly genuine work of art, whose authenticity defies ordinary genre boundaries, and deals profusely with an audacious and sovereign degree of introspective artistry, that not only aspires to be something inadvertently genuine, but expressively singular, unforgettable and most of all, ostensibly inimitable.  

The only terrible fault of this album is the length: at only thirty-three minutes long, Monitor is too concise. Nevertheless, when the album is over, you can appreciate it again, as I did the first time I’ve listened to this majestic and formidable masterpiece (I’ve heard two times in direct sequence). With only four tracks – Monitor, Kwingy, Heard From Space and Bad Buzz – the first and the last songs are the longer ones, having both little more than ten minutes each. With a very expressive, consistent and diluted sound, whose impressive originality designs impeccable and profoundly graceful creative harmonies in a very abrasive and elegant surface of organic elements, the marvelous and astoundingly extraordinary capabilities projected by this album is easy to assimilate, but concomitantly hard to embrace, given the fact that its overwhelmingly fulfilling, passionate, beautiful, dynamic and furiously elegant qualities surpasses with an absolute disposition the general standards currently seen in the underground scene.  

One of the most marvelous albums that I ever had the pleasure of listening, Monitor is a fascinating sonorous synergy driven by a colorful festival of original, unrestrictive and extraordinary creative audacity. With gracefully cohesive and pristine harmonies, that perpetuates the diagram of its diffusive density over the majesty of its own creative lucidity, this sensational album is a sonorous spectacle full of highly sober and vivid colliding atmospheres, that dance over the shadows of a fading horizon, in the somnolent placidity of an everlasting, but sincerely captivating personal disturbance. Although the entire album is absolutely incredible – literally out of this world –, if I have to highlight two tracks, they would be Kwingy and Heard From Space, (which, surprisingly, have vocals); the second and the third, respectively. This are two amazingly marvelous, beautiful and effectively rapturous songs, that strikes with deranged virtuosity the soul of the listener. 

Full of qualities, and with an exceptional degree of originality – never seen in the genre before – Monitor is an unforgiving, fantastic and splendorous masterpiece, whose fabulous degree of artistry deserves to be massively highlighted. With a huge potential to make history, Laedj. is a groundbreaking musical act, whose formidable level of authenticity can make them the next starlight of the alternative rock scene. 


Wagner

space rock / psychedelic rock / krautrock

There is always something magical about cooperations. Somehow, many of these albums have brought out more of each artist or band than you would have expected, often with surprising outcomes. So when I found this gem in my mailbox, I was immediately interested. 

3rd Ear Experience is a respected psychedelic jam band and Dr. Space (Oresund Space Collective) has been lifting my spirits for quite a few years now. Although living in different continents, both acts have managed to create an energetic and cohesive album, a quite varied one, too.


Everything begins with a solid rocker. 'Screams Of Eagle Bone' quickly comes up with the uptempo drums, the groovy bass and the immersive saxophone. Butts will shake and heads will bang, be it mildly. Like 'Anam Cara' and 'Dreams Of A Caterpillar', this opener was created out of jam sessions by 3rd Ear Experience. Later, Dr. Space jammed along with the basic recordings before Rabbi added a few overdubs and mixed the whole thing. 'Anam Cara' continues the kraut/space rock feel, a bit slower but certainly as immersive as its predecessor.

With 'Dreams Of A Caterpillar', the project delves into the world of psychedelic ambient, with space sounds and sequencers. This long track is perfect for a trip, and even to dance to. With this, the cooperation jams along with legends like Ozric Tentacles. 'Coin In The Desert' is cut out of the same sheet (*). It carries the same immersive bass lines, soundscapes and rhythms and just makes you happy. It's like a mild LSD trip without the LSD. In the end, 'Sue's Dream World' closes off in sheer ambient style, beautiful and mesmerizing. 

In all, this is a fantastic album. Psychedelic music you can dance to, shake your head to or just enjoy while lying on the floor with your eyes closed and your mind open. So, my psychedelic friends, put this in your pipe and smoke it. You know you want to.


Serge

(*) free translation of a Dutch expression.

psychedelic rock / space rock

With a bandname inspired by an enigmatic gemstone and a geographic history of shamanic activities, this band from Altai, Russia, Sonora Sunrise delivers a mystic and enjoyable album. Altai in Siberia is a sacred land of ancient mountains which are said to be still keeping the secrets of ancient shamanic rites.
Sonora Sunrise's music is inspired by these landscapes and atmospheres. 'The Route Through The Canyon' is a partially improvised album, recorded over the course of a few days with extra recordings and vocals done afterwards. This gives the whole thing an organic jam-feel and a nice sense of unpredictability.

Musically, the band borrows elements from ambient, stoner rock, krautrock and psychedelic rock. Opener 'Ancient Stones (Sundown)' is a short ambient improv with vocals that remind me of some Massive Attack songs. Later on, in songs like 'Welcome To The Sandland' and 'Unexpected Trip' the influences nudge more towards space and psychedelic rock icons like Hawkwind, Pink Floyd, Gong or Ash Ra Tempel. Armed with guitars, drums and rare, vintage synthesizers from the Soviet era, these musicians paint an amazing musical picture of their mysterious surroundings, and I absolutely love that.

In today's psychedelic rock scene, Sonora Sunrise definitely deserves a place in between albums by Caudal, Hypnodrone Ensemble, Vibravoid and Øresund Space Collective, all well oiled jam-machines, capable of taking their listeners on an elaborate trip through time and space. I'm not going into a song by song description but 'Poison' is a brilliant piece of work. If I have to pick a favorite, it will probably be this one. This certainly is a must-have for fans of seemingly neverending psychedelic rock, no doubt about that.

The sounds of those vintage synths give the band that extra edge that might be needed to stand out in a massive pool of psych rock bands. Everything else is as classic and convincing as the first space/krautrock albums that have been made. If you are fan of immersive guitar solos, gently pulsating rhythm sections and amazing musicianship, you do not want to miss out on this one. Hurry up and get your hands on a copy. There are only 300 copies made and I am bloody happy with mine.


​Serge

psychedelic rock / space rock

Trail Records

In recent years, there has been a kraut/space/acid rock revival, boosted by bands like Caudal, Lumerians and Minami Deutsch. However, as I have tried to explain people a thousand times before, genres never really die. Every day a band pops up, inspired by something from the rich history of music making. Back in the nineties, when everybody was getting excited about grunge and nu-metal, bands like The Spacious Mind were born, honoring a older tradition. That of krautrock, psychedelic rock, acid rock and space rock. This band has been around since then, continuing their sonic journey for decades on heaps of albums and EP's.

'The Drifter'  is a collection of rare cuts, two live takes and previously unreleased tracks. Six songs long, this record is a pleasant addition to their collection, preferably to be placed near their Hawkwind and Pink Floyd classics. The songs are long, with traditional rock 'n roll tunes expanding into elaborate jam sessions. It's as if the members of the band wrote one short song and freely improvise over the foundation. The result is a musical trip, immersive and adventurous. It somehow fits perfectly well with my new-found interest in old Star Trek series.

My favorite track on this album is 'Euphoria, Euphoria', and organic piece of music, loaded with surprises and variation, with spaced-out twin guitars and dreamy keyboards having an orgy over the drums/bass foundation. Something like that. You could actually say pretty much the same about every track on this splendid collection. I mentioned one favorite, but this whole thing is incredibly enjoyable for everyone who loves a good dose of acid rock once in a while. So yep, this comes highly recommended.


​Serge

psychedelic rock / space rock

I don't feel so good, probably flu or something. As a token of their empathy, my neighbors decided to start drilling holes in the wall again. Those fuckers have been doing that on a regular basis over the course of a year now. I have no idea what they're doing. Yet, I'm not the complaining type. I look for solutions. Luckily for me, there are two huge Magnat speakers and a mailbox full of awesome music to overrule the neighbours' noise. After all, it's easier to cope with a headache from loud music than a headache from drilling holes in the wall. So I downloaded this album by Deep Space Destructors, twisted the volume know and flew off into the galaxy.

Formed in 2011, Finnish space rock combo Deep Space Destructors have played gigs allover their country. They also released plenty of albums and EP's so far and it seems that their journey is far from over. Their latest effort, 'Visions From The Void' contains five tracks and comes in an interesting array of colored vinyls, plus  digital. So you have plenty to choose from, and if you're a space rock fan, I see absolutely no reason why you should not purchase this album.

This is one of those albums that feels like an EP, even though the average track length is over eight minutes. Inspired by acts like Hawkwind, Eloy, Camel and so on, these Fins come up with elaborate instrumental passages, along with some splendid vocal krautrock parts. That sound already highlights in opener 'Psyche Remade', a near perfect space rock song. Another absolute highlight is 'Tyhjyyden Mantra'. I just love the saxophone solo here.

Perhaps in today's scene, Deep Space Destructors could be compared with a mix of Monkey3, Caudal, Øresund Space Collective and Ozric Tentacles. Yet, as a song like 'Floating' proves, this music can easily stand its ground on any atmospheric music festival. I can easily imagine this band playing Dunk! festival and taking everyone on an epic journey, especially with that brilliant closer 'From The Void'.

So yeah, space rock from an intensely high quality, that is what you get here. You can even download the album for free, but I'd suggest you give these guys some credit and some digital cash. They deserve it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to twist the volume knob some more and drill space rock holes through walls and skulls....


​Serge

space rock / psychedelic rock

I kicked off today's writing session with a paragraph about the human race, mother earth and dangerous things from outer space. Well, I'd like to stay in outer space for a bit longer, partially because here on earth things are getting weirder by the day.

However, I also want to float around the galaxy to hear some immersive music, dedicated to and inspired by our incomprehensible universe. Space rock is still one of the most captivating musical styles this planet has ever seen and the Øresund Space Collective is perhaps one of the most interesting acts within that genre.


Øresund Space Collective is a loose Danish and Swedish collective, specialized in long, improvised jam sessions. On this album that is no different, except perhaps for the fact that Gary from Yawning Man decided to join in on the fun. They spend a couple of days jamming, having fun and making love to their instruments and eventually came out with 'Chatoyant Breath', an album containing some elaborate space rock tracks that is too nice to ignore.

Although I have to say, opener 'Peaceful Patterns' seems to start somewhat hesitant. For some reason it feels like the first few minutes of this track are warming up practices. However, not to worry, halfway through the song the band has lifted off with great flair, resulting is fantastic guitar solos, immersive bass lines, trippy keyboards and a constantly forward pushing set of drums. The band seems to be floating alongside the spaceships of Ozric Tentacles and Pink Floyd.

They continue the blissful journey throughout the other tunes, highlighting frequently. In fact, I really have no favorite on this album. As far as I'm concerned, this is simply one massive jam session, one that I will definitely be playing a lot in the foreseeable future. Actually, I ended my previous review with a Dunk! festival reference. Well, I'd like to do that here too. I doubt that there will be better space rock to be found than this one, honestly.


​Serge