psychedelic / progressive
Sunday afternoon, half of the country is closed, the other half remains inside, hiding from the Corona-virus which is threatening society as we know it. Outside it's cold and windy, although the sun tries to pierce through the clouds. Here in my living room it's warm and comfortable, a good time to get working on another bunch of reviews. And what better way to kick things off than with this complex yet captivating piece of work by Seikai, the progressive ambient act by Anthony Pandolfino and Samuel Groat. Although, "progressive ambient" might not be the correct words to describe this music as there is a lot more to be found here. Let's see if I can guide you through.
Seikai are known for their spacey electronics and space rock jams but for 'IV' they focus on a wide array of instrumentation, letting their respective sounds roam freely. That way, the album somewhat feels like a set of jazz improvisations which slowly turn into psychedelic jam sessions, a bit like if Tangerine Dream had a jam session with Ozric Tentacles during a starlit night on a beach in Goa, something like that. There are elements of krautrock, the pulsating bass of psychill, the playfulness of jam band guitars and the atmosphere of old science fiction movies. All of that is created by synths, (slide-)guitars and even a melodica. It's been a while since I've heard that thing in a recording.
I think my favorite track here is 'Galaxahatchie', which seems to drive on a throbbing eighties bassline. There is something gloomy about the whole thing, which immediately reminds me of old soundtracks. Besides, all four tracks here are quite long improvisations and all of them are well worthy of a decent listening session, especially of a daft Sunday like this one. Check it out, you'd be pleasantly surprised. Even post rock fanatics will appreciate a track like 'Starlit Trail'. In fact, this whole album, and thus the band, could prove to be an interesting addition to many post rock festivals, just saying. Anyway, 'IV' is a beautiful album, narrative and adventurous but also comfortable to listen to, and that is all that matters now...
Serge
Seikai are known for their spacey electronics and space rock jams but for 'IV' they focus on a wide array of instrumentation, letting their respective sounds roam freely. That way, the album somewhat feels like a set of jazz improvisations which slowly turn into psychedelic jam sessions, a bit like if Tangerine Dream had a jam session with Ozric Tentacles during a starlit night on a beach in Goa, something like that. There are elements of krautrock, the pulsating bass of psychill, the playfulness of jam band guitars and the atmosphere of old science fiction movies. All of that is created by synths, (slide-)guitars and even a melodica. It's been a while since I've heard that thing in a recording.
I think my favorite track here is 'Galaxahatchie', which seems to drive on a throbbing eighties bassline. There is something gloomy about the whole thing, which immediately reminds me of old soundtracks. Besides, all four tracks here are quite long improvisations and all of them are well worthy of a decent listening session, especially of a daft Sunday like this one. Check it out, you'd be pleasantly surprised. Even post rock fanatics will appreciate a track like 'Starlit Trail'. In fact, this whole album, and thus the band, could prove to be an interesting addition to many post rock festivals, just saying. Anyway, 'IV' is a beautiful album, narrative and adventurous but also comfortable to listen to, and that is all that matters now...
Serge
