E GONE is the solo project of Swedish musician Daniel Westerlund, who is known for his band The Goner. All the Suns of the Earth is his first solo album and on first listen I was fairly baffled by what seems to be a confoundingly diverse set of 9 songs. But after the second listen I was intrigued, and a few more listens later I’ve decided that Westerlund has created something quite different. Take a stroll with me through the 9 tracks that make up All the Suns of the Earth.

Hexx is an electro groove tune that brings together multiple freaky elements. We’ve got high pitched 60s styled organ, tablas, bubble bubble toil and trouble electronic effects, and a combination of West Coast Psych guitar, sitar, and banjo, like some cross breed experiment between Indian swamis and Appalachian hillbillies. It would be downright insidious if it didn’t sound so cool. Westerlund wastes no time shifting gears on The Drug Behind The Drug, which is a dense stream of space-waves, noise-drones and effects. I start to feel like I’m on a stylistic merry-go-round with the singer/writer Americana Folk song The Poor Of Heart. Blind Tribe is a freaky tribal effects laden groove tune with an electro Stoner-Psych edge. Hanumannerism is a sitar, tablas and dark droney keys celebration of trippy Middle Eastern flavored Psychedelia. Traveler, You Will Sing returns to the traditional Folk song motif, adding a bit of a Celtic vibe. At over 9 minutes, Hazel Motes At The Plastic Vortex is the one lengthy stretch out track of the set. It starts off as cosmic pagan Folk-Psych, with brain throbbing drones, eerie spaced out synth melodies, and slowly meditative tribal percussion, along with a Wyrd/Folk hillbilly vibe that eventually morphs into a purely space electronic excursion. I think this and Hexx nicely encapsulate everything that All the Suns of the Earth is about. This track bleeds seamlessly into You Will Sing, which develops into a subtly beautiful cinematic and somewhat Shoegazey piece, with dreamy spacey organ and guitar melody. Finally, Fever Child closes the set as a simple but lovely Pagan Folk-Psych tune.

In summary, All the Suns of the Earth is an album that requires unhurried mastication and digestion. Over multiple spins I came to appreciate the diversity of Westerlund’s interests and, especially, the way he creatively brings that diversity together on some of the album’s tracks. I’ll need to explore more of his work.

For more information visit the Sunrise Ocean Bender Records web site at: http://www.sunriseoceanbender.com
Visit the E GONE web site at: http://e-gone.org

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Though new to me, Incredible Good Fortune is the third album by Californian Space and Prog rockers 3rd Ear Experience. The band are a dual guitar, bass, drums, synths and vocals quintet, with numerous guests on keyboards, saxophone, flute, djembe, percussion and guitar.

If you like lengthy stretch out tracks these guys deliver the goods. The 19+ minute Tools opens the set. After a brief intro the band go full flight with a 70s Hard Rock pulse, but with prominent cosmic synth action launching the music into orbit. I love the hip shakin’ rhythmic pulse and throb rocking bass. Classic 70s organ soon starts a funky soulful jam along with the guitars as the synths continue to bubble, pulsate and soar. Around the 10 minute mark the sax joins in and we’re in full blown heavy duty Space Rock that swings mode. The thematic gears continue to shift as the pace eases into a souful sax solo, wailing along a floating, meditative cloud of electronic space. Only in the last 5 minutes are there any vocals, which remind me of Beyond-O-Matic’s Pete Fuhry, and leading into an explosively majestic, space rocking finale with screaming sax and acidic, sailing Psych guitar.

The 18 minute One is next and starts off in freeform freaky electronic space mode, before launching into a hard rocking drive similar to the rhythmic pulse heard on Tools. Aside from the feel of the rhythmic drive we’re getting more into Hawkwind territory now, with hypnotic Middle Eastern vibe vocals, razor sharp guitar licks, churning, everywhere at once electronics, and classic Prog keys. The fun continues on the 17+ minute Parsley, which features high intensity Space Rock with a Prog infusion, plus blitzkriek guitar chords and monstrous licks, pulsating synth throb, chanting vocals, and a nearly non-stop sense of incessantly brain draining swirl. The pace initially mellows, though the general vibe remains intense on the 8 minute White Bee, which consists of hypnotically swirling and drifting soundscapes, haunting gliss-like guitar, African/Caribbean percussion, heavenly chants, and dead ringer for Gilli Smyth narration. And it all works up to a crushing finale that’s like Gong’s Master Builder gone Acid-Space-Stoner-Metal. Finally, the 11+ minute Shaman’s Dream is a volcanic Space-Prog rocker that closes the set. It’s a crushing cosmic rocker with elements of Hawkwind, Ozric Tentacles, and what I’ve come to recognize as the trademark 3rd Ear Experience Hard Rock core.

Jeeeeez, didja get the number of that truck?! I feel like I had the wind knocked out of me. It’s like Hawkwind, The Spacious Mind and Ozric Tentacles, all rolled into one and given a solid 70s Hard Rock backbone and a healthy dose of Prog Rock. On a Holy Shit scale of 1-10, I’ll give this sucker an 11. HIGHEST recommendation.

The CD can be purchased at CDBaby (CLICK HERE), Amazon (CLICK HERE), and Just For Kicks (CLICK HERE)
The digital album can be purchased from iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Spotify, and most other download services.
The vinyl LP will be available mid-November from Space Rock Productions at: http://spacerockproductions.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Electric Bird Noise’s follow up to last year’s Desert Jelly could not be more different from its predecessor. Whereas Desert Jelly was a varied set of Space Rock, Krautrock and early 80s Post-Punk and Synth-Pop, Kind Of Black consists of 11 solo guitar ruminations and soundscapes, or what Electric Bird Noise, which is South Carolina based musician Brian Lea McKenzie, refers to as “elevator music for art galleries”.

Most of the pieces are brief, in the 3 minute range, with track titles consecutively numbered – One, Two, Three, and so on. Tracks 1-8 seem to follow a theme of mostly pure solo guitar. The album opens with minimal patterns which are melodic and pleasingly dissonant. There’s a cinematic feeling of tension, conjuring up images in my mind of a Cabinet of Dr Caligari or some similar silent film soundtrack. This theme continues for the first few tracks before becoming dreamily surreal. Six continues though we start to hear what sounds like spacey Gothic synths accompanying the guitar. But this may be all guitar, as only guitar is listed in the credits. Seven returns to the feel of the first few tracks, but later gets wildly intense and eerily and lysergically surreal. Eight reminds me of Belgian guitarist Roger Trigaux, like a stripped down ethereal take on his guitar style (which I’m sure is unintended on McKenzie’s part).

The remaining tracks consist of spaced out soundscape explorations. Nine starts off dark and subtly sparse, suggesting cold, black space, but it’s also got trippy Psych guitar colorings too, soon developing into a swirling cosmic vortextual mass. At over 7 minutes this is the longest track of the set. Ten continues this theme. Eleven really does sound like synths and guitar, but I’m quite clueless when it comes to the technical aspects of instruments and always marvel at what can be accomplished. It’s pure sound exploration, with incessant pulsations, drawn out whining that sounds like cosmic whales singing, spacey horn blasts, and acidic feedback licks.

In summary, it took me a few listens to warm up to Kind Of Black, probably because Desert Jelly was still fresh in my mind. But I’ve heard enough Electric Bird Noise over many years to know that one should always expect the unexpected from McKenzie, and in terms of image inducing, aural canvas guitar meditations, Kind Of Black is an enjoyable, and perhaps even challenging listen.

For more information visit the Silber Records web site at: http://www.silbermedia.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Veteran Aural Innovations readers will know Book of Shadows, which includes ST 37 founding member Carlton Crutcher. Their latest is a 4-way split cassette with three bands who are new to me.

Book of Shadows contribute four tracks which for them are relatively short. The first two were recorded by the trio of Carlton, Sharon Crutcher and Aaron Bennack. Invocation of the Archangels is a dreamily melodic synth and bass driven tune with ghostly chant vocals by Sharon. It’s very song-like and even catchy. I like it. Pressing Sweet doesn’t flow quite as smoothly but I like the playful guitar and whooshing synths, augmented by Sharon’s space whispery chants. No Source of Power in the Bushes adds Lori Varga on theremin for an experimental space exploration built around a number of guitar patterns. The last Book of Shadows track, Spirit in Boo’s Eye, is improvised and adds Eric Archer on guitar and electronics. This is really cool, having a lo-fi Pink Floyd feel and a rolling One Of These Days rhythmic pulse, but with a spaced out experimental edge.

The rest of side 1 consists of two 10+ minute tracks by Harridans Of The Harvest. I did a Google search which turned up nothing revealing as to who these folks are. Unabashed is an experimental, minimal, spaced out soundscape and effects exploration. It has an interesting combination of electronic patterns, atmospherics and efx’d voices, making for a haunting yet alien vibe. Corn Dolly Lover is different, starting off as a drugged avant-chamber music piece with what sounds like guitar and bass. We’ve got a strangely repetitive off-key melodic pattern, over which freaky drunk psych guitar solos, plus efx’d vocal narration that I can’t quite make out, and later introduces grungy electronics and acoustic guitar. The overall vibe is both dark and whimsical. Interesting and strangely intriguing.

Side 2 starts with a 22 minute piece by Nectar Of The Moon. The tape notes list a Bandcamp site (nectarofthemoon.bandcamp.com) which includes several albums and says they’re from Nepal (really?). The music consists of slowly evolving electronica that is robotically orchestral and deep space drone/ethereal, with moods ranging from highly intense to playfully spirited. These guys do a good job of blending contrasting moods and bringing together elements that could easily result in chaos but instead make for a challenging listen and sometimes harrowing ride.

The label web site says that 14 Graves Of Interest are from Blackpool and describes their contribution, the 19 minute Acid, Blonde as Rainbows, as “the first of their sinister tributes to ’70s/’80s trash horror movie wonderment”. Sinister indeed. And definitely on the more avant-garde end of the horror soundtrack spectrum. The music progresses through a variety of themes, from noisily turbulent, to bowels-of-the-space-station sci-fi, alien tribal, space-industrial, and some bits that bring to mind lo-fi John Carpenter. Well done.

For more information visit The Golden Gronk web site at: http://thegoldengonk.wordpress.com
Stream samples and order at the Shack in the Barley Productions Bandcamp page: http://shackinthebarleyproductions.bandcamp.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Reversed Nature are the Greek quartet of Michael Andresakis on guitar, Tony Tsiminos on bass, Lefteris Voutsas on drums, and Dimitra Tzimourtou on vocals.

The 10 minute title track opens the set, consisting of exploratory spaced out Psychedelia with trippy yet soulful vocals from Dimitra. The music has a raw jamming quality and gets intensely stoned-in-space heavy, and even gets a bit sludgy at times. When the guitar chords chug away slowly but incessantly while Dimitra chant-sings it gets downright hypnotic, in a strangely crushing way. Out Of The Limbo (also 10 minutes) drops the stoner elements and focuses on Psychedelic sound exploration and atmosphere creation, early in the piece sounding a little like the more ethereal moments from Architectural Metaphor’s Creature of the Velvet Void album. In fact, Dimitra’s vocals sound like a more soulful Deb Young, though also have a Gilli Smthy space whispery feel. I don’t see it in the musician credits but there certainly is some synth work here and good use of effects, making for a cosmically haunting journey. Mother Mary And The Chicken Snakes continues down a similar path for most of its 15 minutes, though near the end the band shift to trippy spaced out tribal mode, quickly working up a stoner rocking dirge with swirling UFO effects. Finally, Understudio Jamming Session is a short but cool grooving Space-Psych-Stoner jam that closes the set. Pretty decent jamming spaced out Psychedelia.

For more information visit the Cosmic Eye Records web site at: http://cosmiceyerecords.blogspot.gr
Purchase the LP from the Cosmic Eye store at: http://www.musicbazz.com/products
Stream and download at the Reversed Nature Bandcamp site at: http://reversednatureband.bandcamp.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Hot on the heels of the In Dub EP, which consisted of Dub enhanced remixes of tracks from various albums, Steve Palmer is back with a new full length Blue Lily Commission album. Except for guests on two tracks, Steve created these cosmic constructions himself, utilizing an arsenal of analogue and digital synths, bass, flutes, saz, xylophone and percussion.

I love the mind-bending Space-Prog keys on the title track, which soar, hum and drone, at times reminding me of Eloy. And the percussion clatters and jangles at a steadily off-kilter yet grooving pace. Saz P’zaz lays down a deep space rocking flow, with its phased and pulsating pied piper cosmic synth melody, sounding like a cross between some 60s movie soundtrack and a lysergic Turkish bazaar. And speaking of pied pipers, Flute One and Flute Two are brief interludes that feature a hypnotic flute melody over floating waves of electronic space. Alan’s Psychedelic Supper starts off as pure floating dreamscape, with lightly jamming sitar by Alan Brown. Then near the 5 minute mark it starts to rock out with a cool grooving shimmer, and the sitar and synths take off into a spaced out ethereal tour of the most alien of Arabian Nights. Bamboo Ballyhoo includes additional synths by Mooch alumnus Garry Lewin. The music beautifully blends synths and flutes, and has an eerily mesmerizing symphonic vibe but rocks out too. And the rockin’ continues on the closing track, Culture 3, with keys that sound like Rick Wright gone deep into the cosmos. In summary, this is Space Rock at it’s most magic carpet ride spellbinding.

Lots of Blue Lily Commission and Mooch albums are available for digital purchase from http://www.musiczeit.com
CLICK HERE to go directly to the Culture 2 album

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Brooklyn, New York based Flaming Fire are back with a career spanning compilation of their work recorded between 2000-2014. Headed up by Patrick Hambrecht, the band have included over 30 members and created a wild variety of music. To say these guys are off the beaten path is an understatement. When I reviewed their Get Old And Die With Flaming Fire album in 2001 I made references to The Residents, Frank Pahl/Only A Mother, and Devo. When Chuck reviewed their When the High Bell Rings album in 2007 he made references to Gong and Amon Düül II.

Side 1 consists of what I’ll call Flaming Fire’s Lo-Fi period. Though recorded in the early 2000s, these songs sound like the more creative end of the 1980s homemade music/cassette culture heyday. We’ve got lo-fi whacky songs with a Residents vibe, well-crafted pop ditties, freaky spaced out tape collage fun, and avant-Prog á la Art Bears. My favorites are Disco of Souls, which sounds like Weird Al Yankovic fronting a Dada-ist Dub-Disco off-Broadway show, and In The Summertime When Everything is Holy which features sunshine Psych-Pop with bubbling spacey noise and cool oddball guitar.

Flaming Fire up the ante on Side 2. The first two songs are my favorites. The Stars That Burn opens and I love the combination of howling and bubbling soundscapes, simplistic electro beats and melodies, and sophisticated multi-part vocals, giving the thing an Industrial show tune quality, before launching into a smokin’ rock ‘n roll finale. If not for the humorously demented lyrics, Lemon Isis could have been a hit single in the 80s. I shudder at the MTV video these guys would have made if given a budget. The vocals and harmonies are damn good. Stephen and Gun Through A Razor both feature high intensity orchestrated Prog for the off-Broadway avant-garde, the latter including a fist pumping Metal infusion. I like the creatively quirky vocal mind-fuckery of There Is A Sky and the zany electro tribal Avant-Pop of Your Love Belongs To Me. These guys really do amazing things with multi-part vocals.

Side 3 features Flaming Fire at their theatrical avant-garde punked out rock ‘n roll Cabaret best. We’ve got swinging rock ‘n roll that is deranged in all the best ways, theatrical Space-Punk-Pop, and Cabaret Metal. My favorites are The Way You Kill Me (Blood Does Shine), with its electro alien rave-Punk and dance-Metal, and High Bell which features nutty show tune Space-Punk with a dream-Pop interlude.

Side 4 is the latest Flaming Fire album, Shriek Of Heaven. Car Crash is like a Flaming Fire twisted take on The Bangles, and is another one that could have been a hit in the 80s. This is a damn good song. Esao consists of killer Slits meets The Runaways Punk that goes into deep space. I love the gnarly Inspirational and bouncy Folk-Pop of Holy Holy Holy. Motor Running shows what happens when Flaming Fire get angy. The heavy driving powerhouse rocking Star Snuff might be the most intensely gripping song of the set, with its manic Nina Hagen styled vocals and spaced out guitar. Definitely my Side 4 favorite. And Surge And Burn ends the set with high energy Rock and majestic Psychedelia.

In summary, this is a seriously fun compilation from a band that’s bursting with energy and a flair for creatively channeling and morphing all their freaky alien Punk and Cabaret art-Rock aspirations. Looking at the live performance pics in the LP gatefold jacket sent me running to YouTube to see what these nutters are like live. CLICK HERE for a list of videos that I guarantee are worth your time.

To purchase the LP, stream and download visit the Flaming Fire Bandcamp site at: http://flamingfire.bandcamp.com
The download (the LP includes a download code) comes with a 138 page Flaming Fire zine that’s jam packed with info, pics, lyrics, memories from band members, comix, and more.

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz