Evening Fires are from somewhere in Pennsylvania and seem to have a sizable discography though these new albums are my introduction to the band. I like the promo sheet descriptions of the music as “old-time rural acid rock” and “Appalachian space rock”, and the instrumentation which includes guitar, bass, drums, synths, saxophone, organ, vibraphone, lap steel guitar, violin, and theremin. This is a very interesting band…

Where I’ve Been Is Places and What I’ve Seen Is Things opens with Roll Away The Stones, a lazily trippy cross between improvisational West Coast Psych and the Velvet Underground as interpreted by hillbillies jamming on the front porch. It’s beautifully melodic with just the right dose of dissonance and acid-fuzzed angst. We Cast Our Lot With The Waves is an oddly alluring blend of minimalism, spacey atmospherics and playfully freaky electronica, brought together by a backwoods chamber ensemble. Staring Down the Gullet of the Great Beyond Part One lays down a groove rocking pulse which makes for a funky brand of free-wheeling Space/Psych exploration. I love the dual soloing guitars which jam in sync with one another yet reach for different and distinctive sounds. The aptly titled Space Mountain comes right out of the chute in acid drenched and totally stoned Kosmiche freakout mode, like Hawkwind and Guru Guru dazzling the citizenry at the county fair. Too Many Ravens, Not Enough Corpses is like the Velvet Underground gone avant-garde Space Rock chamber ensemble. It’s a sea swell of multiple stringed instruments ebbing and flowing with dissonant lusciousness and ominously moody acid-fuzzed effects and soundscapes coloring the sonic landscape. Finally, Staring Down the Gullet of the Great Beyond Part Two picks up where Part One left off, but the funky rocking groove quickly decays into a lysergically surreal Amon Düül II Yeti styled jam.

Incredible Adventures has been released simultaneously and is considered a companion to Where I’ve Been Is Places and What I’ve Seen Is Things, featuring four tracks in the 8-11 minute range from the same sessions that couldn’t fit on the LP.

Big Farmer Big Jesus is idly pastoral and dreamily melodic, sounding like a drugged but determined orchestra and once again highlighting Evening Fires’ craftsman flair for incorporating dissonance and making it sound heavenly. I like the combination of stringed instruments and organ, singing drones, and what sounds like some kind of strange but enticing bagpipe. There Is No Going Without Returning is a lightly rhythmic space excursion with a parade of melodic bits floating by and a banquet of trippy effects. Unaussprechlichen Kulten combines space atmospherics, drones, and the most freeform of old time German Kosmiche experimentalism to create a sinister yet hauntingly dreamy blend of cosmic Grand Guignol soundtrack and early 70s Teutonic Space-Prog. And winding down the set is the 11 minute Part Three in the Staring Down the Gullet of the Great Beyond series of Space/Psych groove jams, sounding very much like a cross between Amon Düül II and the improvs produced by the Ohio Space Rock band Quarkspace.

In summary, Evening Fires cover a variety of territory, from classic German Space/Kosmiche to avant-freeform Psychedelia. I was impressed with every track but feel they are at their most unique when living up to the “old-time rural acid rock” and “Appalachian space rock” tags. Definitely different. Check ’em out.

Stream, download and order the vinyl at the Sunrise Ocean Bender Bandcamp site: https://sunriseoceanbender.bandcamp.com
Order the Incredible Adventures CDR at the Deep Water Acres site: http://www.dwacres.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

The Lysergics are the London based trio of Fabio Mongelli on guitar and vocals, Sarah Gonputh on organ, bass keyboard and vocals, and Eleanora Claps on drums and vocals. With a name like The Lysergics and a glance at the album art you can take a pretty good guess as to what the music is about.

Blue Lines Splashing Orange and Invisible Bars are both high energy Psych rockers with classic 60s organ, bubbling acid-fuzz guitar and screaming licks, propulsive driving beats and excellent melodies. Fabio sings the trippy lyrics with harmony backing from Sarah and Eleanora on these tunes that mine the most… errrr… “lysergic” moments of 60s Psychedelia. The Sun And The Moon is similar but with a monster injection of the dirtiest fuzzed out rhythm guitar imaginable, but also tasty passionate leads from both guitar and organ. We’ve also got a cool cover of the Twink penned 10,000 Words In A Cardboard Box, originally recorded by Tomorrow spinoff band The Aquarian Age. Killer organ and guitar solos on this tune.

There was something familiar about the album art and then I noticed that it’s credited to Vibravoid. And sure enough, there is much in The Lysergics music to appeal to Vibravoid fans. And, like Vibravoid, The Lysergics combine shorter songs with lengthier stretch-out tunes. The 10+ minute On The Water is a seductively hallucinatory song that combines Eastern influenced Psych and a trippy West Coast sound. Multi-layered sitar drone patterns underlie the steadily strolling and slightly robotic beat of the song which features ominously haunting organ lines and totally tripped out guitar, some of which gets nicely eruptive. Sarah or Eleanora take the lead vocals on this one and there are plenty of instrumental workouts in which the guitar and organ take off and explore. The 15 minute Julie’s Glance starts off like the earlier songs but quickly sets a throb pounding rhythmic pace over which the guitar goes off into the most wigged out soloing of the set. This is a total guitar freakout jam with drums bashing away relentlessly and the organ cranking out both fuzzed and eerily haunting melodies and hypnotic sustained lines. After a while we’re surprised by a harmonica joining in for a Blues jam, which sounds cool and strange alongside the 60s Psych organ. There’s even a drum solo segment which is assisted by some nifty atmospherics, and a finale that bursts the mercury for volcanic Psychedelic intensity.

In summary, The Lysergics are a hard rocking band that wear their 60s influences proudly on their shirtsleeves and do it REEEEEALY good! The combination of well-crafted songs and instrumental workouts is their strength. Let your freak flags fly…

The LP is limited to 500 hand numbered 180 gr vinyl copies with a beautiful gatefold cover. It includes 3 postcard band member pictures, a lyric sheet and blurb about the band by Twink. Options for vinyl junkies include black (200), purple marbled (200), and a special colour-split “die hard” edition in a cotton sleeve.

The LP is available from Clostridium Records at: http://www.clostridiumrecords.com
Stream and download at: https://thelysergics.bandcamp.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Kev Ellis (Dr Brown, Bubbledubble, Sonic Arcana, Trev & Kev, Spirits Burning) is back with Volume 2 of Space Cadet, the first of which was released last year. Kev plays all instruments except for guest guitarist Grant Macnaughton on two tracks.

The first three tracks, which Kev calls Turkish Sunset, started life as ambient recordings Kev made in Turkey. Slowly Circle The Sun may only be 2 minutes long but it’s an ass kicking opener, combining Hawkwind styled Space Rock with trippy Psychedelic song and a bit of harmonica Blues injection. Turkish Sunset is next and at 11 minutes is far more of a stretch out tune. It kicks off with a spacey intro of bubbling synths, followed by a steadily building rhythmic pulse that develops into an Eastern flavored, hip swaying, Dub infused Space-Trance groove. I really dig the trancey, dancey, deep space hypnotic drift, punctuated by mesmerizing synth lines, gently swirling effects, and occasional shaman chant vocals. Together, Cosmic Dancers is one of my favorites of the set, being a really cool rocking blend of Space Rock, Folk-Psych and acidic Blues. Totally trippy lyrics too.

The remaining three tracks that comprise the Venice Evening portion of the album started as ambient recordings Kev made in Venice. Slowly Sliding Outside Your Mind starts off as a chill-out groove tune with Blues harmonica and lots of samples from the streets, before breaking into a full on Blues-Psych/Space rocker that recalls Kev’s Dr Brown days. It then returns to the opening theme as it segues seamlessly into Creatures Of An Altered State. I could feel the sense of strolling down the street as people chat and street musicians play, and all the while a pulsating electronic pattern weaves its path and soundscapes drift. But soon the harmonica starts to wail, the rhythm section kicks in and Kev breaks into his shaman vocals for more Eastern flavored, Trance steeped Psychedelia. Finally, To Stare From Your Eyes starts off in strumming acoustic guitar mode but quickly becomes an orchestral Folk-Psych song with fun sci-fi synth embellishments. Beautiful guitar solos too. For lyrics and vocal number this is a good pairing with Together, Cosmic Dancers.

Just like the Space Cadet that preceded it there’s lots of tasty variety on the album, bringing together all kinds of Space Rock and Psychedelic influences. Space Cadet Vol. 2 is available in CD and download editions, but if you want the CD you better hurry because there are only 100 of them.

For more information visit the Kev Ellis Bandcamp site at: http://kevellis.bandcamp.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Though veteran electronic musician Phillip B. Klingler (PBK) and fingers in just about everything guy Jim O’Rourke have been in contact since 1989 and periodically plotted a collaboration, it took until 2014 for it to occur and the result is this 2-LP set of four side long excursions.

Fasten yer seatbelts and prepare for liftoff because we’re blasting off into space! The Turning Night opens the set with PBK and O’Rourke combining classic floating space electronica, drones, pulsations, oscillations, and myriad effects to create a space journey meets sound expedition experience. There are elements of early Tangerine Dream, K/Cluster and other electronic pioneers on the one hand, but also experimental sound sculpture, though it’s all within a bowels of the spacecraft, soundtrack for your sci-fi trip setting. The music alternates between busily and intensely harried and more soundscape/ambient, with these quieter moments being laser focused on specific sounds. It’s very well recorded and mixed.

Myths In Translation starts off a bit more aggressively harsh but quickly transitions to a subtly trippy parade of effects. I felt like I was drifting through some dark alien forest as the sundry bleeps, chirps and buzzes of the inhabitants make their presence known. But soon a swirling ambience starts to build in volume and intensity, distorting the mental imagery as nature and the cosmos morph and melt into one another. Later things calm and we’re back in a quieter sound effects realm, though along with the space ambience we also hear more earthly/human sounds, like someone puttering in their workshop, before the engines rev and we’re catapulted into a high intensity and somewhat dense noise and effects dirge. Quite an array of moods and emotions on this one.

End Of The Landscape begins with a whimsical swarm of electronic static and effects that’s like a strangely rhythmic combination of shortwave surfing and robotic insect throng. After several minutes, multiple layers of almost orchestral howls and sound waves join in, along with other miscellaneous blasts of sound, creating a symphony of cosmic noise. But the music doesn’t get overly harsh. It really is like an experimental sound and noise symphony, especially given that each of the many components occupies an audibly distinct place in the sonic milieu.

There are moments on Long Lain In The Stream that are among the most musical of the set. A few minutes in I felt like I was on the high seas of space with a fog horn blaring, but as the intensity fades a pleasant melody tinkles along an ambient drift. Later there’s a dreamy segment with pulsating drones and rolling static plus a sparse melody that sounds like might be guitar produced. But things don’t stay dreamy for long as hair raising, high pitched blasts take over, though amidst the chaos there’s a Space-Prog synth melody that provides a calming counterpoint to the threatening sensory attack. A very cool and creatively confusing combination of song and experimental sound exploration.

In summary, Unidentified Again is a challenging yet accessible blend of space excursion and experimental sound assemblage. There is a LOT happening here, making for a busy but by no means overdone listening experience, which means that there is a lot to digest and new treasures reveal themselves upon repeated listens. Put on the headphones, surrender, and enjoy all the fun imagery the music conjures up.

The LP is available through the Norway based Pica Disk label at http://picadisk.com and in the U.S. through Tedium House at http://www.tediumhouse.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Maat Lander is a new instrumental Space Rock trio that brings together members of two of my favorite R.A.I.G. label bands: Ilya Lipkin of The Re-Stoned (guitar, mandola), and brothers Arkadiy (keys, synths, bass) and Ivan (drums, percussion) Fedotov of Vespero. This 10 track set is a winner from start to finish, with tracks in the 4-9 minute range.

The Comet Rider opens, featuring totally cosmic, tightly wound Space Rock performed with a high level of musicianship like a combination of Vespero, Ozric Tentacles, Hidria Spacefolk, Oresund Space Collective and Korai Orom. Alnilam is an alien ethno-trance blend of mandola, ethnic percussion, soundscapes and oodles of sci-fi effects. Maat Lander inject a pounding rave worthy rhythmic pulse into Spiral Arms, which rocks hard and includes killer ripping and screaming guitar. To Johannes Kepler and Gliese 581 are both beautifully atmospheric and cosmically haunting excursions that you can float and groove along with. Two Keys To The Sky is similar and includes some Bluesy Dave Gilmour-ish guitar. Aquarius is a high energy and sometimes whimsical blend of Space-Prog, Jazz Fusion, the Ozrics at their most rocking, and spaced out atmospherics. Lunar Rocket blasts off the launching pad for some powerhouse Space-Prog with seductively melodic but also dirty rocking guitar solos and a frantically swirling stew of space electronics. Coma Berenices starts off with a combination of sequenced synths, falling star electronic effects, steadily potent drumming, Prog guitar soloing and soundscape guitar, but then bursts into the stratosphere as an in-yer-face, heavy duty Space Rock blast, while always retaining an overall atmospheric feel. Finally, the title track is an electronic heavy track that’s a steadily grooving and melodic jaunt through the cosmos. It’s got some cool Bluesy jamming guitar and classic Prog keys too.

I’ve long known from the Vespero albums what excellent musicians the Fedotov brothers are, but Ilya Lipkin REALLY shines on guitar. We don’t get to hear him play like this on The Re-Stoned albums. Really smokin’ guitar solos. BUT the guitar also contributes to soundscape creation, making for a hot atmospheric combination of guitar and keys/synths. Fans of instrumental Space Rock and rhythmic atmospheric explorations played by smokin’ hot, creative musicians should drop whatever they are doing and get this NOW. Highest recommendation!

For more information visit the R.A.I.G. web site at: http://raig.ru
Stream, download and purchase this and other R.A.I.G. releases at: https://raig.bandcamp.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Polska Radio One are from the Ural city of Yekaterinburg in Russia and Early Broadcasts is the follow up to their debut – Cosmos Inside – which Trail Records released last year; though I should say this is the second “official” album because there are several free “other” downloads at the Polska Radio One Bandcamp site (link below).

Like Cosmos Inside before it, Early Broadcasts includes an intriguing variety of music. The album opens with the Eastern flavored, space efx’d, Psychedelic hypno rock ‘n’ rolling North Berry, with its cool combination of acid guitar and electric tampura (a sitar-like instrument), percolating electronics and pounding yet mesmerizing rhythmic throb. But there’s also an underlying Psychedelic Pop element in the catchy melodies and Russian language vocals (the band sing in both Russian and English). The hypnotic drift continues on Volga, which rocks hard but floats gently in head swaying fashion with its dual soloing liquid trip guitars and incessant throbbing drone. Time-Eternity and Heather and Wormwood both combine Indian raga and trippy lysergic flower power elements into mind-bending blends of Pop-Psych and cosmic exploration. The band go heavy rocking Space Raga meets Pop-Psych meets 70s Prog-Funk-Soul on New Space, which lays down an aggressively funky beat for a killer combination of jamming tampura and Psych guitars, freaked out electronics, funky soulful organ and windswept atmospheric effects. I like the sultry psychedelically soulful Shroomin’, which includes cool organ and swinging saxophone. Radio Motorik is a nifty combination of Neu! and 60s flower-power Pop-Psych. And Rhymes and Harmonies closes the set with more beautiful Eastern flavored trip Psych and seductively melodic cosmic Pop-Psych.

In summary, Early Broadcasts is just as powerful and well-crafted as Polska Radio One’s Cosmos Inside debut. Very impressive. Damn, there’s so much good music coming out of Russia these days. Highly recommended.

Note that this is an LP only release, limited to 500 copies and pressed on heavy orange vinyl.

For more information visit the Sulatron Records web site at: http://www.sulatron.com
There are lots of downloads at the Polska Radio One Bandcamp site: http://polskaradioone.bandcamp.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

I love the line from the promo sheet for German trio Electric Moon’s new album which says of the music – “It carries the listener in a pulsating and hypnotic manner to the place where the moon sprays it’s electric sparks: Into the endless cosmos of psychedelic music”. Hell freakin’ YEAH it does! I’m on a bit of a high with these musicians right now because I just got done reviewing the new Zone Six album, their first full new one in 11 years and two-thirds of Electric Moon (Sula and Lulu) are in that band too. So covering two Space-Psych monsters chock full of long killer jams in a row has got me feeling a bit giddy.

Recorded in February 2014 at the Kosmodrom in Heidelberg, Theory Of Mind consists of 4 side long jams ranging from 14-19 minutes each. The fun starts with Hypnotika, a pulsating and bubbling cauldron of gradually building cosmic rock that despite its edge-of-your-seat tension still manages to live up to its title. The guitar and synths wash over me in pulsating and droning waves, creating a powerhouse spaced out acid-fuzz vibe, as the rhythm section maintains a stoned, doomy groove. The title track is next and consists of the most loosely dripping liquid Psychedelia imaginable. Imagine Dali’s melting clocks against surreal landscape paintings as an extended Space-Psych jam and you’d get something like this. It’s nicely grooving and melodic too. But be on guard because when it explodes the corrosive acid-space waves and oscillating fireball effects will burn you to a cinder. The Picture starts right out of the chute as a sludgy, crushing Stoner-Doom dirge, and cruises increasingly deeper into space as it progresses to create music that is beautifully cosmic yet mercilessly brutal. Aerosoul is a relief after the exhausting assault of The Picture, starting off with some of the most lightly atmospheric music of the set. But there’s an intermittent bass punch that indicates the mood is about to change. And sure enough, once the acid guitar blasts kick in the intensity level starts to build while holding steady in spacey trance-drone mode.

The characteristic of Electric Moon’s music that I find most magical is their ability to push the limits of stoned, doomy Psychedelic intensity, yet somehow manage to be hypnotic, mesmerizing, trance-inducing, cranium massaging, and any other pick-your-cliché that you care to throw in the pot. But there’s also a Hawkwind Space Rock Blanga element to the music as well, with its relentlessly punishing rhythmic drive and blast into the stratosphere use of effects. Time we left this world today folks…

For more information visit the Sulatron Records web site at: http://www.sulatron.com
Visit the Electric Moon web site at: http://electricmoon.de

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Zone Six have made occasional live appearances over the years and some have been available on special releases, but Love Monster is the first new full album in 11 years. The lineup has changed dramatically since the band was founded 18 years ago but the spirit is intact. We’ve got founder Dave (Sula Bassana) Schmidt on drums, Martin Schorn (Modulfix) on synths, Komet Lulu on bass and Rainer Neef on guitar. These people are responsible for all kinds of great music – Sula and Lulu are in Electric Moon, Sula records as Sula, Rainer is in The Pancakes, and all four are in Krautzone. I knew this album would be worth the long wait even before I heard it and I wasn’t disappointed. We’ve got four tasty jams across 45+ minutes.

The 15 minute title track opens the set and is a slowly stoned and demonic Space Rock dirge carried along by threatening acid-fuzz guitar leads and a simmering stew of cosmic synths. It’s caustically intense, like some march of an impending alien apocalypse. The mood is more optimistic on The Insight, though no less intense. Zone Six create a trance-inducing rhythmic pulse that lays the foundation for soaring synth lines, spaced out electronic melodies, bubbling effects and more monster fuzz guitar leads. There’s a hypnotically droning sensation throughout, building up to an explosively volcanic finale. The appropriately titled Acidic continues down a similar path and includes some of the most screaming guitar leads of the set, which sound great amidst the space electronics and pounding drum and bass groove. And the 15 minute Cosmogyral wraps up the set, being another rocking combination of guitar and space-electronic fun. I like how the guitar leads alternate between densely molten lava acidic and Funky-Bluesy as eerily cosmic synth lines hover, sail and weave. The guitar is pure poison and it tastes GOOD.

In summary, Love Monster is a killer combination of stoned Space Rock and sinister Psychedelic jams. The freak flag is flying and displaying the skull and crossbones. Let’s not wait another 11 years for the next one.

For more information visit the Sulatron Records web site at: http://www.sulatron.com
Visit the Zone Six web site at: http://zonesix.de

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

UK based homemade music/cassette culture veteran Philip Sanderson’s Snatch Tapes label released the last of their Snatch DIY compilations in 1981. Snatch 3 included a track by Ice Yacht, who apparently had recorded a full length album though this never materialized back in the day. I’ll quote directly from the promo sheet for the new Pole Of Cold cassette because this is where things get interesting:

Rumour had it that Ice Yacht had embarked on an ill-fated trip to the North Pole attempting to retrace a journey made by the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen in 1888. This story was given credence when last year a research group uncovered a cassette tape in a vacuum-sealed case in the permafrost. The tape was marked simply Ice Yacht – Pole of Cold. After letting the tape thaw out it was then baked in an oven allowing the transfer of the recordings. Pole of Cold contains six tracks of analogue electronics seemingly mapping an arctic exploration to the coldest place on the planet though exactly when and where they were recorded is unknown.

Is that fun or what? Whether this is genuine mystery music or the latest by Philip Sanderson I couldn’t tell you, because even though Sanderson sent me the tape I chose not to spoil any intentional fun by asking for clarification. So let’s just dive into the music shall we?

The title track opens Side A with an intensely rhythmic rush of analogue electronics. There’s a spaced out symphonic feel, and with the arctic theme in mind the music is conjuring up images of being in a seriously perilous situation at the frozen pole. The outlook seems less dire with Racing The Arctic Shadow, which lays down a robotic yet cool grooving pace that propels us far more into alien than arctic territory. Snow Drifter returns to a more intense mood, sounding like some kind of March Of The Alien Eskimos Space-Industrial dirge that feels like a cross between The Residents and Chrome.

Side B kicks off with Summer With The Snow Bees (cool title). The music brings to mind a space harpsichord playing a pleasantly diddly melody which is augmented by eerie synths while trudging through a pebble strewn landscape. I like how it descends into off-kilter dissonance for the finale before moving into Vostock Station Hallucinations (even cooler title!). This features a hypnotic blend of tribal Jazz percussion, sweeping atmospherics, and hallucinatory melodies that seem to continuously flow and melt into one another. The tape closes with what might be the most wildly freaked out music of the set: Whiteout Women sets a frantically intense pace, as multiple blasts of swirling, bleeping and blaring electronic effects are hurled in and from every direction. But there is order amidst the chaos as the assault is clearly determined and even choreographed in its direction.

In summary, analogue electronics indeed! Fans of experimental/minimal/soundscape and all kinds of old time DIY electronica will really dig these sounds and effects. And musically there is a lot of enjoyable and intriguing variety. Cool stuff. But you better hurry because there are only 100 numbered copies of this “replica”.

For more information visit the Fragment Factory web site at: http://fragmentfactory.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Cleveland, Ohio based flute and synth shaman Ron Bracale returns with 11 new instrumental “Bamboo Shakuhachi flute dancing with nature within synthesizer soundscapes” tracks intended to bring us peace and energize our inner essence of being.

As I described in my review of last year’s Entangled Spaces album, there is a New Age aspect to this music, but Bracale transcends the fluff that is often justifiably associated with the New Age tag by injecting interesting World Music, spaced out electronic and sound sample elements. Throughout Yin Over Yang, Bracale combines flute leads, darkly droning/phased/bubbling synth work and the sounds of nature to create a marriage of transcendent inspiration and freaky alien exploration. The marked contrast between the flute and nature vs. electronic elements are the principle theme throughout and what makes this music continually interesting and pleasant for me. Some of the effects would be just as much at home on a Hawkwind album. It’s like a Pied Piper medicine man leading the way as a gurgling miasma of space electronics and sitar-ish drones follow slavishly along. Cool stuff.

For more information visit Ron Bracale’s web site at: http://bracalemusic.com
Purchase Entangled Spaces and other Ron Bracale albums at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ronbracale9

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz