Germany meets Denmark in space? Yes, Danish space/psych rockers Papir and Germany’s Electric Moon couldn’t be more well suited for some collaborative jamming, which is precisely what happened in Copenhagen’s Dragens Hule on August 9, 2012, a meeting that resulted in this new CD/LP from Sulatron Records. Oh, and Mogens from Oresund Space Collective also joined in on synths.
The album opens with the 16 minute Farewell Mr. Space Echo, which begins dreamily subdued. I like the dual guitars, with one slowly soloing and the other fluttering away, surrounded by soundscapes and electronic effects. The intensity level builds at a steady pace until reaching a cool spaced out groove that finds a pleasant compromise between rocking out and mood/atmosphere creation. The guitars weave and wind an exploratory yet determined acidic drone and bubbling psychedelic path, and when the one guitar goes into screaming soul stirring solo mode the band are in full blown lysergic space rocking splendor. Next up is the 6 minute head swimming melodic journey, Red Dust. And wrapping up the set is the 21 minute epic The Circle, which kicks off fully rocking with a nice bit of grungy boogie swagger. Then near the 4 minute mark the jamming abruptly recedes and we’re off in exploratory ambient territory, with anguished spaced out guitar licks, a falling star synth, and tension fraught percussion. The music trips along, building high energy momentum and creating a killer combination of acidic psychedelic space rock, cosmic doom and melodic mind massage.
If you enjoy improvised instrumental space rock then The Papermoon Sessions is one of the better examples I’ve heard this year. These musicians really gelled with one another. The album is available in CD and LP versions and the LP comes in an edition of 500 black and 500 red vinyl. Also note that this lineup will perform at the Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, Netherlands on April 13, 2014.
For more information visit the Sulatron Records web site at: http://www.sulatron.com
Visit the Papir web site at: http://www.papirband.com
Visit the Electric Moon web site at: http://www.electricmoon.com
Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz