The Celestial Department Store is the follow up to last year’s Etidorhpa, by Brooklyn based electronic musician Arnold Mathes. By pure coincidence this is the second album I’ve reviewed this week by an artist who did time with Alien Planetscapes (John Likides is the other).

Whereas Etidorhpa consisted of classic 70s space electronica along the lines of Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze plus elements of cosmic Progressive Rock, The Celestial Department Store is largely song focused, blending Space Rock, Prog and Pop. Songs like Rip In Time feature a non-Motorik brand of Neu! Space-Pop with a Symphonic edge. Off The Beaten Track is a spacey mix of Neu! and 80s Electro-Pop. The Toymaker is a quirkily fun Kraftwerk meets Neu! alien dittie, with OD and Malfunction being similar whimsical. Don’t Knock The Annanakh features spacey symphonic Prog-Pop. The high octane electro space rocking How To Drive A UFO could be the theme to a sci-fi TV show. There’s one example of pure floating space electronics in the form of the appropriately titled Conscious Of Consciousness, which is a cinematic Space-Prog excursion that gently sweeps the listener through the cosmos. And Interociter goes in a different direction, being a sound exploratory blend of minimalism, drones, and a variety of spacey effects. Overall I found this to be a fun set, the spacey melodic and quirky tunes being my favorites.

For more information email Arnold Mathes at: amathes.1@netzero.net

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Though new to me, Chvad SB has been in action for over 20 years as a recording artist, scoring films, and a member of Controlled Bleeding.

Chvad SB has a flair for bringing together experimental and pleasantly accessible sound elements to create hauntingly minimal yet strangely melodic, image inducing soundtracks for the mind. The opening piece, It Haunts Her, is all about sound, with its laser beam waves accompanied by sparse guitar notes. The sound waves rise and fall, phasing slowly in my brain as the guitar licks provide a drugged, trippy, melodic counterpoint to the minimal electronics. The ominous rumbling and electronic static on A Hair Before Sundown might as well be a horde of insects, though offset by the contrasting child’s xylophone and smatterings of percussion.

The scorer of films is at work on tracks like The Dust Cloud Permeates. Haunting, cavernous atmospherics, freaky electronic effects and light guitar conjure up a multitude of possible scenes, the most prominent in my mind being a spacecraft cruising over the surface of a cold, seemingly barren alien planet (it’s always the sci-fi with me). The feeling is detached yet tense and suspenseful, painting a spaced out and often eerie panorama of cinematic sound. The spacey soundscapes on People Keep Asking And I Say You’re Well conjure up images of a busy urban street. Traffic is rushing back and forth, yet somehow I feel I’m like I’m sitting in the middle of it like some spectrally detached observer. A ghostly orchestral aura surrounds the everyday sounds of the city, punctuated by plinking sounds and sporadic guitar licks. Simultaneously haunting and surreal, this is one of my favorite tracks of the set. I like the combination of robotic patterns and melodic chamber ensemble on There Isn’t A Day That Goes By. And Crickets Were The Compass And The World Goes ‘Round feels like the soundtrack to a post-apocalyptic tale, with its minimal, slowly grinding crawl and darkly orchestral thrum. Listen to this when you’re feeling contemplative. Play it again and you’re guaranteed to hear something you missed the first time.

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

Mega Dodo has been putting out some great music so that alone got my attention when I received this promo. But I perked up even more when I read that London based Mark & The Clouds evolved out of the band Instant Flight, whose 2004 released Colours & Lights I have long been a fan of. Colours & Lights was a well crafted set of Pop-Psych songs with a Prog infused flavor, often amping up the energy level with heavy organ, guitars and orchestration.

Mark & The Clouds recalls Instant Flight in the form of singer/songwriter Marco Magnani. There’s far less organ and Prog-Psych heaviness here. We’ve got 13 tunes, mostly in the 3-4 minute range. Among the highlights is In The Storm, a hip shaking Pop rocker with a touch of 60s jangle. You Call Me Brother alternates between soulful Psychedelic Dylan-esque Folk-Rock and later period Beatles. I dig the combination of dirty Psychedelic Blues and horn section on the grooving and swaggering songs Music Disease and I Run Like Crazy. Darkened River and Spirits In The Wind both sound like contenders for Spaghetti Western theme songs, though the later includes an Eastern flavor. Goddess Of Desire pulls out the organ and wah guitar for some hard hitting Power Rock and heavy driving 60s Psychedelic Soul. London Fire features orchestrated Power-Pop-Psych with 60s West Coast Psych guitar. And Are You Taking Time is a dreamy but rocking song with the trippiest guitar and effects of the set.

In summary, there’s definitely a 60s flavor to Mark & The Clouds, though it’s not full blown Psychedelic and by no means retro. There are plenty of 70s influences as well. But at the end of the day, these are just outstanding songs that are so catchy that on the first listen you’ll feel like you’ve known them for years.

Note that the CD and download comes with 13 songs, while the limited edition blue vinyl (250 copies) comes with 9 songs (the first 100 copies will include a 4-song CDEP).

For more information visit the Mega Dodo web site at: http://www.mega-dodo.co.uk
Stream, download and order at: http://megadodo.bandcamp.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

As a historical note, and to get your attention, I’ll mention that New York City based musician and author John Likides was briefly a member of Alien Planetscapes in the 1980s. For background on John’s work as both a musician and author, CLICK HERE to read the 2004 interview Jeff Fitzgerald conducted with John in Aural Innovations.

John has lots of albums available to stream and download at his Bandcamp site, and he recently shared two of his latest.

John Likides – “Paradigm Shifts”

The theme of Paradigm Shifts is described as charting humanity’s accomplishments, from cave-dwelling to space-walking. Going by the track titles, John starts with building block achievements – Making Fire, Telling Stories, Making Art, Organizing Activities – then moves on to higher level foundational triumphs – Inventing Democracy, Inventing Philosophy – and finishes with one of the granddaddies that we have struggled with from the Industrial Revolution through the current Information Age – Synergizing Wisdom & Technology.

Making Fire sets the tone for the set with a combination of Berlin school space electronics, Progressive Rock and New Age. The combination of syncopated synth patterns, lightly symphonic keys and melodic guitar leads is simultaneously cosmic rocking and meditational. The minimal rhythms chug along continuously, propelling the angelic keys that wash over you in gentle waves, along with beautiful electronic flute, and the guitar provides the Rock element. I’m imagining mid-70s Tangerine Dream joining forces with Eloy. Telling Stories is similar, but more dreamily ethereal and communicates an aquatic sensation. Making Art raises the intensity level, the keys sounding like a cosmic Keith Emerson, and alternating with the guitar they both play to a hauntingly ardent and somewhat frantic rhythmic pulse. This is a beautiful and passionately lyrical piece. Organizing Activities shoots for the heavens with what sounds like a syncopated acoustic guitar, a repeat of an earlier melodic theme, plus space symphonics and electronic effects that conjure up images of an angelic alien world. The feel is both pastoral and extra-terrestrial, like traipsing through a grassy meadow in the cosmos. The recurring melodic theme continues on Inventing Democracy, along with the cosmic meditative symphonics and soundscapes. But the percussion goes in a different direction, with energetic grooving tablas adding an interesting and contrasting Eastern flavor. The guitar is present but a second, sitar-like stringed instrument solos along with it, making for an overall spaced out, ethnic flavored experience. Inventing Philosophy is a pleasantly floating meditational journey. And Synergizing Wisdom & Technology takes the same guitar melody and vibe but shifts the cosmic keys and effects into freakier mode and adds more cool grooving percussion. Imagine if Windham Hill had been a Space-Prog label you might get something like Paradigm Shifts.

John Likides – “Seven Virtues”

The theme of Seven Virtues, released just one month after Paradigm Shifts, is a celebration of seven timeless human values that enabled us to transform ourselves from prehistoric cave-dwellers to post-modern space-walkers – Diligence, Patience, Resourcefulness, Compassion, Exuberance, Sagacity, Loyalty.

Musically this is very similar to Paradigm Shifts. Diligence consists of floating meditational electronic space music with tasty soloing guitar. There’s a spiritually uplifting New Age element, though there’s more going on musically and rhythmically than the fluff that the New Age term typically conjures up. Likides combines multiple elements that weave in and out of each other so seamlessly that it feels like a gently drifting whole. Patience is darkly theatrical, feeling like the cosmic orchestral Overture to a stage production. Resourcefulness combines space ambience and soundscapes with grooving percussion, melodic rocking guitar, and a succession of experience enhancing effects. Compassion features the same cosmic keys and guitar, but adds a quirky Kraftwerk Autobahn element, giving it a different flavor than the other tracks. Ditto for Exuberance. The principle melodic theme reminds me of a segment from a Yes song I can’t put my finger on. Likides quickly brings in additional contrasting themes, including alien dancey electronic patterns that Quarkspace fans will recognize, and a spacey marimba like sound that adds to the stew. This is an uplifting blend of spacey Prog, freaky electronics and ethnic influences, with lots of really interesting variety. Sagacity features peaceful spacey ambience and lightly colored cosmic effects, propelled by steadily strolling percussion. And Loyalty is a beautifully spirited finale. If you like deep space Prog inspired instrumental excursions you’ll enjoy John Likides’ music.

To stream and download these any many other John Likides album visit his Bandcamp page at: http://johnlikides.bandcamp.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Pretty Monsters is the New York City based quartet of Katherine Young on bassoon and electronics, Owen Stewart-Robertson on guitar and electronics, Mike Pride on drums and percussion, and Erica Dicker on violin. Together they play an interesting and varied brand of chamber ensemble gone avant-rock.

Relief opens the 7 track CD and feels like a pleasant conversation between the bassoon, violin and guitar. The instruments chat lightly via a series of brief melodies and short bursts of bassoon drones, soundscapes, and passionate violin solos, augmented by sparse, light percussion. Things get more aggressive with Patricia Highsmith, which has a chamber ensemble meets James Blood Ulmer feel. The guitar continually alternates between bursts of rocking out and passionately restrained passages, as the bassoon and violin free jazz jam. The drums rock out steadily, and as a whole it’s an intensely plodding succession of energetic bursts and restraint. In fact, after I’d heard this a few times it occurred to me there’s a Blues element to the music, and by the last couples minutes Stewart-Robertson is kicking out some killer solos. Feldspar is a short rocker where the drums lay down a fiery rhythmic pulse which the guitar, bassoon and violin jam along to. All three are soloing wildly and near the end the guitar gets densely metallic, making the whole sound like Henry Cow gone heavy metal. Crushed starts off sounding like a screechy scratchy take on Philip Glass. In fact, this sounded so familiar I checked the credits which say all compositions are by Katherine Young. The core melody has that minimalist Glass sound. But the music gets really interesting later as the violin is screeching madly while the guitar plays a dissonant but pleasant ambient melody, eventually taming the violin into melodic submission. But all does not remain warm and fuzzy as the piece transitions to full blown dense noise electronic mode, before settling into a sound collage finale. Lots of interesting variety on this one. For Autonauts, For Travelers is an avant-chamber ensemble stroll, including adventures into percussion and sound. The 12 minute Deuterium starts slowly and includes some of the most beautifully melodic music of the set. The guitar plays chords that are a dissonant contrast to the heartstring tugging violin, the bassoon provides low end support, and the drums are laid back but feel like they’re going to break out rocking at any moment. This never happens, though in the last few minutes the music briefly switches gears to a more free-wheeling avant-jazz jam, returning to the opening theme for the finale. Finally, Entropy has an intensely theatrical feel, combining chamber ensemble, spaced out atmospherics and effects, powerhouse drum blasts, and freaky avant-Rock.

What really grabbed about this album is the configuration of instruments, particularly the use of bassoon and violin in a rock context. I could easily see this being of interest to a variety of audiences but it certainly appealed to the avant-Proghead in me.

For more information visit the Public Eyesore web site at: http://publiceyesore.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Hot on the heels of their fantastic Mind Explosion 2-LP set, Electric Moon are back with Innside Outside, a single LP sporting two side long Space Rock epics. Innside opens in early 70s German Space Rock mode, with haunting cosmic keys plus bubbling, bleeping, pulsating electronics, and tension laden drumming that anchors the extended introductory buildup. Near the 5 minute mark the guitar and drums join in and the band fall into a stoned droning Psychedelic dirge that feels like a march of the Teutonic aliens, rolling toward an interstellar battlefield. The music quickly builds to the point where it feels like a punishing Stoner-Space-Psych assault. This is not feel good music. This is high intensity, noisy, droning, metallic, seriously threatening Space Rock, bringing to mind the Blanga of Hawkwind circa In Search Of Space erupting like Krakatoa and spewing rivers of cosmic lava. If that was Innside, which implies safety and comfort, then what will Outside be like? Well sure enough, the theme continues, though perhaps more as high octane, rip roaring Psychedelic Space Rock than a roll over you like a tank battlefield assault. I was at work the first time I listened to this and was so wound up when it was over I had to leave my desk and go outside for a short walk. Absolutely freakin’ monstrous. This trio is a force of cosmic nature.

Vinyl junkies should note that the LP is pressed on multi-color vinyl and is housed in an inside-out cardboard cover. Limited to 500 copies.

For more information about the LP visit The Great Pop Supplement web site at: http://www.greatpopsupplement.com
Visit the Electric Moon web site at: http://www.electricmoon.de

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

In 2011, Croatian monster Psych rockers Seven That Spells released the first in a planned trilogy of The Death And Resurrection Of Krautrock albums. That was titled AUM. Now they’ve unleasehed the second in the series: The Death And Resurrection Of Krautrock: IO. The band are the trio of Niko Niko Potocnjak on guitar, Jeremy White on bass, and Niloa Babic on drums, with assistance from Albin Julius on synths, Hammond and kazoo, and Nikola Uroševic’ on throat singing.

The first of the 5 tracks is In II, which consists of high energy Prog infused Hard Rock with a cosmic edge provided by the supplemental alien electronics. We’re also got two extended workouts. The 18 minute IO starts off with trippy, passionate chanting vocals and Eastern styled Psych guitar with an early Amon Düül II flavor. The band jam along in this mode for several minutes before falling into a quietly floating meditative interlude. Niko’s guitar plays slowly bubbling licks against a shamanic atmospheric aura, before launching into a heavy rocking Eastern flavored jam that’s like Black Sun Ensemble on steroids. The band rock hard and Niko blasts off with some killer solos. Overall a nicely ass kicking blend of Eastern Psych influences, early Amon Düül II flavor, Acid Mother’s Temple, and intricately played Hard Rock. The 14 minute Burning Blood has a similar blend of influences and includes some monstrous Prog-Psych jams with whirling dervish levels of intensity and cool rocking guitar and solos. One is quite different, being a 2 minute combination of romantic solo piano and noise-drones. And Out II sounds like it would have fit neatly on one of the first few Amon Düül II albums. These guys never disappoint and can always be counted on for a killer set of heavy Psych rock.

For more information about the CD and LP editions visit the Sulatron Records web site at: http://www.sulatron.com
Stream and download at: http://seventhatspells.bandcamp.com
Visit the Seven That Spells web site at: http://www.7thatspells.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Though new to me, Alan Sondheim has been around for a long time. His 1967 Riverboat album is notable for its inclusion on the Nurse With Wound list, and he recorded albums for the ESP-Disk label. The list of instruments he is credited with on this album is what first caught my attention. In addition to electric guitar and violin he also plays dan moi, suroz, sarangi, oud, cura cumnbus, electric saz, viola, cura saz, and pipa. His partner, Azure Carter, is a singer/songwriter whose lyrics on the album are, to quote the promo sheet, “related to and/or inspired by Second Life, an online virtual world.” Along with Christopher Diasparra on tenor and baritone saxophones and Edward Schneider on alto sax we have the dozen songs that make up Avatar Women.

Instrumentally the music is stripped down, with Sondheim playing solo instruments, and switching among the various pieces in his stringed arsenal. He’s a gifted musician, the songs typically consisting of frantic yet incredibly passionate soloing. When the horns join in they are usually restrained and never dominate their stringed ally. In fact, it’s not uncommon for the horns to be the pastoral counter to Sondheim’s frenzied playing. Carter’s vocals are a mixture of singing and poetic narrative, which contrasts but nicely melds with the music to create a uniquely intriguing combination.

Stylistically the music is a witch’s cauldron, the whole being a kind of Avant-Ethnic/Traditional/Shamanic/Jazz blend. Representative tracks include Buried, on which Sondheim’s stringed instrument has a trippy Middle Eastern bazaar feel, playing a slightly dissonant and dronish yet pleasantly hypnotic melody, which sounds very nice combined with Carter’s vocals. Sondheim plays a frantic melody on Dark Robe, again with a Middle Eastern flavor, though there is a strong avant free-improv element. And when the horns join in it gives the music a strangely ethereal jazz quality. On Surely the music has elements of some traditional, perhaps Celtic pub style, yet it’s also got that Eastern vibe, shaken and stirred within a shamanic free-improv jazz context. Later in the piece Sondheim’s playing takes off like a maddened experimental Bluegrass musician, joined by slowly jazz soloing sax. I love the Eastern mystic meets banjo pickin’ hillbilly style on World, accompanied by wailing jazz horns. Making Boys is similar though Sondheim’s playing becomes frenzied, tempered only by the vocals and subdued horns. Avatar Man With Dream Women and Buried II are a little different, with Sondheim playing what sounds like an electronically enhanced jaw harp, again making for an interesting contrast with Carter’s vocals.

In summary, Avatar Women might have succeeded even if it were Sondheim alone. His playing had me transfixed throughout. But combined with the vocals and horns we’ve got one of the most compelling blends of styles I’ve heard this year. Aural Innovations readers with experimental tastes will appreciate the (I’m sure unintended) Psychedelic elements.

For more information visit the Public Eyesore web site at: http://publiceyesore.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

Barrows is a 4-piece unit from Los Angeles that does atmospheric, heavy instrumental rock. None of the tags on their Bandcamp page mention spacerock when describing their latest album, which is their second release, but truth be told, that’s exactly what the music on Red Giant is. This is “rip your mind apart and fling you to the ends of the universe and beyond” SPACEROCK!

Red Giant is a concept album following the life of a star, from birth, to a cataclysmic black hole ending, with even a glimpse beyond that. Starting out with deep space whooshes and interstellar atmospheres, Nebula, the opening track builds slowly, through spaced out melodic guitars and weird ambiences to its psychedelic metal riffing finale. And that’s just the start of the album! Through each of the album’s five tracks, Nebula, Red Giant, Black Hole, Worm Hole and Beyond, the guitar riffing is endlessly inventive. Circular melodies spiral around and around the driving rhythm section. The drumming in particular is amazing. Crisp and clear, full of energy, complex rhythms that aren’t just a backdrop for the guitarists to solo over, but an integral part of the music as a whole. Once the pace picks up on that first track, it rarely settles down. Along the way, a barrage of effects lends the music a cosmic edge. You can close your eyes and almost feel your own descent into the collapsing star, sucked into the maddening vortex of the worm hole only to be expelled unceremoniously into another universe. It’s brilliant and scary and exhilarating all at once! You finally get to catch your breath as you slip into the final track, Beyond. This is that other universe I spoke of, and it’s a dreamy and beautiful psychedelic universe indeed! At almost 11 minutes in length, it’s the longest track on the album, and pushes the cosmic vibe over the edge into, well, the beyond.

Barrows have created an amazing journey here, one to take again and again. I just can’t seem to get tired of listening to this album. Like the black hole of the third track, it pulls you along, inexorably, over the sonic event horizon, into the dark heart of the space/time continuum. Let it blow your mind, you won’t regret it!

For more info, visit: http://barrowstheband.bandcamp.com and https://www.facebook.com/BarrowsTheBand

Reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald

Juke’s debut release, the album length “EP” Atom Experiment found the band from France exploring a number of different influences. As good as it was it did feel a bit unfocused. The same cannot be said of their second album, Chimera’s Tale. The band has definitely found its sound on their latest album. Exploding with cosmic expanses, liquid psychedelia and pastoral soundscapes, Chimera’s Tale is a mind bending sonic voyage for both the ears and the mind.

Comparisons, of course, could be made to everything from Ash Ra Tempel to Pink Floyd, but the reality is, what Juke has done is taken all those influences they explored on their first release and synthesized them into their own unique sound for their latest album. Opening up with the proggy Schizarium Odyssey (Part I) the band shifts effortlessly from Inventions for Electric Guitar style sequences to thundering rock to passages of melodic piano and rich vocal harmonies to explosive free explorations of noise. If that sounds completely random, it’s not, Juke pulls it all together brilliantly. The following track, the 21 1/2 minute Neptuna, is one of the highlights of the album. It opens up with mellow, fluidly melodic, psychedelia before diving into the depths of the vast ocean or launching into outer space; maybe both! It’s an epic slow build that reaches a frantic, wildly psychedelic climax. On the Edge dips back into prog rock waters again, with a slower paced, piano driven number which nonetheless features some soaring guitar playing. Mr. Mend starts off like a cross between Careful With That Axe, Eugene and Set the Controls For the Heart of the Sun, but with some haunting flute whispers in there to set it apart, and ultimately, some creepy voiceovers that echo around in the mix. Cool stuff. A brief ambient interlude simply titled ? is followed by the wistful and pastoral Sunset Smile. Acoustic guitars, spacey slide guitar and more gorgeous vocal harmonies are what this one is all about. Finally, Schizarium Odyssey (Part II) picks up right where Part I left off, nicely bookending the album with proggy psychedelia and ripping spacerock. There is a bonus track; a greatly expanded version of ?, over 10 minutes of cosmic ambience to leave the listener lost in deep space.

For those, like myself, who love the sounds of early Pink Floyd, post Barrett, pre-Dark Side of the Moon era, this album is a must-have. And yet, Juke are not merely aping Floyd. Their style of playing their instruments is different from Gilmour and Wright, giving this music a completely different vibe, but certainly recognizable as being influenced by that sound. Juke carve out their own niche and create some seriously spaced out cosmic rock on Chimera’s Tale. One of the best albums of the year so far. Highly recommended!

For more info, visit the group’s Bandcamp page at: http://jukeband.bandcamp.com
Visit them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/On.Neptuna?ref=ts&fref=ts

Reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald