Aural Innovations — October 2013
Aural Innovations was a magazine and website on space rock and related genres, offering reviews, interviews, and general articles. It ran from 1998 to January 2016. The website is no longer active, and all articles are being imported into DPRP, to keep everything available for everyone. Read Aural Innovations — A Brief History, written by AI founder Jerry Kranitz.
Mechanik — Velut Stella Splendida
(R.A.I.G. 2013, R080, CD/Download) 
Jerry Kranitz
After a few digital EPs and a contribution to the recent Fruits de Mer Records Strange Fish compilations, we have the first full length by Madrid, Spain based Mechanik. Velut Stella Splendida consists of newly composed tracks and newly recorded versions of tracks from their 2012 released EPs.
The album opens with Wherever You Are Is The Entry Point, a heavy driving acidic space rock instrumental with a minimalist, slowly developing pattern, and a principle melody that sounds like a sci-fi TV show theme. In The Faith That Looks Through Death is just as heavy rocking and includes haunting vocals and keys, pulsating space electronics, a cool throbbing bass line and guitar leads that sound like Robert Fripp gone acid rock. Pills is a schizophrenic tune that's part bouncy dance rhythmic space rock song and part acid-demonic prog-psych. I really dig the contrasts and especially the manic alien freakout finale. De Tepenecz starts off very atmospheric, and when the vocals kick in the pace gradually picks up and a cool rolling groove takes over. This is a solid example of accessible song and DEEP space mind massage.
Zum Traum is another hip shakin' rhythmic space rocker that is adventurous yet accessible. I love the full band rocking finale with ripping psych guitar lead. BliSS & GloSS is a slowly drifting, acid-atmospheric tension laden song. Russian Doll has a similar effect, but slowly builds to a mucho intense psych-metallic rocker in the last couple minutes. I love the disorienting throb, white knuckled intensity, anguished vocals, and electronics that sound like alien beetles crawling down that back of your cranium on Inner Temple.
And wrapping up the set we have the 23 minute Most People Were Silent. It starts off dreamily meditative, with a slow calming beat, howling soundscapes, trippy guitar melodies, Frippoid leads, astronaut voice samples, strolling space synths and a parade of sundry effects. Then around the halfway mark it settles into a minimal, hypnotic, and somewhat paralyzing electro pattern that carries through to the end.
In summary, there's lots of variety on the album though not so much that Mechanik stray from a sense of cohesiveness. I especially like the tracks where the band create adventurous space rock that is also highly accessible, something I think can be a challenge to do. This will be a strong candidate for my best of 2013 list.
For more information, see the R.A.I.G. Bandcamp site.
Abunai! — Universal Mind Decoder
(Krauted Mind Records 2013, 2-LP, originally released 1997)
Jerry Kranitz
Abunai! were a Boston area band who between 1997-2003 released three albums on CD and 2 vinyl EPs on the late great Tony Dale's Camera Obscura label. Of the three full length albums, two were song based, and one (Round-Wound) consisted of all instrumental improvised space rock face melter jams. The Krauted Mind label (Germany) has reissued the band's debut - Universal Mind Decoder - as a remastered double LP vinyl set in an edition of 500 (250 blue and 250 red), with two 1997 cassette demos as bonus tracks.
I liked Abunai! because they could write a good song, they could crank out a killer space-psych jam, and they could do both at the same time. The album opens with a voice calling, "Space assignment, rocket to the moon"!, and several of the tracks are loosely connected in this way. Cosmo Gun is a stoned and droned yet merrily melodic tune with searing acid-noise distortion guitar and soaring alien synths. This combination of psychedelia, space rock and cool grooving song is what I liked so much about Abunai! 77 Gaza Strip is similar but with a dark and dreary sense of foreboding. Opening with, "That's a call from our secret agent on outer space patrol", Inspiration is a bouncy, trippy pop-folk-acid-psych song. Calvary Cross consists of dreamy melodic folk-rock, with organ and distortion guitar. And then Gypsy Davy and Chromatic Moire go in very different directions, the former sounding like some traditional Celtic pub song with dirty rocking psych guitars, and Chromatic Moire being a quirky avant-rhythmic jam.
We're also treated to two lengthy space-psych monsters. Quiet Storm is a 9 minute dreamy and steadily grooving song. The guitars are like a spaced out blend of the Bevis Frond and Neil Young, though there's plenty of bubbly liquid psych guitar as well. Wrapping up with, "Looking through the windows of our rocket ship, we can see the Earth below. What wonderful things we see", it leads into Dreaming Of Light, an instrumental that closed the original set. The music continually shifts gears, from flesh rending distortion guitar, to high powered stoned guitar and rocking psych solos. Add in the high powered organ and you've got 9 minutes of the heaviest rocking intensity of the set.
Fans of the jamming instrumental side of Abunai! will love the bonus tracks. Dropped From A Rocket is a totally spaced out, stoned yet trippy instrumental excursion with a cavernous sound. And the 17 minute epic Mirror of Galadriel / Drinks the Young Wine features more stoned jamming, this time with an Eastern ethic vibe, haunting keys and space electronics. About halfway through there's some narration and the band transition to a slower paced dreamily stoned jam with a spaced out sense of drift and vocal chants.
VERY nice to see Krauted Mind reissue this gem. It would be great to see them work their way through the entire catalog, though all are available for digital download, and looking at the band's Bandcamp site it seems there are still some vinyl copies of the Two Brothers vinyl EP left.
For more information about the Universal Mind Decoder reissue, visit the Krauted Mind Records website. Streaming and download of all Abunai! albums is available at the Abunai! Bandcamp site.
Hawkwind — Spacehawks
(Eastworld/Plastichead, EW139CD, 2013, CD/LP)
Christian Mumford
Here is a nice little treat from Hawkwind. Imagine, Instead of being bludgeoned to death with 3 Hawkwind double albums in 3 years of varying quality - Blood Of The Earth (2010), Onward (2012), Stellar Variations (2012) - as well as a nice solo effort from Dave, Looking For Love In The Lost Land Of Dreams (2012), we get "the Best Of" this decade's "three years on" summary of Hawk-activity on one disc from those four records, with several unheard studio and live tracks from this era, as well as remixes of tracks from those albums mentioned. Tracks from Warrior On The Edge Of Time (1975) are re-recorded by the current line up.
Assault & Battery / Golden Void and Demented Man, and both are excellent. From In Search Of Space we get the Dave Brock solo-reworking of We Took The Wrong Step, from the Looking For Love In The Lost Land Of Dreams CD/LP, and Master Of The Universe, as well as a nightmarishly spoken Sonic Attack, all vintage EMI-era Hawkwind songs from the first half of the 70's. Fan reaction has been generally positive, comparing "Spacehawks" to a latter day "Out & Intake" mayhap, or a "tour companion" CD for the botched US tour of Hawkwind playing the entire Warrior album for the Hawk-starved Americans over the pond.
There are new tracks as well, like We Two Are One, Sacrosanct and Touch. There is little fat to trim on this collection, as it is thoughtfully compiled, so just imagine that... We get a remix of the vinyl only track from the Blood Of The Earth LP, the exclusive song Sunship, we get It's All Lies from the Stellar Variations LP/CD, as well as a remix of Sentinel and Seasons from last year's Onward LP/CD.
The core of Hawkwind old timers Dave Brock, Tim Blake, and Richard Chadwick are well augmented by more recent Space Cadets Mr. Dibs and Niall Hone, and Inner City Unit man Dead Fred on violin. It seems Hawkwind love the compilation format when it is geniune and not some sort of ripoff operation for fans and band alike, like all those dodgy comps we have seen in the past with the same stuff over and over again. Here we get some fresh stuff, remixes and rare tracks as well as reinterpreted 40 years on versions.
It's a lovely little record I recommend to all Hawkfans old and new, it is a treasure for old fans and might very well be a fine introduction to the band for those who never heard Hawkwind. It is also also availible on LP. Set forth and procure this item, as you most likely will not be panicking as it IS Hawkwind! It's a 69 minute Hawk-conniseur tour de force. Achtung! Blast off into 2014 with the mighty "Spacehawks"!
Various Artists — Shrunken Head Music
(Fruits de Mer Records 2013, Crustacean 43, 2 x 7" vinyl)
Jerry Kranitz
In 2012, Fruits de Mer Records released an amazing 2-LP set called Head Music, which celebrated the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Brain label and consisted of contemporary artists covering music - both classic and obscure - from the pioneering German Krautrock bands. Long after Head Music was released the label continued to receive submissions for it and the new double 7" Shrunken Head Music features four of the best.
To Another Universe was a track from Brainticket's Celestial Ocean album, which is intense freakout for the first half and melodic oddity in the second half. Frobisher Neck, which is the solo project of UK based musician Tony Swettenham, takes the melodic oddity portion and, using Mellotron as his only instrument, creates a dreamy, exploratory, space excursion. Nice.
Black Tempest is another UK based solo project, this one by Stephen Bradbury. He takes Tangerine Dream's Rubycon Part 1 and condenses it down to just under 6 minutes of Tangerine Dreamy electronica and avant-space noise.
Russian band Vespero take another shot at a Faust song, having covered Jennifer on last year's 2013 Fruits de Mer Annual. This time they tackle J'ai Mal aux Dents, which for Faust was a quirkily strange combination of off-beat psychedelia and free-jazz. Vespero do a stellar job of laying down the core groove of the original and making the rest completely their own. It's mostly the drumming that retains the free-jazz elements of the original, the rest being a space rock workout with bubbling, rocking and soaring guitars, plus colorful alien synths, flute and spoken word bits.
Ok, so Gong and Steve Hillage weren't Krautrock bands. Brainticket technically weren't either. Jay Tausig covers The Glorious Om Riff, which was originally the rocking and appropriately named RIFF portion of the song Master Builder, from Gong's You album, which was recorded when Steve Hillage was still in the band and later recorded as The Glorious Om Riff on Hillage's Green album. The promo sheet says Tausig tried to find a happy medium between the Gong and Hillage versions. Whatever. Jay kicks serious ASS, this being a monster high energy space-prog rocker.
The single will be available mid-November, and as usual this is vinyl ONLY, no CDs or downloads. If interested you better hurry because Fruits de Mer releases sell out QUICK!
For more information, visit the Fruits de Mer Records website.
Vibravoid — Colour Your Mind
(Fruits de Mer Records 2013, Crustacean 41, 7" vinyl)
Jerry Kranitz
The latest from German spaced out psych monsters Vibravoid is a 3-song 7" on which they cover three tasty obscurities. Colour Your Mind was originally recorded in the 1980s by an Australian band called Tyrnaround. It's a total 60s Syd Barrett meets The Beatles styled psych tune with ripping guitar and eerie organ. Vibravoid's cover is trademark Vibravoid, being 60s inspired but has a robust and well produced heavy rocking sound. The 60s organ is ever present and we're treated to killer instrumental passages with absolutely awesome psych guitar and tripped out effects.
La Poupee Qui Fait Non was a 1966 acoustic driven pop song by French singer/songwriter Michael Polnareff. Vibravoid remain true to the spirit of the original but create a combination of jangly pop tune and mildly freaky psychedelia. Human Expression were a Los Angeles based band who the promo sheet says issued only 3 singles during their short-lived 1966-67 existence.
Their song Optical Sound is a dreamy but nicely freaky psych song with nifty guitar effects. Vibravoid rock it harder and take it into the cosmos with lots of cool effects and phased, efx'd psych guitars. These guys always do a great job of taking other people's songs and really make them their own (They Vibravoid-ize it!)
The single will be available mid-November, and as usual this is vinyl ONLY, no CDs or downloads. If interested you better hurry because Fruits de Mer releases sell out QUICK!
For more information, visit the Fruits de Mer Records website.
Vespero — Careful With That Axe, Eugene
(Fruits de Mer Records 2013, Crustacean 42, 7" vinyl)
Jerry Kranitz
The latest from Russian space rockers Vespero is a 2-song 7" on which they take on two Pink Floyd instrumental classics - Careful With That Axe, Eugene and One Of These Days. Eugene is suitably atmospheric, with lots of cool spacey effects, Mellotron (or Mellotron sounding), organ, spaced out guitar licks, and rockin' solos, though it doesn't deviate dramatically from Floyd.
One Of These Days, on the other hand, is taken in interesting, different directions. Whereas the Floyd version is hard rocking intensity, Vespero for much of the track are more exploratory, heavier on the electronics, and get into some freaky experimentation. The big meltdown comes later in the piece and Vespero rock hard, though the slide doesn't gnash its demon teeth like Gilmour did. But I like it when bands doing covers take the original in new directions and overall I like what Vespero did with the song.
The single will be available mid-November, and as usual this is vinyl ONLY, no CDs or downloads. If interested you better hurry because Fruits de Mer releases sell out QUICK!
For more information, visit the Fruits de Mer Records website.
Hawklords — Dream
(Shellshcok, 2013, LORDS0913, CD/LP) 
Christian Mumford
Welcome to the future, you are only dreaming in the year 2013... It seems to be the self police parade as well these days with Hawkwind offshoots calling themselves near-copyright infringement names next to the real deal Hawkwind.
While Hawklords have had a couple of members in past lineups to semi-justify their name, namely Harvey Bainbridge and Steve Swindells from the 25 Years On Album roughly 35 years ago, to say I initially was not very thrilled when I heard the first CD of this new "Hawklords" band last year, called We Are One, is not a mild statement.
I thought it sounded like a bad punk record I had heard a million times over. So I shelved it and after a few months checked it out again, and went "wow!" and thought "this is some good rockin' old-fashioned Space Rock!". It had no real sound that brought it closer to the original 70's bands electronic ambience or mellow new wave aesthethics though, and there was no Dave Brock or Robert Calvert involved, obviously. Though also having past Hawkwind members like Ron Tree (vocals), Jerry Richards (guitar) and Adrian Shaw (bass) onboard, they really are a different entity. Especially now that Steve Swindells seems to have left the band, leaving only Harvey as the sole original "Hawklord".
Additionally on Dream we seem to have Paul Hayles now guesting on one track, being the man from The Sonic Assassins '77 band and the recent Lastwind (whose sole album from a few years ago is rather excellent)! Which brings us to 2013's Dream. Much like its predecessor from last year it chugs along rather nicely, but now interspersed with a few "dreamier" mellow tracks scattered throughout the CD. For those who like this sort of head-on spacerock no matter which Hawkwind camp it is from, and crave more, go ahead and get it, you won't be disappointed.
I am not so sure Dream fulfills my Spacerock Destiny as any better than We Are One. I even find it slightly weaker than the first effort. Stand-out songs are the opener, Dream A Dream, and the track Elemental Mind which seems to borrow a lot melody-wise from Hawkwind's song Hippy, the punky Nowhere Everywhere, and the progressive-psychedelic closer Psychic Eyes, which clocks in at 7 minutes. If you are seriously demented, this album is also availible on silver vinyl!
Various Artists — The Fruits de Mer 2014 Annual
(Fruits de Mer Records 2013, Crustacean 44, 7" vinyl)
Jerry Kranitz
As 2013 winds down we get the new Fruits de Mer annual in which FdM Keith finds a home for songs he really liked but couldn't fit anywhere else during year.
I'd never heard of The Blue Giant Zeta Puppies and a quick search reveals them to be a UK based band (or more like a collective) that's been around since 2010. They do a high energy Surf rocking cover of Barry Gray's The Joe 90 Theme (60s UK sci-fi TV show), with lots of fun spaced out soaring electronics. AND they do a killer Surfin' take on the Lost in Space theme.
Johnny Remember Me was a 1961 UK hit for John Leyton and apparently Joe Meek's first #1. Astralasia give it the cosmic electronic treatment while simultaneously retaining the Rawhide-like Country-ish vibe of the original. But then we get a second contribution from Astralasia called Johnny In Dub in which they take the song and do exactly what the title suggests. Freaky!
The Raiders were a UK band whose 1964 song I Remember was never officially released. The guitarist, Trevor Midgley, went on to record as Beau for John Peel's Dandelion label and has also contributed songs as Beau to a couple Fruits de Mer compilations. I Remember has a slow sort of ambient-Surf quality and is driven by a simple but lovely guitar melody.
The single will be available mid-November, and as usual this is vinyl ONLY, no CDs or downloads. If interested you better hurry because Fruits de Mer releases sell out QUICK!
For more information, visit the Fruits de Mer Records website.
Various Artists — The Regal Crabomophone Annual for 2014
(Regal Crabomophone 2013, Winkle13, 7" vinyl)
Jerry Kranitz
Regal Crabomophone is the Fruits der Mer Records sub-label created to release both original songs and covers, and like the Fruits de Mer annuals, this one finds a home for songs that FdM Keith could fit in anywhere else during the year.
On this year's annual we're treated to two tasty originals. Mark McDowell is a UK based musician I don't think I've heard before. His Girls Of Belvoir is a beauty of a lilting folk-pop-psych song with woodwinds and violin, pulsating phased guitar, and sporadic guitar leads that add an edge to this otherwise dreamy song. I need to explore more of Mark's music.
Octopus Syng was for a long time a solo project of Finnish musician Jaire, though I think he may have taken on more members now. His Listen With The Moths is a perfect companion to Mark McDowell's song. It starts off as a gentle but rhythmic folky brand of 60s inspired psychedelia. But after a few minutes the music blasts off into a heavier rocking but trippily angelic psych tune. I love the vocal harmonies which are gorgeously retro 60s. And at nearly 8 minutes Jaire really stretches out and we get some scrumptious psychy guitar leads.
The single will be available mid-November, and as usual this is vinyl ONLY, no CDs or downloads. If interested you better hurry because Fruits de Mer releases sell out QUICK!
For more information, visit the Fruits de Mer Records website.
Various Artists — Live In London
(Fruits de Mer Records 2013, Crustacean 45, 7" vinyl)
Jerry Kranitz
I'll start by telling you that unless you regularly purchased Fruits de Mer Records releases throughout 2013 you can't get this. So why am I reviewing it? I've grown to love this label so call it a "membership has its privileges" plug. Being a Fruits de Mer "member" simply means that if you purchase all their vinyl delights throughout the year you get an oh so awesome freebie as the end year holidays roll in.
In August the label held their first ever live event - the Fruits de Mer All-Dayer, held in London and featuring Jack Ellister (Netherlands), Sendelica (Wales), The Luck Of Eden Hall (US), Stay (Spain), and headliners The Pretty Things. The members' freebie this year is a 7" featuring one track from all but The Pretty Things, who had to be excluded because they've got a live album coming out soon.
Jack Ellister is a psychedelic maestro who did an acoustic set at the All-Dayer and his Old South is a lovely tune with a 70s singer-songwriter feel. Stay's I Don't See Myself if a swingin' slab of R&B infused psychedelia. Sendelica's Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Buddha is a cool rhythmic blend of trippy tribal and ethnic influences wrapped around a Pink Floyd Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun core. And The Luck Of Eden Hall do a feisty spaced out rockin' cover of Pink Floyd's Lucifer Sam. Wish I could have attended this event!
For more information, visit the Fruits de Mer Records website.
Dave Mihaly & the Shimmering Leaves Ensemble — Rivers
(self-released 2013, CD)
Jerry Kranitz
I'll get your attention by saying that Dave Mihaly has done time as percussionist in Mushroom, having played on a half dozen of their albums. Rivers is the second of his Shimmering Leaves Ensemble albums and features an interesting and varied collection of steadily brewing free-jazz, ambient-jazz, and vocal numbers. But that's a simplistic description of this 13 track collection which is ultimately difficult to adequately describe.
I like the acoustic guitar and percussion rhythms which inject a strange but pleasant vibe on Oil Painting for Adolphe Sax & Coleman Hawkins. The viola sings and the horns blows some jazzy swing. Other highlights include A Bientot, a melancholy viola, trumpet and acoustic guitar instrumental, best described by the last line of the CD notes - "like wisteria and Spanish moss drooping down from hazy rafters some golden afternoon." There's an element of free-form experimental exploration on Mudang, yet it's accessible and pleasant, with mildly wailing and singing horns that are efx'd and may even be looped. It's all very slow and understated with a beautiful drifting ambience.
Willoughby and Red Mask features an avant-jazz combination of high energy drumming, dueling trumpet, sax and viola, and old time funky wah'd guitar. Among my favorites is Honu, which after an avant-jazz inspired mariachi intro transitions to ambient guitar, viola and horns backed by free-jazz drumming. This is a perfect warm-up for the 9 minute multi-faceted title track, which consists of a cool grooving blend of lounge jazz and Coltrane, a lovely trumpet and singing viola duet, and acoustic guitar tripping along slowly to free-jazz percussion and an underlying tension laden ambience, which gets nicely screechy and borders on the psychedelic. Lots happening here.
There are also 4 vocal numbers. I'm not good at singer-songwriter analogies but The Cat Tried to Catch a Hummingbird is like a Tom Waits song with tastefully jamming sax and whimsical percussion. The one that really caught my attention, though, is Cherry Blossom Road, with its spacey ambience and distant ghostly viola that surrounds Dave singing along to slowly soloing electric guitar.
In summary, an interesting set that I wouldn't begin to know how to classify. Jazz fans may be intrigued. Singer-songwriter fans might get confused. Adventurous types with cross-genre tastes will find much to enjoy across repeated spins.
For more information, you can visit the Dave Mihaly website.
Brian Noring & Dave Fuglewicz — Furious Cactus
(self-released 2013, Download) 
Jerry Kranitz
Brian Noring is a veteran electronic music hometaper from Iowa who had been inactive until recently inspired to return to music by Hal McGee, another homemade music luminary who long time Aural Innovations readers will know. Seeing Brian back in action, Atlanta area electronic musician Dave Fuglewicz reached out for a collaboration. Brian sent him a couple CDs worth of source files which Dave "twisted and mutated, adding my own synth voices using my modest collection of VST software synths". The results can be heard on their new collaboration, Furious Cactus.
Among the darker pieces is the title track, with its cavernous, bowels-of-the-starship space electronics. The music conjures up images of a claustrophobic stroll through the ship's engine room, with all the attendant machinery and a looming alien presence. The music is minimal but weaves its way along a slowly evolving linear path. The Forbidden Road has an ominous feel, with vaguely Proggy keys. I like the multiple cosmic effects working at once, but not too busily, and there's an interesting use of percussive effects too. The Transoxian Express is similarly foreboding and would make a great soundtrack piece.
Veering in a somewhat different direction is The Bells Of Axum. A valium-like ambient foundation is set for the bells, which makes for an interesting contrast and gives the music an uplifting melodic boost. Bonafide is similar, combining freaky holiday bells with whooshing UFO and cosmic windswept effects. I wonder if Netflix has Santa Claus Conquers The Martians? I dig the whimsically frenzied main theme on Terrobolem Parts 1 and 2.
The Void Is The Boundary is a wild, multi-layered roller coaster ride that takes the spaced out themes that have characterized the album and adds a healthy dose of noise. Fractal Companions features a cool combination of busily flittering effects, a lovely melody, and damned if the beloved droid r2d2 isn't the lead singer. And Chuchunga Chant has what seems to be a strange spaced out duet between a church organ and kazoo (which is probably an efx'd voice).
In summary, Furious Cactus is a varied set of image inducing electronic space excursions. It's an intriguing listen from start to finish, in large part due to the combination of disparate elements that come together so seamlessly. Check it out.
Furious Cactus is available for free download from archive.org.
Øresund Space Collective — Organic Earthly Floatation
(SpaceRock Productions 2013, SRP017, LP)
Pat Albertson
Anyone who has been checking out Aural Innovations on a regular basis will have come across a few frequently recurring names - Hawkwind, Acid Mothers Temple, Ozric Tentacles - either through album reviews of those bands, or name-checked as influences. Another frequent flier on AI, perhaps less of a household name but extremely prolific just the same, is Oresund Space Collective, a constantly changing roster of players built around the synths of Dr Space and Mogens, and a shared love of improvised music. Now they are back again, releasing their 16th (!) album as a limited edition (500 copies) vinyl gatefold, entitled Organic Space Floatation.
Last year's Give Your Brain A rest From The Matrix featured guests from hard spacerockers First Band From Outer Space, while West, Space And Love showcased guests from Siena Root, jamming along with the ever-present Dr Space. Organic Earthly Floatation sees the arrival of yet more talented Scandanavians in the form of Kristoffer Brochmanns, Nicklas Sorensens and Christian Becher Clausen of the Copenhagen band Papir. Also along for the ride is American guitarist Daniel Lars, who breaks with Oresund tradition by bringing with him opening track Walking On Clouds, the first time that the Collective have utilised a pre-written track upon which to jam; up until now, everything they have done has been completely improvised.
The 19 minute Walking On Clouds, is the undoubted highlight of this guitar-based album, with lots of dreamy guitar over a chord sequence that brings to mind the opening notes of '60's supergroup Blind Faith's Can't Find My Way Home mixed up with Hawkwind's You Know You're Only Dreaming, although this is an entirely instrumental piece, as is about 99% of everything done by Oresund. There are bits of Grateful Dead in there too, as well as Neil Young and Crazy Horse - check out Drifting Back from 2012's Psychedelic Pill for the evidence - but the most apparent (and most obvious, given the guest list) influence is that of Papir and fellow monolithic guitar trio Causa Sui.
This is not hard rocking stuff, but rather huge guitar soundtracks, with waves of synthesizer periodically breaking through and then submerging again. Near the end of part one of Clouds, the guitars reach a screaming climax, before backing off again as the track winds down and fades into the second part, much shorter at just over six minutes.
The Collective have never been about egos and solos, but rather a tapestry of instruments weaving in and out of the mix. Being a vinyl only release at this time (although it is to be hoped that an official CD release will follow), the track lengths are divided into approximate album length, with both parts of Walking On Clouds making up a 25 minute A-side. Carlos On The Moon starts out more organically, as one would expect from a purely improvisational piece, and drifts gently through its 17 minutes. Album closer Neptune Rising serves as a satisfying conclusion to 45 minutes of etherial spacerock.
It must be mentioned that the cover of Organic Earthly Floatation (drawn by Finnish artist Eetu Pellonpaa) is eye catching, to put it mildly - it looks like he has invited Hawkwind's Stacia in to model - and a full size 12" album sleeve would look even more impressive. Long time fans of Oresund are likely to enjoy both cover and contents, while it also serves as an excellent point of entry for newcomers. Causa Sui and Papir fans would also be advised to check out at least side one of this interstellar floatation device.
For further information, go to the Øresund Space Collective website or the Øresund Space Collective on Bandcamp.