sproatly smith

sproatly smith - pixieled (reverb worship, 2010)

This is the second Sproatly Smith release on Reverb Worship.“Pixieled" is a really superb and enchanting recording which takes its inspiration from folklore.Many tales exist of mischievous spirits of the dead or other supernatural beings such as pixies. reverb worship

I hardly know anything about the band. I can only say with this first near 55 minute recording they have surely delivered a professional nicely arranged psych-folk product with tracks that flow into one another through meandering improvisations and songs that take its place. Instruments used are glockenspiel, flute, acoustic guitar, slide-guitar, reverb guitar, wah-wah guitar effects, some violin and sitar and harmonium, parts with analogue synths arrangements, lots of zither, environmental collages with sea shores, water and making ramblings, a small part with tube flutings, some breathing and with some songs appearing more often, arranged with a beautiful acid-folk female voice or male voice and some spoken word referring to fairy tale/literature story telling. I hear a beautiful version of Gwydion(?) 's “Flowers Made Of Winter” and of “a leaf must fall”. Highly recommended. Please release this on LP/CD! ( I have airplayed a large part of it in my 2 hour 2 weekly show). psychedelic folk

buy / download

fletcher kaufman

fletcher kaufman - house of glass dolls (self-released, 2010)

When I finally heard Put it On with Alex Callenberger and Seth Olinsky's (Akron/Family) contributions, and moreover the complete House of Glass Dolls, I admit I reveled in my contribution to something so novel and even groundbreaking. In House of Glass Dolls, Fletcher Kaufman embraces an exotic pallet of musical styles, rhythms, and timbres to create something sonically diverse--but unified enough to swallow whole. Val LaCerra

free download

burgundy grapes

burgundy grapes - man in the lighthouse (inner ear, 2010)

Burgundy Grapes second full album (after another EP last year) contains fourteen instrumental pieces which hang wonderfully together flowing from one theme to the next, a combination of a soundtrack-like effect on balanced natural rhythm of evolutions, like a large suite, which has moments where the acoustic picking duets dominate atmospherically, otherwise the chambermusic-like fashion leads. Lots of friends helped the duo out with arrangements in a rather improvised colouring matter, adding different flavours as changing aspects of sound, by instruments like slide guitar varying the acoustic sound or instruments like glockenspiel (5), organ (7) or bit of accordion. The tracks hold the middle between melancholy, meditation and a descriptive filmic way of performance as if this recalls some sort of road movie mixed with that classical music stage of mood. An album which works like a never ending story and therefore automatically get you listening to it again and again. psychedelic folk

buy / download

yozhik v tumane

erizo en la niebla - yuriy norshteyn (1975)

*clic*

evan caminiti

evan caminiti - west winds (three lobed, 2010)

west winds is a discourse on solitude and cosmic exploration set primarily to an open tuned guitar. it is a logical successor to caminiti’s strong, large(r) scale solo debut, psychic mud shrine (digitalis, 2009) and calls to mind roy montgomery, hex-era earth and popul vuh. the album is the result of caminiti’s six-month long focus on each song’s form and musical composition. over that span of time, caminiti assembled and came to know each song intimately, constructing a series of strong structural bases. that knowledge permitted him to record the final takes accentuated by numerous potent improvisational flourishes as heard on west winds. this long-form approach of adding chaotic, off-the-cuff elements to such long-crafted tracks is basically the opposite approach to that which is used within the context of barn owl. through its contemplative tone, west winds is the perfect soundtrack to your next night alone in the literal or figurative desert. caminiti coaxes a sustained wash of shimmering tones from his guitar that conjure the impression of heat illusions appearing just over the horizon on a long, straight, and otherwise abandoned road in the dead heat of summer. three lobed

buy

david thomas broughton

david thomas brouhgton [ep] - boating disasters (static caravan, 2010)

'Ain't got no sole' derrocha la misma magia experimental lo-fi de david, entonces empieza 'perfect loose' y desconfías, pero es que es irrestible. 'Not so cruel' hace el resto. Así no parece que cinco años sean tanta espera para un nuevo disco.

buy / download

jozef van wissem

jozef van wissem - it is all that is made (important records, 2009)

It Is All That Is Made consists of six trance inducing circular pieces composed for 10 course renaissance - and 13 course baroque lute. The titles of the pieces and the storyline critically juxtapose the first chapter of Genesis with more contemporary narratives. This evokes a parallel to the mixing of idiomatic classical lute material of the 17th century with modern folk and avantgarde music. The pieces are played forward, then backward, creating music that is potentially without beginning or end. It Is All That Is Made consists of recurring minimal themes emphasizing the listening experience.

Tras una larga pausa, paso por el tanned tin incluido, regresa aldea f. Uno de los re-descubrimientos del festival fue Jozef Van Vissem, un nombre que entre tantos discos no dió para indagar en él. El primer contacto fue con Tetuzi Akiyama y más tarde llegó la excelente colaboración con uno de los tótems de los últimos años, James Blackshaw. Esperando a Sir Richard Bishop llegó Jozef con su laúd: música de cámara, avant-folk y un espirítu único.

buy / download

myrmyr

myrmyr - the amber sea (digitals, 2009)

Myrmyr is the duo of Agnes Szelag and Marielle Jakobsons (aka Darwinsbitch). They create electroacoustic songs on many instruments such as violin, cello, voice, bass, gezhong, piano, and accordian. When those instruments aren't enough, they invite friends to play with them and write scores for conducted improvisations. Their scores are often conceptually or process-driven, resulting in their unique style of electroacoustic music, reminiscent of Scandinavian free folk, lullabies, dramatic film scores, and electronic improvised music. 500 copies.

"The Amber Sea" is their debut album and is the story of amber, inspired by the mythology, Baltic folklore, and geology of this magical gem. The album traces the story of how amber is created, with material from intimate lullabies and free form ballads to epic orchestral oceans. digitals

download / buy

victor herrero

victor herrero - anacoreta (bo'weavil, 2009)

Mixing folk music, flamenco and classical styles Herrero represents an inspired new voice on the solo acoustic guitar scene, and it's fitting that Bo Weavil - a label that's no stranger to the movement - should be behind the release. Due to the particular techniques of Herrero's Andalusian playing style and the hybridity/multiplicity of his musical direction. boomkat

Bo’Weavil Recordings, UK” ha publicado el nuevo álbum de Víctor Herrero "Anacoreta" en Marzo del 2009. Una colección de canciones instrumentales escritas e interpretadas por él a la guitarra española. En este nuevo proyecto Víctor combina diferentes estilos que han formado parte de toda su trayectoria, desde el mundo clásico y folclórico, a la música contemporánea, todos ellos bajo la fuerte influencia de la música tradicional andaluza. Victor Herrero

buy

brothers of the occult sisterhood

brothers of the occult sisterhood - grass openings (pacific soma-ikuisuus, 2009)

The music of Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood is misunderstood. Once the name for Kyogle-based duo Michael and Kristina Donnelly, it’s now a fluid collective with Michael as its central component. This is their first release on Donnelly’s new non-CD-R label Pacific Soma. If Donnelly’s documented mode of operation still stands, then Grass Openings is a collection of clippings from long-form improvisations that channel the peculiar space in which the group improvise: normally a small village near Kyogle, NSW, called Green Pigeon. That, at least, is what this sounds like, because despite their long hiatus (nearly 12 months is a long time for the Donnellys) not much in the world of Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood has changed. Pacific Soma

After numerous CDs, CDRs, cassettes and LPs, Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood have established themselves as one of the many lights in modern improvised outsider music. Their latest offering, ‘Grass Openings’ sees them continue down this winding path of intoxicated trance derangement. Drawing heavily from psychedelic, jazz and weirdo traditions to create a unique form of mutant sound. 500 copies. Ikuisuus

aldea f.: canisanubis

download / buy

mustafa ozkent (rare earth XXV)

mustafa özkent orchestra - gençlik elele (turquía, 1973)

In those days, outside the core of Western musical culture, an instrumental album with somehow psychedelic improvisations was never called "psychedelic", more labelled as A Go-Go, often dance rhythm related item. Acid jazzrock was more often one influence for such music. Similar try-outs were already done by groups like Gence 5, who later further developed the jazz reference (evolving to Gence 10). Psychfolk.

The best in early '70's Turkish pop is presented here, an extremely rare unbelieveably forward thinking record that has to be heard to be believed. Drums riffs, healthy solos and high end brass attacks fill this album. Not featuring any vocals or 45 releases, it achieved high club value and was constantly played on the TV and radio on its Turkish release in 1973, but like many Turkish LP's of the time most copies were destroyed or recycled. Perfect for all instrumental psychedelia collectors, this is a genuine find. Great cover as well. freak emporium

Pendiente desde Ananda Shankar, quizá el mejor y más raro album del psych-rock del middle east que mira hacia occidente. Mustafa Özkent habitual músico de estudio grabó con su banda Orkestasi alguna gema perdida a principios de los setenta. Repleto de efectos, improvisaciones, anatolian-folk, 'Gençlik Elele' es funk-jazz turco a-go-go. La hipnosis rítmica definitiva.

download