Wednesday 17 August 2016

SWEET & SOUR PSYCH. A Saucy Blend Of Contemporary Psychedelia.

This compilation features some of the best artist on the current psychedelic scene, and as the title suggests it's a broad kaleidoscopic church.

Kicking off with a garage psych cover version of a Girls Aloud track by South London's Dave's Doors Of Perception (see video), this is a trip that's varied, enthralling and potent.
      Girl groups of a less footballer-predatory nature also feature; Abject are a young garage-punk girl trio; Novella (except for the drummer) are a more melodic girl band, also from London, and Nottingham based group, The Soundcarriers, include an intoxicating female vocal texture.
A more typically sixties sound is provided by Miracle Glass Company, Chariots, and young guns on the scene, The Chessmen. Heavier tracks are care of The Oscillation and Psyence. Arguably the 'sweetest' number comes from Joel Gion, best known as a member of Brian Jonestown Massacre; and Fi-lo Beddow (Mark Morriss of The Bluetones under a pseudonym). The 'sourest', definitely the scariest, from Rex Speedway & The Fortune Tellers.

Available on the Well Suspect record label, on CD and vinyl, the artwork is amazing. The front sleeve is by an artist named Graham (MAC) McEachran (famous skateboarder and graphics wizard for Deathbox skateboards); the original drawing from which the sleeve is comprised is being offered as a competition prize in an issue of Shindig Magazine. The back of the sleeve looks like a menu of a Chinese resturant, it reads in English and Chinese, here's a sample:

 'Spacial Menu: 特別設置菜單:
Garage Punk Appetisers: fast and furious over-driven delights.
車庫朋克開胃菜,速度與激情過驅動美食。
Wigged-out instrumentals:gland-expanding vocal-free treats.
呵斥出的樂器,腺體擴大免費聲樂對待。
Sixties spice: moreish modernist flavours.
六十年代香料,現代主義的味道淡淡的。'

This is one of the most interesting psychedelic collections around at the moment, Joel Gion's flute-tastic latin-psych-nik number, at odds with the furious garage punk of Abject or metal of Psycence, is counterbalenced by the atmospheric pop of Novella and The Soundcarriers; although audacious and ambitious, the balance of styles is perfect.

Track listing:
1.Dave's Doors Of Perception – Sound Of The Underground.
2.Novella - Land Gone. 
3.Miracle Glass Company - Higher Than High.
4.Abjects - Double Bind.
5.The Soundcarriers - Boiling Point. 
6. Joel Gion - Divide.
7. The Oscillation - Braindrainer.
8.The ChessmenGonzo. 
9. Psyence – Zebra.
10. Fi-Lo Beddow - Mother Moon. 
11.Chariots - God Only Knows.
12.The Myriad Synonym - Psilocybin Express.
13.Rex Speedway and Thee Fortune Tellers - I'm Gonna Make A Monkey Brain Fondue Outta You.
 

No comments:

Post a Comment