More albums, a little more of that catching up with things thing we were talking about last time. More catching up with things, more staying ahead of things, more cherry picking through the mountain of albums before the year end, more picking of the cherries, picking off the cherries, the never ending pile of demanding cherries that find their way here on a daily basis (or sometimes don’t). You surely know the policy by now? We do, on the whole, only feature the albums and things we feel positive about. We really don’t have time to clutter up these already overloaded pages with negative coverage of things that do nothing for us, there isn’t the time or space, there isn’t any need, although some times there probably is. Here’s another five or so and we clear the decks at the end of the year and get ready for the next onslaught and Organ’s 40th year of whatever this is now. Here’s some more…
Rëlisp – Warthåk (Noizu Collective) – Rëlisp are from Mexico City by the looks of things, they sound like a box of wasps on extra strong orange juice, actually they sound like hyper Magma if there can be such a thing as a hyper version of Magma. They say this is an EP, it is something like twenty-eight minutes long and it feels like a hell of a lot more than the nearly half hour it actually is. This is relentlessly busy music! This is brilliant, this is a fully grown very big album.
“Warthåk is the second EP by Mexican Zeuhl band Rëlisp, following the chronology of Aktïw1. A radical and abrupt change in the band’s sound gave way to consolidating the definitive lineup included on the album. Four tracks packed with the most combative, raw, and fastest Zeuhl in the galaxy”.
That bit about the fastest Zeuhl in the galaxy is probably right? Actually, no probably about it. They do know when to change the pace though, when to let in a little light and shade before they attack again. That bit there sound like Ginger Baker’s Airforce, that is intended as high compliment, and that bit sounds like the Jaws music with an added military beat and a whole loads of horns ready to kick off again…
“Warthåk is a declaration of war against degenerative musical commercialism, the harshness of techno-scientific reality, and musical purism…”
This is why we still do this Organ thing after all this time, unexpected things like this passing our way… Brilliant. Bandcamp
PsychoYogi – World of Danger – They do a lot more than just count to four and play the same old chord. Feels like PsychoYogi have almost been this year’s house band on the Other Rock Show and now the London five piece (Izzy Styling? Really?) have a rather easy on the ear yet deeply challenging new album that you really should try and check out if you have a moment. In their own words; “the music is challenging, though accessible. Containing an abundance of unusual time signatures and rich chord structures for your musical imagination, with lyrics that question western social values” – and it is rich, beautifully rich and just maybe unique? They are kind of smooth, they flow so well, they’ve got a grip on how the whole thing is working even if they don’t want to do that dance. They do sound like a band to dance to, which really, with all unusual musical moves they maybe shouldn’t be?
I know what yer gonna say you bloody morons, bleedin’ ‘ell, it really is a world of a danger out there and all that gardening and trying to catch the ten to eight ’cause morons can’t be late and we’re running out of time and the problem can’t be neglected if we’re going to avoid disaster. And here where chaos reigns supreme and sanity is just a dream, but this does sound like sanity however far away paradise might be locked in this room with just wi-fi and a TV? Family of man lost and divided? Doves failing to fly? Is this PsychoYogi’s best album yef? It certainly feels like their most distinctive; never twee when it could be. No, they’re not twee, there an attitude here, they sound like they’re singing about nice cups of tea when actually, hang on, he’s trying to bring down the government and those who only count to four and play the same old chord, those playing for the company as his dreams become his nightmares. PsychoYogi are delightfully subversive, more tea vicar? No, they don’t want to be a statistic in anyone’s strugle for power, what are we going to do? Yet another brilliant album (sorry about all these brilliant albums…). Off to the land of wonder why, another one you need to check out…
Møtrik – Earth – Their clean cut, crisp and almost weightless take on flowing Krautrock is almost a relief, the perfectly named Møtrik are refreshing, they are indeed equal parts sci-fi ritual, motorik propulsion, and kosmiche pastiche, they feel forward looking, there’s a clean clarity, a paradox, they are sunlight in shadow, walking tip toe, they are actually from Portland, Oregon and not creature who fell to earth… Sometimes a rush, at other times celestial, always enjoyable. Futurists rather than revivalists. Clean cut modern Krautrock satisfaction as they almost redifine that beautifully propulsive motorik beat… Awful album cover though, the music deserved better. Bandcamp
THE ORGAN 