Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The Hogweed And The Aderyn - EP (Wounded Wolf)





sacred drift ripples in the lucid pond of your mind.  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :) 


Here in Trichome Valley, music means everything.  The flowers bloom in its presence, and it is the life-support system in this neck of the woods - a sonic EMT.  Thus, I often infuse the atmosphere with the sweet nectar of Atay İlgün & Gözde Omay, a Turkish psychedelic folk duo known as The Hogweed And The Aderyn.  They are the proprietors of Wounded Wolf Press, a private-press, boutique imprint.  A Wounded Wolf release may be characterized as a holistic experience.  The packaging is just as beautiful as the aural dreams produced by Atay and Gözde.  The alluring hymns on this EP shimmer with magnificent arrangements, breathy vocals and a hazy, nascent energy that grow throughout the four tracks.    

After being in its presence many times, the things I noticed about this EP were its gorgeous instrumentation - consisting of guitars, ukuleles  percussion and Chinese flutes - the arrangements, and the otherworldly beauty of the vocals.  Sacred chimes reverberate, as plucked strings and Gözde's tranquil vocals enlighten the room in 'The Pariah'.  In the second track, 'Lore Bodhran', the soothing vocals of Gözde are layered in certain parts, which, combined with the melodies and percussion engender euphoria.  'Sacred Alchemy' is a wonderful track, a ceremony, in which Gözde's vocals emit vapor trails as they orbit the mind - drift through the haze.  The last track on this EP, the serene 'Life at The Countryside', sees fragile strings warble in the diffuse sunlight.  The ending is notably beautiful.

This is highly recommended.  It is a very strong release in every facet.  This EP will be of interest to admirers of Fonal Records, Natural Snow Buildings, Kuupuu, Islaja and many other like-minded artists.  One may purchase this EP via Wounded Wolf.  Additionally, the wonderful Reverb Worship just issued both this EP, and the one which follows, in a hand-numbered edition of 50 copies, adorned with hand ink stamped label and inserts.  Reverb Worship releases fly off the shelves, so act quickly.  Atay and Gözde are not just limited to folk music.  Their ethereal ambient passages of sound, as Moon Eye Lids, give order to the stars.  It is the type of music in which the listener can peacefully drift, ensconced in waves of awareness that manifest in a dimension without boundaries.  As of this time, I believe there are only two copies left.  It may be purchased via Wounded Wolf.

    peace and love, friends :)