Banana Pill - Weave (CW18)

the right medicine for your head. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

When the two sonic shaman in Banana Pill exhale, their beautiful art paints the atmosphere in peaceful, warm hues and tones. Weave, a recent release by Finland's Banana Pill on Cosmic Winnetou, endows the listener with brilliant undulating energy via guitar, violin, synth and other instruments. One cannot help but be moved by the mellifluous, benevolent mood that pervades each track. Yet, this is not an inert release. Banana Pill's adroit ability in composition sees them manifest soulful moments from pulsating waves of heat; majestic violin; dusty strings and kind melodies, encompassing drones. Subtle changes abound, with certain elements moving to the fore after prolonged periods of dreamy drift. Visceral, cozy drones vibrate through the soul. Weave compares well to some of my favorites on Hapna and Apestaartje - one of the best this year.

One of the most memorable facets of this tape is the flow, and Banana Pill pours it on heavy right from the time the play button clicks. In "Wave", blurred strings contort prior to being engulfed by an aural dream - tender and pulsating. Pastoral and idyllic, splintered sunlight circumscribes the listener while soothing violin strokes the soul. Robust waves reach for the zenith, vibrating and brilliant in nature. As they crash toward the trough, the light flickers out. Track two, "Shapes", commences with peaceful, bright strings and gentle violin, which eventually becomes more assertive. Where the first track contained warm, intense colors, this one dances gingerly behind a hazy veil - lovely! Pleasant strings ripple through the head as crystalline synth concurrently echoes in the side A closer, "Spiral." The flipside is just as captivating. Inchoate energy becomes concentrated, bathing the listener in soulful vibrations. Affecting violin softly vacillates among august drone - another lovely moment! Ethereal and ubiquitous, "light" truly realizes the track name - vast, luminous, and vibrant music that precipitates blooming awareness. Squirming electronics are deluged by quivering radiance in the final track. Placid strings ruminate calmly only to be overcome by cascading tranquility.      

Top shelf lofty love for this tape, and that goes for the other two cassettes in the sixth batch. Cosmic Winnetou tapes are produced with lots of love. In this instance, 75 home-dubbed tapes feature the artwork from one of my favorite artists, Sylvia Monnier. Sold out at the source, which is unfortunately true of the entire batch, get your Cosmic Winnetou fix at Tomentosa.

peace and love, friends :)

Flamingo Creatures - Nacht Fressen (CW15)

A tasty nug from one of my faves: Cosmic Winnetou! peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Whenever one enters the realm of Cosmic Winnetou, the vibrations induce levitation. Seekers and explorers reside in this sphere. Nacht Fressen, from Flamingo Creatures on Cosmic Winnetou, utilizes copious electronic and acoustic instruments to create compositions of great detail. Varying hues of ambient sound beget tender, yet portentous moments; In any one moment the listener could be at the cross section of new age and dark ambient music. Nacht Fressen is a truly unique addition to Cosmic Winnetou discography. The unexpected, and sonically appealing, twists and turns are performed adroitly; such moments occur in the second half of the first track on side A, "Schrätteli". In the beginning, the drone consumes the listener, aided by affecting piano and blurred rays of synth. Blotches of noise and increasingly active rhythms leave their mark on the listener. Suddenly, a dubious wind blows through the environment. I wonder: what will happen next? The heart beats more quickly as disquiet begins to accrue. Vacillating strings and shrieks of unknown origin reinforce the palpable disquiet. That's when I remark, "how interesting to be here after the first 8 to 10 minutes. i didn't even expect this bend in the road." In a short period of time, Flamingo Creatures have transported the listener from a resonant new age milieu to a more dark environment - maybe aligned with some of the dark ambient music on Type and Miasmah.  "Schrätteli" characterizes the breathing, morphing and evolving worlds of sound that Flamingo Creatures inhabit. After such a wild journey, the ceremonial "Sattes Anthrazit" is a track in which one takes refuge - the beginning presents one of my favorite parts of the tape. The breath flows evenly upon hearing visceral reverberations of meditative bells and solemn, wistful currents. These elements are buttressed by a dense wall of noise. Dark and dank, the minimal beauty of "Wider Die Schwerkraft" commences the flip in heady style. Softly shrieking violin manifests in an atmosphere of psychedelic percussion and electronics - ominous for sure. Suddenly, it does not seem that my feet are on the ground. Were they ever? A prodigious beat is the force which lifts us to an area in which lovely chants combine with languorous notes and field recordings. The reverberations have a dreamy quality. The last track,"Silberfisch", is notable for the proficient juxtaposition of serene, ambient and strident sources. The beginning left an indelible mark: embryonic waves comprised of benevolent light glisten in the front of the mind. 

   

With Cosmic Winnetou, one always knows the score. The recent batch is one of Günter's best. Pulse Emitter just continues to spin heads, while Raising Holy Sparks provides one of my favorite tapes of 2013. In the next few weeks, this site will juxtapose the recent Raising Holy Sparks releases on Feathered Coyote Records and Cosmic Winnetou. Nacht Fressen has all the hallmarks of Cosmic Winnetou release: Chrome tapes home-dubbed in real-time. The artwork is attributed to Jens Fleischer. Sold out at the source, last copies are available from Tomentosa and Meudiademorte.

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peace and love, friends :)

Creation VI - Akroamatikos (CW13)

stoner spinach for your trip to the cosmos.  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

On Akroamatikos, Creation VI emits prodigious ambient drones and soundscapes that enthrall the listener.  Released on one of my favorite labels, Cosmic Winnetou, this is a listening experience characterized  by immersion. These long form tracks may appear inert in sections, yet contain many moving parts. With music so beautiful, the listener is stimulated to attentively observe the slowly shifting sound. Throughout all four tracks, Creation VI combines subtlety with more conspicuous transitions in sound and mood.  As one inhabits the environment where the drones resonate fervently - it is engrossing - each encountered strand of sound drips from the minute hand, fluttering in the cosmic dust as fate approaches.  Now, I'm not sure about the instruments utilized on this tape.  However, I'm certain about one thing:  Akroamatikos is a one-way ticket to the cosmic doorstep of seemingly infinite sonic possibilities.

From the time one presses play, the aforementioned sonic possibilities manifest.  Burgeoning resonance transports the listener to the horizon, from which the ascent commences.  'Arche' acutely combines an intense  character with more gentle sounds of various timbre.  Gradually, the drone becomes more concentrated and intense.  Warm blotches of sound pulsate within the consuming drone.  Soon, the warmth is replaced by something more mysterious.  Periodic currents of cosmic dust find the accelerating mass impenetrable.  The addition of a nascent, soft drone - light pulsations - a few minutes later is a nice juxtaposition to the heavy elements.  Almost ten minutes in, one perceives a change in the intensity of the sound, which feels a step or two less potent - gorgeous change in tempo!  Toward the end, a sense of serenity prevails and the sound slowly descends to a state of rest.  The luminescent squeals and ritualistic drone of 'Logos' offer a different perspective compared to the heaviness of its predecessor.  Shortly, a solemn drone nearly consumes everything in its path - a nice contrast to the beginning.  At this point, the listener pleasantly drifts along.  Ethereal bursts of energy appear later in the track, sprinkled with ambient magic.  Surprisingly, heavier tones come into being at the end, which slowly dissipate in the ether.  The flip begins with a fine exhibition of mixing  peaceful elements with shifting mood.  Warm sound meanders tranquilly in the beginning of 'Eidos', growing in stature.  Currents of hiss arise. For those that prefer peaceful, warm sounds, this is your track.  A few minutes later, the effervescent serenity seems more subdued.  Before long, a deluge of metallic textured tones abuts the drone.  Moments of poignancy and warmth coexist to wonderful effect.  Even later, the placid sound fluctuates between soothing drift and and being more immediate - a stellar track!  'Panta Rhei' is a nice meditation on sound, as a golden, buzzing drone exists next to fluctuating tones.  Growing in vigor, the drone overtakes everything.  Yet, it's character changes once it reaches the zenith.  It's a beautiful thing to watch it morph as other aural elements come into being.  At this juncture, the sound is fierce and a sense of immediacy becomes evident.  Variegated tones manifest in the subtly shifting soundscape.  The overall feel is moderated a bit by swirling ambient sound and repetitive tones.

Much like Popeye, Akroamatikos is covered with glistening crystals on the inside.  Therefore, don't give this a superficial listen - the type of experience where you multitask.  Sure, the music will sound great regardless of your level of concentration.  However, there is a sacred gift for the traveler who wants to experience this music without other stimuli present.



  The latest batch of Cosmic Winnetou is awesome.  Perhaps the best part is the beautiful artwork of Ana Cabaleiro, which accompanies all three tapes.  The artwork for each tape connects wonderfully with the music.  Though it is sold out at the source, i was able to find a copy for sale at Meditations. Shortly, it will be available through 905 and Tomentosa.

peace and love, friends :)