Unicity - S/T (PURR041)

crystal covered slow burners precipitate sweet relief. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Infinite radiant stellar objects bring about astral reverie. Unicity's self-titled release on Constellation Tatsu is a synthesizer adventure through the cosmos. Layers of blissful, variegated synth coalesce to make the speakers breath. This particular release has a dreamlike quality; Sections segue adroitly, focusing the listener's mind on emerging sonic phenomena. Parts evolve subtly, which endow the music with an expansive and encompassing feel. Overall, Unicity's mindful approach makes for stellar compositions. As we accelerate into vastness, an entrancing synth loop and ethereal drone put the listener at ease; concurrently, signals echo to illuminate the starry mind. Shortly, we arrive in a dubious environment characterized by minimal drone and interstellar tones that warble. As awareness flowers, resplendent blinding ecstasy is absorbed by each pore. Distant synth registers as barely perceptible, while bleary drone proves disorienting. My favorite part of the tape occurs soon as copious new age vibrations circulate among tidal sounds. Swirling light colors are emitted from the speakers among plaintive synth. Embryonic pulses fill the air. Quietly emerging, other cosmic elements begin to shimmer - crystalline, pulsating, ringing. A solemn drone caught up in a celestial vortex is spewed into the infinite releasing warm, tranquil vibrations.

These dreamy jams should keep your head flying high! One of three excellent tapes from the Constellation Tatsu's spring batch, the S/T release from Winnipeg's cosmic explorer is available directly from Constellation Tatsu for $6. Why not give a little more at the margin? Pick up all three cassettes (Les Halles and X.Y.R.) for $13.

peace and love, friends :)

Crown of Eternity - Vibrate the Cosmos (Crown of Eternity, 2014)

Trichome power! Peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

The ethereal soundscapes and blissful chants that comprise Vibrate the Cosmos plant the flowers in your mind and then stick around for the crystal covered harvest. Crown of Eternity is the husband and wife duo of Mike Tamburo and Gallina Tamburo. However, this is more than a musical project. Mike and Gallina teach Kundalini yoga in Pittsburgh and operate a yoga and vibration healing center, Crown of Eternity. If I could select one word to describe Vibrate the Cosmos, then it would be "immersion." For well over an hour, Mike and Gallina stimulate your awareness through renditions of sacred Kundalini yoga mantras and heady soundscapes that combine psychedelic, ambient, shoegaze and looping music. The detailed liner notes provide background on each mantra. For over a few years, I have been listening to Mike's music. At the cross-section of his many projects, Mike's soul shines brilliantly to endow the listener with serenity and warmth. With Gallina joining Mike, they create one of the most beautiful releases with which he has been associated. The lush instrumentation supports the vocals appropriately; it creates a tranquil environment in which their voices soar majestically. Traversing a magnificent rainbow arc from beginning to end, layered chants and vocals illuminate barren areas. Omnipresent in my favorite track, "Ecstatic Har", Mike and Gallina's energy flows unabated. Mellifluous, melodious and imparting heavy vibrations from the beginning, the entrancing chant and instrumentation is a manifestation of the lucid awareness referenced in the album title.  

The beginning of "Ra Ma Da Sa" is the sonic equivalent of dawn and sunrise. Embryonic vibrations resonate delicately in the beginning. Shortly, radiant beams of guitar echo and the duo's vocals gradually grow in vitality. Psychedelic particles sparkle among the stars in the following track, "Ang Sang Wahe Guru." Sonorous, heartfelt vocals combine with dreamy guitar. Later in the track, synthesizer disperses infinite healing vibrations among all denizens. The spacey intro to the next track has the vibe of the more recent Expo '70 releases. The mantra recited by Mike and Gallina rises and falls in the manner of the breath. Gallina's piano adds to the track nicely. Subsequent to "Ecstatic Har", tremulous notes mix with a languorous recital of words from Guru Arjan, the 5th Sikh Guru. 

According to the liner notes, Crown of Eternity's music is written and arranged with A tuned to 432 hz aligning with Universal vibrations. I often find myself rejoicing and singing to the energy that flows from the breathing speakers. One can purchase a copy directly from Crown of Eternity.

peace and love, friends :)

Andy Loebs - Hibernation Sickness (TST 004)

cannabis sativa mitigates sickness. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :) 

I hope the seat belt in your spacecraft is made of something strong and durable, like hemp. The peripatetic traveler should prepare for astral analog synth trips in which invention and tone shimmer. Hibernation Sickness from Andy Loebs is a compelling tape that efficaciously couples music and emotion. This tape from early 2013 on Twin Springs Tapes finds Andy working out on the Roland Juno 60. Over two sides of tape, this sonic exploration is concurrently serene, introspective and wistful. Some of these tracks are evocative to the point of producing tears, such as the visceral closer on side B. Yet, this music also precipitates a sense of wonder that is prevalent throughout- especially in the second track on side A.

 Upon commencing the tape, solemn analog waves possess a heaviness. Shortly, pensive patterns combine with the aforementioned and drift languorously. The cosmos are illuminated by sparkling arpeggios and ethereal synth in the second track. Buoyant energy manifests, progressively moving more proximate from the periphery. With all the elements in motion, the listener is swept away in a celestial vortex. As the tape comes to a close, briskly moving arpeggios blur, leaving a vapor trail of luminous ellipses. Before long, Andy adroitly introduces a section of opaque and doleful synth, which coalesces nicely. The manner in which these tracks progress reflects on the acuity of the artist.

Twin Springs bring a lot of love to cassettes - it's audible and conspicuous. Prior to selling all 25 copies, Hibernation Sickness was home-dubbed to order in real time by Twin Springs - a lovely touch. More so, the hand-painted shells by Andy are beautiful. While I do not regularly write about out of print releases, this release is quite affecting. The digital tracks are still available from Twin Springs. Hopefully a reissue will occur.

peace and love, friends :)

Thank you, Ryan, for the good vibe