Stephen David Heitkotter - Heitkotter (TIME-LAG 052)

lets get lifted together, friends :) peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

The austere cover may trick a few folks. However, it reveals nothing about the raw, frenetic acid fried contents within the sleeve. As we travel down the illuminated private press trail, eventually we begin to traipse when the signs become opaque and the lights dim. We have entered the hallowed territory of Heitkotter; cited in some places as one of the most obscure psychedelic masterpieces, the story that surrounds the album - much like the music itself - is murky and full of intrigue. Heitkotter is the sound of a person staring into the abyss before never begin heard from again. From what is known, Heitkotter was the drummer for a Fresno band, the Road Runners, in the mid 60's. The subsequent period included psychotropic drugs and mental instability. Steve recorded the LP before 1971 and, along with his brother, disseminated the promos to a number of FM radio stations in California's San Joaquin Valley. A full electric effort, nobody knows for sure if others participated in this recording. Steve's brother, Bill, posits that it was a solo effort; that Steve was too much of a loner at the time to have collaborated with former bandmates. The masters were destroyed due to non-payment. With Steve subsequently committed to a state mental institution, and no interest in the music being exhibited, one would expect that nothing else occurred. Yet, a vinyl digger unearthed the only known copy at a radio station closing sale in the mid to late 80's. Being the work of a genuinely insane person, Heitkotter's ramshackle outsider acid-garage-blues smolder with manic energy and a sinister nature. Sometimes the playing is tight and heavy, only for Heitkotter to go off on a tangent - sometimes returning to the thread; that goes for the vocals, too. Hoarse and rough, the lyrics are muddled. At times, they are unintelligible. The final minutes are ominous - the sound of a person disintegrating.

 The insert which accompanies the deluxe repress by Nemo at Time-Lag - mastered from the best original copy; 180g audiophile vinyl; exact reproduction of labels - makes the most apt statement about Heitkotter, "What's amazing is that today, even after a quarter century of vinyl excavation that has unearthed dozens of inconceivable LP's, there is still nothing to rival the Heitkotter in sheer primal tension, the sense of deadly, indefinite 'presence' that seems to stalk the record." Sold out at the source, one of the last copies that is being sold for a reasonable price is available at Fusetron.

peace and love, friends :)

thanks to artmaniac53 for the good vibe!

Herbcraft - The Astral Body Electric (WOODSIST 066); Celebration - Old Green Village (TIME-LAG 060); Ellie Daniels - Both Sides of the Coin (TIME-LAG 061)

i like to take my Herbcraft into the Time-Lag.  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

As a person that loves music, I imagine it is not an aberration to say that there are times when one realizes the beauty - not of an individual record - but the coalescence of a few lps.  Each lp is very special: they make one smile, dream, exult, ruminate, and cry.  For almost every night of the past month, I have purposefully experienced these three lps in succession.  The ascendant psych of Herbcraft is the sonic vehicle that delivers us in style to the land of Time-Lag.

 The Astral Body Electric, from Herbcraft on Woodsist, has a singular energy.  After Flowering, the The Astral Body Electric sees the full band take flight - Matt Lajoie, Dawn Aquarius, Nicholas Barker and Corinna Marshall.  Not only is every track wonderful, but the A side is the hottest thing around - three tracks that feel more like one experience.  Matt Lajoie's musical ideas and the full band sound -  mastered by MV in Spectrasound -take Herbcraft to the next strata.  If somebody were to inquire about the best record I have heard this year, my answer, without hesitation, would be The Astral Body Electric.  The vibe disseminated by Herbcraft is analogous to the precipitous ascent.  Removing oneself from the otherworldly psych of this record and observing the trajectory, The Astral Body Electric witnesses the flowering of seeds planted back in the days of Discovers the Bitter Water of Agartha.  Tracks one and two are the real deal.  A heavyweight duo united.  It's the entrance into the sanctuary followed by riding the breath through kraut bliss formations and Japanese psych shredding.  'Mother's Gate' is the setting where the cool and warm sensations of conscious breathing are magnified by eastern tinged tones and rhythms.  The haze and splendor are palpable as track two is a moment of realization.  It drifts through several stages, all the while floating on the sonic carpet, replete with intricate patterns stitched by Dawn's lovely tones.  The rhythms are hypnotic and Matt's beautiful, diligent playing is felt viscerally.  There's nothing quite like this track!  These mellifluous tracks transport one to the acute perceptions of 'Impermanence', a track of pastoral acoustic strings and flute.  The flipside commences with calm resonance of 'No Land' before a majestic wave delivers one into the sacred drift of 'The Body Electric'.  The last track, 'Full Circle (Eternally)', is also one of the best on the lp.  It's the last stop on this journey where luminous incantations are coupled with beautiful guitars, rhythms that are assertive, yet also restrained - reminiscent of Eternal Tapestry.  The wonderful album art by Nicholas Barker makes The Astral Body Electric complete - I always keep this nearby when listening.  With my highest recommendation, secure your copy directly at Woodsist.   The Astral Body Electric is the only fuel that can take one to that special place - the place where two other gorgeous lps meet at the cross-section.

  After Herbcraft scorches your head with six heavy crystal-covered zoners, one is delivered into an idyllic setting. Old Green Village, by Celebration, is a reissue on Time-Lag of an obscure French private press from 1976.  A one-off recording, the lovely vibe makes one feel proximate to the music.  It commences with a mellifluous instrumental, comprised of gently floating flute and pastoral guitar.  It's followed by some beautiful acid folk tracks and then traditional folk.

After drifting through the sweet environs of Old Green Village, the final stop on the journey leaves one in awe.  Both Sides of the Coin, from Ellie Daniels on Time-Lag, is an lp of female loner folk.  Her beautiful  and versatile voice, lyrical facility and incredible self-taught finger picked guitar style - in the liner notes, Ellie mentions only practicing under a blanket -  make this a true gem!  The beautiful story presented in the insert is worth the price of the vinyl.  In the Time-Lag canon, there is nothing quite like Both Sides of the Coin.   Along with the Bill Quick reissue, for me, this is positioned at the peak of the Time-Lag mountain.  Do not hesitate to purchase this lp.

  My good friend, Nemo of Time-Lag, wrote two excellent and informative descriptions for each of the Time-Lag lps.  His wonderful writing captures the essence of these reissues.  I highly recommend reading his wonderful reviews.  As with all Time-Lag releases, they are painstakingly hand-crafted. The presentation is of high quality, which is due to the meticulous work of Nemo.

Dear friends, I hope you will join me on this wonderful journey.

peace and love, friends :)

thanks to forcefieldpr for the good vibe!

thanks to lyrkoss for the sweet vibe!

Von Himmel - Space Communion (Humito 002)

Strap in and load it up - you're gonna need it for this kosmiche journey into the aether.  There is not much known about Von Himmel, nor Humito.  Lately, this lp and Never Use The Same Door Twice, by Corum have dominated the turntable.  Initially, Space Communion was released by Sloow Tapes.  Going out of print quickly, it reappeared in 2011 as the second release on Humito. The artwork for Space Communion, especially on the Sloow tape, is a homage to Schwingungen, from Ash Ra Temple.  One should be careful though, as to not deduce that this is a copy of German experimental music from yesteryear.  Yes, there are nods to the likes of Popul Vuh, Ash Ra Temple and Tangerine Dream.  The review by Mimaroglu, of the Sloow tape, says it aptly, " it captures the dark psychedelia that is so prevalent on those classic LPs without falling victim to being a straight rip-off or throw-back."  

Moon Moss... blast off!  The echo of cosmic synth sounds announce that exploration has commenced.  Astronomer begins with some a conga jam, which is soon joined by the flute and synth.  The flute is alluring, floating on the drum beats.  Sun Spots is a guitar/bass/synth tune, with heavy bass vibes that overshadows the guitar and synth - a different track than the other five.  Mantra closes out the side A with a nice collage of synth, field recordings and tambourine, which is barely audible. Strawberry Hill starts off the flip side with a menacing drone accompanied by bellows of a singing bowl, bells, voices, percussion, guitar and other effects - one of my favorite tracks and a journey of sound. Country Bog is the last track, which floats on tape hiss, until the sitar appears.  Unexpectedly, synth and effects envelop the sitar complete with electronic twitches, bubbles, and pulses.  The track ends with percussion and voices.  

Though this is currently unavailable at the usual distros, word has it that Tomentosa might receive additional copies.  Also, Time-Lag and Eclipse had copies earlier in the year.  Space Communion has imbued my days - allow these psych masters to take you on a trip.