Suzuki Junzo - Sings II (MVD5921LP)

sweet nugs of heaven is this good! peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Sings II, from Japanese psych guitarist Suzuki Junzo - Overhang Party, Miminokoto, 20 Guilders - on Nod and Smile Records, is an lp that I pull from my top shelf daily. Lustrous in the light as it revolves on the platter, once the needle drops the harvest instantly commences. Upon listening to it for the first time, Sings II emitted a beautiful, poignant and multifaceted vibe. It infused my room with an intriguing amalgamation of folk, blues, drone, american primitivism, and some fuzzed out shredding. This latest album from Junzo - not to be confused with the more guitar-centric album concurrently released on Utech, Portrait of Madeleine Elster - is song based; Junzo is joined on Sings II by Acid Mothers Temple guitarist, Kawabata Makoto; and LSD March/Kousokuya and ex Fushitsusha drummer, Takahashi Ikuro. Returning to the aforementioned harvest, Junzo bestows an array of tasty nugs to the listener's waiting head. There are myriad moments suffused on this lp that will please admirers of Robbie Basho, Jandek, Charalambides and Jim O'Rourke among others.

 Side A begins with 'In the Eyes of Naze', which features rasping vocals and acoustic guitar that flickers. One of my favorites immediately follows, 'Midsummer's End', in which passages of crystalline finger-picked acoustic guitar and bluesy electric guitar are coupled with Junzo's affecting singing. One of the most attractive attributes of the record concerns Junzo's singing style, which is varied throughout. One feels the earth's plates shift upon Kawabata Makoto's fuzz guitar erupting in the next track, 'Eclipse IV'. Junzo's bleary, ringing guitar and captivating, soaring voice provide an apt companion to Makoto's blazing guitar. Languid blues covered in reverb are fleshed out by percussion and drums in the penultimate track on side A, 'Crying Out Double Suicide Blues'. Junzo's breathy vocals fit congruently to the hazy droning guitar.

 Initially, it almost felt tangential, but the punk rock vibe and change of pace in side B opener 'The End of Horizon' exhibits the proficiency of the artist. For me, Sings II is analogous to the rotating earth. As Sings II rotates, the sun illuminates a particular area and something new and beautiful manifests, yet never departs from the album's aura. Directly following, 'A Tree of Night' sees Junzo return to gentle finger-picked guitar and restrained vocals. The longest track on the flipside, 'Chi No Mure', thrives on the lovely juxtaposition of sustained guitar and calm vocals. The guitar in the beginning has a dreamy, almost listless quality. Progressively the sound becomes more intense, sporadically joined by vocal growls. Before too long, the track ascends as a droning wall of sound abuts composed vocals - the quality of the vocals next to the blown out sound is one of my favorite things here. The energy of this track is such that one may perceive that it resonates in the body. Admirers of Steven R. Smith will enjoy this one. Lastly, 'The Man With The Golden Arm' is more minimal than that which precedes it. Breathy, soft vocals and sparse guitar notes emit intimate energy that extends faithfully until exhausted.      

From the top shelf with love, this is highly recommended. Sings II, also available on cd, is released in an edition of 500 copies on black vinyl in a gatefold sleeve. It's available for an extremely affordable price from See of Sound.
      

peace and love, friends :)

Numinous Eye - Clockwork Moon (MVD5703LP)

interstellar trichomes for these spacey top shelf jams.  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

There's nothing like accelerating toward a glistening star in a spacecraft comprised of 180 gram vinyl!  Provided the deluxe vinyl treatment by Nod and Smile Records, Space/psych rockers Numinous Eye lay down their most cohesive tracks to date.  Clockwork Moon sees Mason Jones and Mike Shoun take their craft to the next level.  Where the trichome-laden Sloow tape, The Tunnel at the End of the Light, expanded minds with heavy, fuzzed out space rock excursions, cosmic effects and heady drumming, Clockwork Moon harnesses that obliterating psych energy and redirects it toward song structure and an expanded sonic palette- all the time retaining the elements that made the Sloow tape such a great listen.  There are moments of Sloow haze that shimmer in the cosmos, which are circumscribed by well-composed tracks.  The layers of sound resonate beautifully on vinyl; the clean sound allows the listener to absorb the myriad layers of heavy sound emitted by Mason's multifaceted guitar playing and Mike's excellent drumming.  Additionally, Clockwork Moon boasts echoing vocals, synths, bass and an array of other instruments.  Admirers of Pink Floyd, Sonic Youth and Carlton Melton will find plenty about which to salivate. Clockwork Moon is a potent statement and, hopefully, a glimpse of the future.

Immediately, with the drop of the needle, the listener is captivated by echoing vocals and resonant guitars.  Already, one perceives a change in the way they structure a track - more like a song - which allows their proficiency to shine through.  The pace climbs the ladder throughout.  Subsequent to the initial section, driving guitars, deep bass and propulsive drumming endow the track with enhanced energy.  Toward the end, the Sloow crystals go up in smoke with a section of blistering guitar.  Another impressive track is the last one on side A, 'Building Dreams'.  The sinuous guitar blazes with unpredictable energy; it moves like a neurotransmitter racing around the head.  'Reduced to Ash' is my honest bag bong special of the day.  For me, it's the best track on the album and the one that brings everything together.  From the start, one perceives that this track is different from the others.  For one thing, the pace is much different.  More so, the tribal drums, echoing guitars and vocals move into zones that fans of Sun Araw will appreciate.  Ascending guitars toward the middle lead to a section of sacred drift.  We arrive in the ether via the hazy psych drift of 'Dreaming in the Dusk'.  An absolute zoner, the peaceful, introspective feel of the intro settles the listener.  Periodic explosions of percussion - similar to a gong - shimmer in the stereo field.  The languorous pace is apt for this track.

  It's difficult to believe this album has been sitting around for nearly three years - all hail Nod and Smile!  Straight from the top shelf to your waiting head, Clockwork Moon was mastered by Scott Colburn.  It is limited to a pressing of 500 copies on black vinyl.  Heads unite at AQ, the best domestic price!    

peace and love, lunar friends :)

Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO - Cometary Orbital Drive to 2199 (MVD5676LP)

getting lifted into 2199.  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

The sequence of notes leaves a vapor trail as it traverses the head, ascending until the apex has been pierced and a deluge of sunlight streams through the third eye of the pyramid.  Tantamount to a continuous injection of serotonin, the edifying vibrations promulgated by Japanese psych legends, Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO, are buttressed by psych fury of various shades.  Cometary Orbital Drive to 2199, one of the initial releases from Nod and Smile Records, pervades the head like a trichome-laden nug; it ascends placidly, and when it attains the perfect altitude, it then slowly disseminates ephemeral vibrations from various climates.  These live staples shimmer on vinyl.  Each side finds this iteration of the band taking interstellar trips, with the uplifting resonances of a sequence of notes - A-E-D-A-G-Db - being the fuel.  Around that beautiful sequence of notes, the band adeptly places cosmic synth; spacey effects; hypnotic, krauty bass - one of the best facets of the album; and heavyweight, hash oil riffs!  Lately, when I desire a wild trip, I set to the controls to Cometary Orbital Drive to 2199; The Astral Body Electric from Herbcraft; and Time-Lag nugs - 3 or 4 fail-safe albums.

Cometary Orbital Drive to 2199, parts 1 and 2, comprise sides A and B respectively.  One of the most pleasing aspects of this album is to experience the manner in which these sonic alchemists deploy the note sequence within their musical ideas.  Side A feels like a portent to that of B; it encompasses kraut and space rock.  The glistening resonances of side A are the conduit to the blistering psych on the flipside.  Side A commences with serene electronic pulsations that lead into krauty rhythms and the note sequence,  A-E-D-A-G-Db.  Progressively, the tempo is enhanced.  The rhythms are a catalyst, as we accelerate through the ether.  Toward the end of side A, a cathartic vibe exists.  Spacey transmissions fluctuate and the guitar overdrive of side B is in a nascent state.  A layer of synth abuts the main guitar sequence, which illuminates the notes.  As side A ends, the listener can sense that something surreal will occur on the flip.  And, surreal it is!!  Side B is the blazing hash rocket that plunders your head, lifting you to 2199.  The playing is frenetic once these psych warriors reach the zenith.  At this point, the psych fury is unabated, and the main sequence of notes coalesces with heavyweight riffs - one of the best moments of the album.  As a listener, it is a beautiful thing to observe the heavy psych maelstrom shifting between speaker channels, enveloping one in the middle. Toward the end of side B, the note sequence is obscured by a conflagration of sound.  For the longest time, side B was played here on repeat.  It is an exemplar of psych.  My good friend, however, told me that side C, which contains 'Cometary Orbital Drive to 2200', is a treasure waiting to be discovered.  His sagacity immediately manifested, as the beginning was quite different than its predecessor.  There is a lightness, which may be comparable to parts of Side A.  However, it's something completely different.  Elongated, voluminous streams of modulating synth coalesce with a piano-like loop, incipient rhythms and ethereal fretwork.  A much lighter mix of instrumentation surrounds the note sequence, compared to that of side B.  As the tempo increases, the guitars become heavier and the bass is excellent.  Toward the middle, the onslaught is at its peak.  The end serves to exhibit some of the most intense playing in the album.  An incredible side of music!   Side D, 'Cometary Orbital Drive to 2201', sees the band approach dance/trance music - wild and unexpected!  

The most dank buds are usually next to the pile of AMT vinyl in the house - top shelf.  This review refers to the double lp in gatefold sleeve version.  The double vinyl gatefold sleeve is highly recommended.  I often look at the beautiful images while listening.  The album is pressed on quality vinyl in an edition of 500.  To secure a copy - at a wonderful price - check out See of Sound.  Nod and Smile Records is a burgeoning label that resides in eastern Pennsylvania.  Their first releases include Aleister X on vinyl.  The future is bright, as Nod and Smile has an awesome tentative release schedule including Sloow stalwarts We Have Heaven and 20 Guilders.  Additionally, if you dig Japanese psych, then check out the nice selection of audio files available at this blog.

peace and love, friends :)        

Thank you, Claude, for the good vibe.