Von Himmel - Rock N Roll Animal/Traum Esel (Donkey Disk)

oh fellow traveler, remember to pack some Maximus along with your canteen and provisions.  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Let me preface this review by stating that if there were a sweet leaf/music award at the Cannabis Cup, then Rock N Roll Animal/Traum Esel on Donkey Disk would be the clear winner of best indica jams - high praise, but even higher affects!  Much like a dependable indica, the expansive collage-like pieces promulgated by Von Himmel redefine your head-space prior to enveloping your body.  For me, Rock N Roll Animal/Traum Esel is analogous to the wide-mind view afforded by mindful breathing.  Compared to the Sloow tape/Humito reissue and the Florid Pagoda tape, the sky seems more expansive than ever on this lp.  The approach allows their myriad facets to flower in the head of the traveler, as the lp witnesses the band exploring new zones.  The journey commences with a blown-out jam prior to glazing the nug in kosmische crystals.

Side A begins with the aforementioned jam - a raw, frenetic psych rock beast that foams at the mouth with unpredictable energy.  Dense, jagged riffs and percussion smeared in hash oil billow before being refracted in a multitude of directions. Admirers of early Comets on Fire or German Oak will dig the vibe circulating in this atmosphere.  In the next passage, eastern tinged hypnotic drift leaves ellipses in its wake that extend to the luminous zenith.  You will have arrived once the amalgamation of ambient synth and pulsating drone envelops your being.  Side B has a different character.  One of my favorite aspects of this lp is the journey aspect.  There are so many sub-states explored that it's similar to walking in the fog.  Only instead of trepidation at that which may be a step away, the traveler on this journey is eagerly engaged, perceptions heightened, and embracing the experience.  The flip starts with an encompassing passage of ambient sound.  Not necessarily light, but not dark either. During this initial part, there is a section where the sound crests, sweeping away the listener in a sea of elation.  In another passage, lightly strummed guitars drift in the background among swollen sounds and percussion.  Yet, nothing quite surpasses the ethereal end.  Incipient energy resonates serenely, finally blooming in lucid fields of awareness - the kosmische crystals leaving one in a state of euphoria.

The beautiful drawings by Bart of Sloow Tapes represent the kief on top of glistening nug.  Rock N Roll Animal/Traum Esel comes with my highest recommendation - it's already a member of Tasty Trichomes 2013.  If you reside in these zones, then do not wait.  One may purchase a copy from Tomentosa, among others.  And, for those who thought the Florid Pagoda boat had sailed, copies are still available at Tomentosa.

peace and love, friends :)