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!