Space Slave November Batch ---- Righteous Acid - S/T (Space Slave 29) and Stag Hare - Angel Tech (Space Slave 30)

A Space Slave soundtrack to purps heaven. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Much like the Purple Skunk, with each batch of tapes Carl from Space Slave promulgates a distilled, effervescent elixir that represents some of the most heady experimental analog vibes around. The last batch was epic and is still spinning in my trusty tape deck - Clime, 4-way Swim Trunks split, and Cape and Cowl were among my faves. As the end of year approaches, Space Slave blesses us with two great tapes, both with artwork by Phil French, from Righteous Acid and Stag Hare. Once Space Slave shoots you into the stars with the hash oil heaven jams of Righteous Acid, Stag Hare is the medicine that maintains elevation - and oh, the sites on this ethereal ride are fascinating. Stag Hare weaves a dreamy mix of new age and ambient/drone experimental jams.

 It is a two part party: first one goes to indica heaven with Righteous Acid - proper fuel for a quick, steep ascent! The self-titled cassette possesses a heavy hitting dose of psych with waves of percussion and funk that emit clouds of wah crystals. Righteous Acid, the psych project of Alex Sarad - who also plays percussion in Invisible Astral Healing Rhythm Quartet - boasts lovely, varied rhythms and impressive, vibrant fretwork. Throughout the self-titled cassette, the seamless transitions in mood make the sonic scenery sparkle. This nug has a little of everything, from mellow and serene to cosmic and spacey. Side A begets soothing vibrations immediately. Zenith piercing riffs appear toward the end. Mesmerizing rhythms are ubiquitous; they infuse the atmosphere with beauty in track 3. Light and airy sonics are the perfect match for entrancing rhythms and sporadic whistles. For me, the beginning of side B is analogous to blindly reaching into the bag and pulling a crystal-covered bud of goodness. Drifting through the omnipotent stillness of the cosmos, waves of wah vibrations ripple toward the abyss. This is highly recommended for all of you astral explorers! Funky vibes and rhythms create a lively platform for the blistering fretwork that appears near the end in track 3 on the flip.

Now that you are properly feeling good and lifted, Stag Hare accelerates one into enthralling and constantly morphing environments. Ethereal vibrations abound as copious rhythms coalesce with healing energy. According to the insert, Angel Tech consists of precursor tracks to a larger project. Unique to this edition, these peaceful vibes will eventually manifest in copious ways. Angel Tech weaves a dreamy tapestry consisting of new age, ambient, drone, and experimental vibrations. Certainly, this is music to accompany one in the moment, and I would recommend listening attentively to these meditative sojourns. As side A commences a burst of glistening energy, once nascent, becomes palpable - it modulates serenely. An incipient drone grows in strength and warmth - embraces one's body. Buoyant layers are interspersed with lively, and even at times, propulsive rhythms. Prepare for flowing unfettered waves of benevolent energy. In the second track, a torpid passage vacillates in the sonic breeze. Suddenly, varied and driving rhythms give the music another dimension, which juxtaposes nicely to the ambient and somewhat somber feel of the track. On the flipside, burgeoning vibrations become ethereal waves that drift placidly. A deluge of lustrous waves approach with fervor - awesome energy here. Going forward in the next track, tranquil beats and embryonic warm drone encompass one. Sustained reverberations are joined by peaceful layers of electronics. Shortly, the tempo increases in accordance with the rhythms, prior to drifting off with a blissful drone.    

Sitting pretty on my top shelf - and in my healing kit - Space Slave tapes are essential for fellow tape enthusiasts. Therefore, grab these two while they are available from thee source. Produced in a limited edition of 100 home-duplicated tapes, the next batch of Space Slave will be available to purchase on November 26.

peace and love, friends :)

Courtly Illusion Limited - Untitled (Space Slave 14)

another wild trip with my buddy, Maximus. the tape recorder is for special music.  peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Duo exchanges from deep within the blissful waves and haze of the time lag.  It is the sacrosanct setting from which their sonic alchemy buzzes and fizzes unabated.   Nobody does it quite like Grant and Rachel Evans, recording as the Courtly Illusion Limited on Space Slave Editions.  They have a proficiency for creating gorgeous soundscapes of tremendous depth.  On this release, they utilize manipulated rhodes and guitar to produce elegiac waves that sit atop the dank haze.

As side A commences, wistful recollections weave through formations of hiss and warble.  The rhodes is an apt selection for this type of music.  It's characteristics imbue the recording with otherworldly beauty.  The blues-like vibrations of the rhodes reminds me of how Chick Correa and Keith Jarrett would temper the fusion of Miles Davis with the strike of a reverberating chord.  Subtle shifts lead to plaintive notes and vacillating guitar.  The flipside is equally as beautiful.  In the beginning, pensive notes reverberate until the last particle of energy has been exhausted; surreal energy that exists with a loop of fractured guitar.  The manipulated rhodes now exhibits a different texture.  Resonant transmissions coalesce with a disintegrating guitar loop.

It's been a fruitful year for Grant and Rachel and Space Slave.  The most recent batch is awesome.  Space Slave is at the top of its game.  Every tape is of top shelf quality.  Produced in an edition of 75 and sold out at the source, this tape may be purchased here.  One should act quickly, as beautiful things like this don't hang around too long.

peace and love, friends :)