Jewelt Galaxies / Spirit Shambles
Here's an interesting one, respected purveyors of glacial minimalism Spekk are dipping their toes into the sound of crumbling weird-American psychedelia, and it really suits them! The Alps is a collaborative project from Scott Hewicker, Alexis Georgopoulos and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma and this album is made up of two cdr releases; 'Jewelt Galaxies' (which originally surfaced on Jefre's Root Strata label) and 'Spirit Shambles' (which was released on Digitalis offshoot Foxglove). Using only one microphone and a variety of different instruments the trio have put together a cacophony of shimmering experimental psychedelic noises, somehow though it drops into place and doesn't sound anywhere near as odd as it should. Taking the acoustic guitar and hand-smacked percussion of The North Sea and then adding a smattering of Kraut-rock and tempered electronics The Alps manage a surprisingly diverse mix of styles, never staying in one place long enough to be stereotyped. The album's high point comes from the Dario Argento-referencing 'Bird with the Crystal Plumage', a jubilant percussive piece of psychedelic bliss. Beginning with guitar, horns and bowed percussion it eventually builds into a drum-heavy monster of a track replete with pulsating electronics and a demonic Kraut-rock bassline. This might not be an obvious release to sink your teeth into this week but it's without a doubt one of the dark horses of the Spekk catalogue, intriguing you more on each and every listen. Massive recommendation!
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Here's an interesting one, respected purveyors of glacial minimalism Spekk are dipping their toes into the sound of crumbling weird-American psychedelia, and it really suits them! The Alps is a collaborative project from Scott Hewicker, Alexis Georgopoulos and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma and this album is made up of two cdr releases; 'Jewelt Galaxies' (which originally surfaced on Jefre's Root Strata label) and 'Spirit Shambles' (which was released on Digitalis offshoot Foxglove). Using only one microphone and a variety of different instruments the trio have put together a cacophony of shimmering experimental psychedelic noises, somehow though it drops into place and doesn't sound anywhere near as odd as it should. Taking the acoustic guitar and hand-smacked percussion of The North Sea and then adding a smattering of Kraut-rock and tempered electronics The Alps manage a surprisingly diverse mix of styles, never staying in one place long enough to be stereotyped. The album's high point comes from the Dario Argento-referencing 'Bird with the Crystal Plumage', a jubilant percussive piece of psychedelic bliss. Beginning with guitar, horns and bowed percussion it eventually builds into a drum-heavy monster of a track replete with pulsating electronics and a demonic Kraut-rock bassline. This might not be an obvious release to sink your teeth into this week but it's without a doubt one of the dark horses of the Spekk catalogue, intriguing you more on each and every listen. Massive recommendation!
Here's an interesting one, respected purveyors of glacial minimalism Spekk are dipping their toes into the sound of crumbling weird-American psychedelia, and it really suits them! The Alps is a collaborative project from Scott Hewicker, Alexis Georgopoulos and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma and this album is made up of two cdr releases; 'Jewelt Galaxies' (which originally surfaced on Jefre's Root Strata label) and 'Spirit Shambles' (which was released on Digitalis offshoot Foxglove). Using only one microphone and a variety of different instruments the trio have put together a cacophony of shimmering experimental psychedelic noises, somehow though it drops into place and doesn't sound anywhere near as odd as it should. Taking the acoustic guitar and hand-smacked percussion of The North Sea and then adding a smattering of Kraut-rock and tempered electronics The Alps manage a surprisingly diverse mix of styles, never staying in one place long enough to be stereotyped. The album's high point comes from the Dario Argento-referencing 'Bird with the Crystal Plumage', a jubilant percussive piece of psychedelic bliss. Beginning with guitar, horns and bowed percussion it eventually builds into a drum-heavy monster of a track replete with pulsating electronics and a demonic Kraut-rock bassline. This might not be an obvious release to sink your teeth into this week but it's without a doubt one of the dark horses of the Spekk catalogue, intriguing you more on each and every listen. Massive recommendation!