“The band describe themselves as a spaced out, instrumental loungerock outfit, with added vibes of folk music, jazzy surf, psychedelia, free improvised chill-out, jangly post-rock and travelling bass. Not much for us to add here, apart from possibly a pinch of krautrock. “Tellus” is the quartet’s fourth album, and their debut on Rune Grammofon… With “Tellus” ATS heads into the Hardangervidda (the big plains connecting the eastern and western parts of southern Norway) terrain of wide open spaces, spare vegetation and unruly weather conditions, especially during the winter. The album was recorded in a small studio in Haugesund during two days of heavy rain showers and stormy winds rumbling outside the windows.”
Another “new-to-me” band, this self-described ‘spaced out, instrumental loungerock outfit, with added vibes of folk music, jazzy surf, psychedelia, free improvised chill-out, jangly post-rock and travelling bass’ certainly hangs out on the jazzier side of the psych cosmos. There’s a crispness to everything that opens up the listening experience, creating a depth that’s lost on some of the fuzzier/muddier psych stuff. Excellent instrument play and engaging songs here, upbeat and fun.
Standout track: Chromosomes (although closer ‘The Last Petrol Station Before Hardangervidda’ is a lengthy and mellow trip into some deep space)