“Powerhouse hook-up between Mick Flower of Vibracathedral Orchestra and free drummer Chris Corsano. Flower plays a Japan Banjo here, an instrument that’s somewhere between a lap steel and a sitar, with swallowing drones giving way to shredding single note lead work while Corsano speed-thinks his way out of his own skin.”
Transitional Phase – Transitional Phase (2006)
“The jams recorded here range from the first phase’s free-wheeling deep psychedelia and subterranean sonics to the quiet horror-filmisms of the second phase and the third phase’s experimental rock, taking cues from the motorik voyages of Neu! and the guitar-laced epics of Ash Ra Tempel as well as the fuzz-drenched sounds of cohorts Bardo Pond and Comets on Fire.”
Galacticka – Apocalypse Psychedelicka (2007)
“Galacticka plays waste of space rock. This state of [of the art] groovy apocalyptic audiowaste is achieved by combining classic space rock elements with dark psychedelic sounds and monotonous stoner themes. If the overall sound of Galacticka remains undefined in subjective audiospace, it must be heard in the far reaches of the brain. That IS the point of Galacticka. Use in high dosage levels and let yourself remain in waste of space.”
Tolmunud Mesipuu – Koger Ja Panter (2010)
“Tolmunud Mesipuu means “A dusty beehive”. There are three of them in the band, and speaking of alien languages, such as Estonian, you won’t hear it much at their show. It is purely instrumental music. For some, it is simply mental. TM’s critically acclaimed debut album paints a hypnotic, dissonant and manic landscape – it might as well be forgotten 70’s cult trash movie, which people watch just for the soundtrack.”
The Bakerton Group – The Bakerton Group (2007)
“The Bakerton Group is a side project of the rock band Clutch, comprised of Tim Sult, Jean-Paul Gaster, Dan Maines and Neil Fallon. Per Wiberg (Opeth, Spiritual Beggars) handles the organ duties on their newest recording, El Rojo. The band is completely instrumental and their recorded songs are very similar to the extended jams they do in a live setting.”
High Rise – Disallow (1996)
“Psychedelic acid rock-band from Japan. High Rise is an explosive power trio comprised of bassist/vocalist asahito nanjo (南条麻人), guitarist Munehiro Narita, and a succession of drummers that has included Yuro Ujiie and Pill in the past and free-improv veteran Shoji Hano at present. High Rise mixes the jazz-influenced improvising of Cream with the brutal amphetamine-inspired rock of Blue Cheer. Narita is one of rock’s unsung guitar players, and his dexterous fingering incites eruptions of pure electric joy in his listeners. The other players are equally stunning in their total commitment to this high energy music that features the freedom of jazz and the power of rock.”
Mainliner – Psychedelic Polyhedron (1997)
“Psychedelic acid noise-band from Tokyo. Trio composed of Asahito Nanjo, Kawabata Makoto and Koji Shimura. Terminally fuzzed-out and distorted, earth moving riffage and shrieking, eviscerating extended solos with sheer brute force.”
Eternal Tapestry – The Invisible Landscape (2009)
“A lysergic dose of head-trippy, fuzzed out amplifier destruction. Ooooozing walls of blasting fuzz guitar, head-nodding grooves covered in tar and filth…. Krauty, spaced-out, bluesy improv that hits hard. In the same vein as Parson Sound or Can, these guys have really nailed the art of weaving improv in and out of catchy riffs, really sweet.”
Verma – Salted Earth (2010)
“Chicago’s coolest new kid on the psych-rock-block brings us a cassetteful of drugged-out atmospheres, scattered with proggy guitar grooves and meandering femme vocals, tense drone and a bit of synth thrown in for good measure. Their influences are all over the place, and they make for one fucking solid product: Try slowing down the bass grooves of Suicide, add two parts Wooden Shjips’ repetitiveness, three parts Black Sabbath darkness, one part horror soundtrack a la Goblin, three parts stoner metal-era Boris, four parts Neu krautscapes, and you’re getting warmer to Verma.”
Ici Maintenants – Space And Time (2003)
“ICI MAINTENANTS was the name chosen for a one-off project that took place at the Summer Solstice in Glastonbury in 2001. There former Here & Now members Kif Kif le Batter (drums, vocals), Twink el Toes-Malone (synths, keyboards) and Steffe Sharp de Strings (guitar, vocals) hooked up with Tim Flatus (bass) and played a totally improvised set at the Glastonbury Assembly Rooms, in a manner pretty similar to what often was done at the Free Festival’s of the 70’s.”