“Bardo Pond’s extensive archive recordings series opens up once again with ‘Volume 9’, an incisive journey into their hypnotic sound. Recorded in the early 2000’s it’s a heady mix of acoustic ambience and menacing distortion. Infamous purveyors of longform stoner rock, Bardo Pond embrace their sludgestorms with graceful nods to Hawkwind, Earth and my bloody valentine. For anyone uninitiated with the band’s tranquilizing sound, Volume 9 leans into their mesmeric practise with reckless abandon.”
“The album opens with a bit of pastoral psych before it moves into heavier tones and the ozone burn of AMT and Guru Guru can both be felt. Its not as slung with rhythmic chug as one might expect given that Guru Guru is involved, rather the combo seems to be coasting on melted vibes that roll through floor puddled zone out to the clash of free jazz ramble (specifically “Orange”). By the time “Red” rolls around the record drops into noisier territory, smoldering in full on cinder-psych territory, uncomfortable in any position and twisting to break free of its constraints.”
“Formed by the improvised journeys of the formidable Bardo Pond and experimental ensemble Kohoutek, these compositions take you on a cosmic voyage through kosmiche, drone, noise, prog and free jazz. Purveyors of psychedelic rock, Bardo Pond have the outward specifications of a rock band but the rivers that converge into the band’s oneiric flow have their headwaters in the outlands of ecstatic jazz, free noise and the avant-garde.”
Split from 2 giants of underground improvised psychedelia.
“Moon Phantoms is a collaboration between the bands Bardo Pond and Suishou No Fune from Japan. This record (Self-Titled) came about as most of these collaboration records do by two bands doing a tour together, hitting it off and deciding it would be fun to record a session together.”
“Bardo Pond’s drug-inspired music is often classified as space rock, acid rock, post-rock, shoegaze, noise or psychedelic rock. Many Bardo Pond album titles have been derived from the names of esoteric psychedelic substances. Their sound has been likened to Pink Floyd, Spacemen 3 and My Bloody Valentine. Allmusic describes Bardo Pond as having “lengthy, deliberate sound explorations filled with all the hallmarks of modern-day space rock: droning guitars, thick distortion, feedback, reverb, and washes of white noise.”
“Alasehir is one of the many side-projects of the Bardo Pond family. This side-project consists of John Gibbons, Michael Gibbons, Clint Takeda and Michael Zangha (the first 3 members are part of Bardo Pond). Like all of Bardo Pond’s side-project this is also band centered in improvisations and mind-expanding melodies. Their music can be seen as Space Rock or even Stoner Rock, but with slight Krautrock and Progressive Electronic influences as well. Alasehir is more rock oriented compared to most of their side-projects… Very groovy and out-there, Alasehir are highly recommended for fans of the Bardo Pond family as well as fans of heavy psychedelic improvisations.”
“Live improvisation collaboration between Bardo Pond, LSD March & Kawaguchi Masami’s New Rock Syndicate during their US tour in 2006.”
“Baikal is a new burner from Bardo Pond brothers John & Michael Gibbons along with fellow Bardo Pond members Clint Takeda and Jason Kourkonis. This time they ventured down the route of heavy free-improvisation and a Last Exit style hard rock approach coupled with a hard psych bend. With two tracks each weighing in at over 30 minutes in length it’s clear that Baikal is a deep voyage underseas with yet another Bardo Pond sideproject featuring Bardo brothers John & Michael Gibbons as your tour guide.”
“In case you hadn’t figured it out yourself, Hash Jar Tempo takes its name from the 70s Kraut rock group Ash Ra Temple. Pretty funny, huh? This pretty much sums up the band: take that Kraut sound and bring it to the future under the guise of epic-length drone, and you have Hash Jar Tempo. Despite the Hash part of the name, the music is not necessarily drug-influenced, but rather, just like with those old Germans, “the drug was the music.” In other words, Hash Jar Tempo is less about seeing where altered states can take you, and more about creating those altered states.”