Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO - Lord of the Underground: Vishnu & The Magic Elixir

Acid Mothers Temple, led by guitarist Kawabata Makoto in its various incarnations has become the flagship of Japanese neo-psychedelic rock during the last decade. Makoto is staggeringly prolific, to the point that one loses count of how many records he has put out. Nonetheless, Lord of the Underground: Vishnu & The Magic Elixir is a pretty good record. It consists of three tracks. The 15minute album opener "Eleking the Clay" sets the record going with its memorable Turkish psychrock guitar line, on which the band cruises powerfully propelled along by kraut-motoriks. "Sorcerer's Stone of the Magi" is a slower, folkier ballad and the shortest on the album (three minutes). Far longer, 25 minutes, is the duration of the third track, Ash Ra Tempel styled jam "Vishnu And The Magic Elixir". It begins slow and druggy and eventually develops in faster, noisier and weirder directions. A well done record in the area of cosmic psychedelia.

Kumu Night on 5th June - Emphasis on electronica and improv

This year's Kumu Night festival was more modest in terms of selection of artists. Still, good music was heard even this time. Although with less diversity than before. There was more emphasis on improvisational and electronic music.

Electronic music was presented slightly less and the quality level varied. Kosmofon with its vintage retro synths and four-four disco grooves created an 80s vibe in a good way. On the other hand, Data with its sterile synth-prog trappings (and extremely tasteless synth sounds) sounded stuck in its own time in a bad way. The Battle of Skweee, comprised of Mesak and Joxaren, brought us danceable, yet deep, bubbly electro.

Music based on improvisation dominated more and this varied more in terms of stilistic variations.

Estonians did free-er improv. Liis Jürgens shined with intriguing concoctions of sounds from harp, piano (played by Liisa Hirsch) and live-electronics. Electro-acoustic free-improv at its best. Rainer Jancis contrasted the song based nature of his All album with a dual-bass (electric + acoustic) quartet improv, sounding a little like a slightly jazzier the Dildos. Triophonix' psychedelic electro-jazz with its blend of acoustic instrumentation, looper and samplers was really enjoyable at its best, but near 3AM it could sound tiresome.

Two foreign bands however did kraut jams. Wooden Shjips (USA) was energetic and rocking, but all of their songs sounded the same. Also, they focused on the arguably least interesting flavor of kraut-rock: straight guitar-rocking, but more drawn-out.

The Finnish K-X-P, however, embodied the more adventurous aspects of krautrock: electronics and metronomic drum grooves. Their drummer could hold a groove very insistently and propulsively, but he also possessed a formidable playing technique. The rhythm formed as a solid backbone for K-X-P's technoid psychedelia that flirted with monotony, yet was never one-dimensional.

A good aspect about this event was improved sound quality compared to the last year. Not that the sound balance was absolutely ideal even now, but there was nothing ear-grating. Feedback was minimal to non-existent. Even this is an improvement.

Susumu Yokota - Mother

Mother is the most vocal-based albums by the prolific Japanese electronic musician Susumu Yokota. Featuring a whole legion of guest singers: Nancy Elizabeth, Kaori, Caroline Ross, also members from The Chap and Efterklang. Then again one should not expect a real pop/electronic symbiosis. Mother is in fact very ambient, even loungy in nature. For the more skeptic ear it may sound nice, but wallpaperish background. Which doesn't mean the album lacks interesting tracks. Instrumentation is quite varied for this bedroom electronica. The most unidimensional element may be the vocal frontline. Especially given that the most utilized vocalist is Nancy Elizabeth, who manages to sound the same practically everywhere. The tracks with others are more interesting ("Love Tendrilises", "Reflect Mind", "Meltwater", "Tree Surgeon"). The album closes with the pure piano-ambient piece "Warmth". The sole instrumental here. But what instrumental!

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Veckatimest is third album by US psych-folk group Grizzly Bear, that initially begun as Ed Droste's solo project, playing all the instruments himself on the debut Horn of Plenty (2004). By the time of Yellow House, the critically acclaimed second album (2006), GB had morphed into a full quartet.

Compared to other neo-indie folkers GB is more chamber like, baroque and less rural sounding. Their sound stands out for intriguing melodic and harmonic tricks, multi-part vocal arrangements, along with strings and even woodwinds. All of it sounds especially good on here. Each tune is different, some are folkier, others more psychedelic and others develop into directions on their own (like "Two Weeks" pure pop bliss). Some tunes sound brighter ("Cheerleader") others more melancholic ("Fine For Now"). Thus GB has balanced the material's eclecticism and cohesiveness. Grizzly Bear sound introverted, but expansive and beautiful.

Faust - C'est Com...Com...Complique

Faust is one of the most mythical groups from the German Kraut-rock scene, who released four studio albums in the seventies and then disappeared off the radar. Reappearing in the mid-90s. C'est Com...Com...Complique, their newest release indicates that Faust is not only one of the most innovative and influential German ensembles, but they are still on such a good level that younger neo-kraut performers have a good reason to envy them.

Here, their trademark mind-bending brain-searing psychedelic hypnotism and dadaistic weirdness are firmly in place. This time the band sounds particularly vital, the compositions particularly inspired and the experimentation sounds natural. The result is the best sort of avant-garde rock'n'roll, that isn't merely juxtaposition of intriguing, weird tones. But also includes a special kind of transcendence.

Take the opening piece "Kundalini Tremolos". It clearly is their best hypno-psychedelic epic track since the 1973 classic "Krautrock" from their fourth album. Therefore, Faust can still up themselves. Thus their activity for the last 15 years is not merely a nostalgia trip. Even as old and vintage performers, Faust is still a vital avant-rock act.

Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years

Dark Days/Light Years is the ninth studio album from the Welsh ensemble Super Furry Animals. The band arrived at the scene on previous decade as one of the most remarkable acts from the Welsh indie/pop scene, blending pop and rock with electronics, hinting at prog and psychedelia and creating more than a few memorable brit-pop melodies. This new album indicates that SFA is still a vital act today.

The record contains twelve tracks that last for an hour. Contrasting the previous album Hey Venus, a shorter and poppier record, this album contains longer songs as well. Some of them are almost like jams, based on riffs and grooves the band has played for the last couple of years.

Dark Days/Light Years begins with a psychedelic rock jam "Crazy Naked Girls", that itself starts with studio chatter and false starts. Almost as if hinting that this is an album that doesn't start right off. Indeed, first listen exposes the beginning of the album as somewhat uninteresting. As if the songs weren't memorable. The second song "Mt" stands out for a slide-guitar sound that sounds almost saxophone like (perhaps humorously hinting at their saxophone ban?), doubled by strings.

"Inaugural Trams" evokes contradictory feelings. On first listen it sounds like a silly throwaway novelty track with its childishly jovial mood and Nick McCarthy's (Franz Ferdinand) German declamations. Lasting for five minutes, it may seem like a joke that gets old fast. Still, it takes guts to compose something in that vein. Besides, SFA has always flirted with kitsch. "Juxtaposed With U" anyone?

And as it often appears in the case of SFA, is that the repeated listenings tend to do justice to their material. SFA is being uncompromisingly themselves, despite what may seem hip or trendy. This makes it somewhat difficult to understand their music for the average indie fan. But the more reason for the listener to dedicate oneself to the band. Thus, even the opening songs on this album open themselves after repeated listenings.

In any case, the record really gets it going from the fifth tune, the energetic blues rock jam "Inconvenience". Sixth track "Cardiff In The Sun" is the first really masterful composition here - Beach Boys meets krautrock, pop poured into the motorik groove and form, an everlasting memorable melody.

The album continues to flow smoothly - "The Very Best Of Neil Diamond" is another good example of eccentric pop, both in terms of humorous songtitle as well as the blend of soul groove and eastern guitar lines. Towards the end, a more rocking SFA emerges. English "Where Do You Wanna Go" and Welsh "Lliwiau Llachar"arre moderately fast rock songs that show that rock done SFA style is quite enjoyable. The album closer "Pric" however is a brilliant kraut-jam, if excepting the last four minutes of ambient techno that cool it all down. Despite their veteran-band status SFA still makes intriguing records.


Super Furry Animals - The Very Best of Neil Diamond

Handsome Furs live

28th of April saw the second concert in Estonia by the Canadian indie-duo Handsome Furs. Husband and wife band performed at club Juuksur as part of the concert series Odessa Pop.

Warm-up act was Mirabilia by ex-Dallas Holger Loodus (with Tanel Paliale - bass, Liis Jürgens - back vocals, FX and Madis Zilmer - drums). Mirabilia played pretty chamber-like indie pop that this time had a more acoustic flavor due to the absence of electric guitar.





The chamber-likeness of Mirabilia was a contrast compared to the intensity that soon was unleashed on stage by Handsome Furs. The duo played heavy music marked by wailing guitar and sharply pulsating beats and synths. HF's music was rather physical, as one could tell by their stage presence. The band lived into the music so much that sweat was pouring in creeks.

HF's performance was powerful and uncompromising. Even perhaps too much. The duo played with the same intensity throughout, except for one tune that saw the male part ditching his guitar. Inevitably, this makes their repertoire a bit samey. Then again, it is evident that they believe in themselves and enjoy being on stage.

The contact with public was good. As immediate communicators, they often threw compliments about how fantastic the public is and what a cool place to play Juuksur is. Despite their concentration mainly on the intense rocking, Handsome Furs is one of the most exciting acts in today's indie scene. And as one could tell, the second encounter with Estonian public was mutually pleasing.