Two hours of psychedelic/stoner/garage rock tracks that have all been released in 2022. In this year of uncertainty, the theme of many of these tracks is healing, trying to move on from harm.
| time | artist | title |
|---|---|---|
| 00:40 | The Mango Furs | Seeker |
| 04:17 | Night Rites | Dark Patterns |
| 08:33 | Melting Palms | Orchard's Lie |
| 14:18 | The Striped Bananas & Nameless | Newest Age Man |
| 18:18 | Mienakunaru | Invisible Hammerthrow |
| 22:03 | The Dry Mouths | Den-Dro Sum |
| 25:34 | Birds Flying Backwards | Surrender to The Void I, II & III |
| 30:11 | Abronia | Night Hoarders |
| 36:10 | Golomb | Western Threshold |
| 39:55 | JIRM | Liquid Covenant |
| 46:48 | Dialing In | Blooming Wire |
| 54:54 | Acid Barretts | Heartlock |
| 57:45 | Vanishing Trace | Pierce My Brain |
| 1:02:51 | Bad Liquor Pond | Painted Daisies |
| 1:05:51 | Thee Mean Reds | Vessel |
| 1:10:58 | Underground Mountains | In Search of Highs pt. 1 |
| 1:16:52 | Shane Hartman | Presence |
| 1:23:10 | East and West Rendezvous | Montjuïc |
| 1:35:43 | Sendero Luminoso | Sacred Bones |
| 1:41:30 | The Spanish English Dictionary | Hard To Find |
| 1:45:31 | Floating Witch's Head | 911 |
| 1:47:59 | Omaha Haze | Snow White Ferocity, Snow White Feral City (only setuar) |
#AcidRock #Alternative #Ambient #Avant-garde #Bedroom #Cosmic #DesertDrone #DesertRock #Devotional #DreamPop #Drone #Electronica #Experimental #Fuzz #GaragePunk #GarageRock #Grunge #HeavyPsych #Improvisation #IndiePop #IndieRock #Instrumental #Ketalysergia #Krautrock #Lo-Fi #Meditation #Neopsychedelia #NoWave #Noise #Post-punk #Post-rock #PowerPop #Prog #ProtoPunk #Psych #Psychedelic #PsychedelicFolk #PsychedelicPop #PsychedelicPunk #PsychedelicRock #Punk #Reverb #Shoegaze #SoundCollage #SpaceRock #SpaghettiWestern #SpiritualJazz #StonerRock #Tape #Trash #WallOfSound
The tracks in this episode come from Europe, the US and Canada, and one track from Australia, “Dark Patterns” by Night Rites. One of the most notable tracks featured in this episode is a collaborative effort between an American band, the Striped Bananas, and the Ukrainian band Nameless called “Newest Age Man”. A few weeks ago I did an episode of Turn Me On Dead Man where I focused on garage, stoner and psych bands from Ukraine, and “Newest Age Man” was released just after I posted that episode. Nameless works with the charity foundation Musicians Defend Ukraine which directly helps Ukrainian musicians and artists who joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces in response to the Russian invasion.
Another notable track in this episode is “Invisible Hammerblow” by Mienakunaru–notable because it comes from the compilation We Love You Junzo. In February Suzuki Junzo fell from a train platform in Tokyo and that resulted in some serious injuries. He’s in a rehabilitation hospital now and is unable to tour or record music. We Love You Junzo is a benefit for Suzuki Junzo to support him financially but they also call it a “giant get well card”. Mienakunaru is a collaboration between Junzo and Mike Vest with Dave Sned on drums. I played a track by Mienakunaru on an episode of Turn Me On, Dead Man last year.
The last set in this episode opens with “Montjuic” from East and West Rendezvous, a group of musicians from Edinburgh, Scotland, who played an improvisational set drawing on spiritual jazz and psychedelic rock. Listening to this got me to thinking about an experience I had recently in the parking garage of Walmart in Washington DC. My feelings about Walmart are complicated, I guess you could say. A few years ago they built four stores in DC and they’ve genuinely been positive additions to the neighborhoods they chose. Still, it’s Walmart and I probably wouldn’t go there except that my teenage daughter loves shopping there. I bought her a mirror and I was having trouble getting it into my car. If you ever happen to be in the parking garage of the Walmart on Georgia Ave in Washington, DC, one of the first things you’ll notice is that it’s really hot–I mean the ventilation must be terrible–so I’m always anxious to get out of superheated noxious Walmart fumes. I was really getting frustrated trying to get this mirror into my car and this guy just appeared out of nowhere with a clipboard. I’m not sure what he said but all I said to him was “Whatever it is I’m not interested” before noticing he was wearing a T-shirt that said “Love Thy Neighbor.” I’m usually not rude to people but I was having a difficult time. He was nice about it and went away, and, of course, I felt shitty about it after that. There’s very little chance that he would hear this, but I’m playing the track “Montjuic” by East and West Rendezvous as a sort of message of atonement to the universe for being rude to someone who probably just wanted to tell me the good news.
⦾ The Mango Furs – Seeker (from Brain Drain, release date: May 23, 2022)
The Mango Furs is a psychedelic pop band from Nashville, Tennessee.
TMODM: What had the biggest influence on Brain Drain?
TMF: I was mostly just exploring 60s garage rock at that point in time. I really love that raw sound back then.
TMODM: What record changed your life?
TMF: Woof. Tough one there. Probably the Bob Marley compilation my brother had or Blind Melon’s self titled both had big impressions on me first time hearing them. Maybe thats nostalgia talking tho
TMODM: What’s next for you?
TMF: Im currently working on a new record. Recently I was able to get some new gear so ive been exploring a lot and trying new things. Its been fun.
⦾ Night Rites – Dark Patterns (from Dark Patterns, release date: April 8, 2022)
Psych / Drone / Reverb / Fuzz / Delay / Synths 3-piece band from Adelaide, Australia, comprising of members from local acts The Howling Fog, The Dunes and Byzantines. Night Rites are Rhys Overall (Vocals, Bass), Adam Vanderwerf (Guitar, Synth) and Peter Blunden (Drums). I corresponded with Adam.
TMODM: What has had the biggest influence on your music?
NR: The idea of keeping the song and idea simple, but still taking a journey and filling each bit of it with something new. The main idea for the track came from a jam session we were doing, and instead of trying to change things and add something we just left it as it was and used extra gear and pedals to fill the song. Early in 2020 everything shut down here in Adelaide; venues closed up, live shows stopped happening, COVID hit. We used that time to bring out some new gear; specifically old synths and noise pedals. The idea of incorporating these into our music grew, and by the time we had this song done we knew where each of the parts would go. We worked with a great mixer (Brett Orrison – Spaceflight Records) who really got what we were going for, and i think the final product speaks to what we (and he) heard in our heads. We’ve all been (and still are) in other bands but playing music in Night Rites is exciting, something fresh. The songs have structure, but performing them live allows us to really experiment and push the ideas we have out there.
TMODM: What record changed your life?
NR: As a collective, we really get into The Black Angels ‘Directions To See A Ghost’ – there is a darkness, ebb and flow, to each track – start to finish it’s just a solid album.
For me personally, this changes depending on my mood. At the moment I’ve been really digging back to The Velvet Underground & Nico. The way this came out at a time that the whole west coast “sound” was happening, yet you had this group of misfits all dressed in black, in various states of chemically induced psychedelic excesses, putting out such a different sounding album speaks volumes to their character and their steadfast belief in themselves. Nico was brought in by Andy Warhol to provide a softer side to the band, and it almost seems jarring when her songs come on, but it just works. I love the way its rule-breaking; blending art/music/experimentation, visceral rock’n’roll, streetwise lyrics that go from viciously atonal to fragile and poetic. Standout track for me is Run Run Run – the way that solo hits…
TMODM: What’s next for you?
NR: We are finishing off the rest of an EP in the next few weeks, then getting it mixed and deciding what to do with it. As with our live set, there is a bit of free form experimentation happening on this recording which has been real fun to make and record. Itll probably be just a digital release at this stage, but that might change down the track. We are playing a show with good friends Buried Feather and Grinding Eyes here in Adelaide on 16-July, and after that really want to focus on getting interstate and taking our set on the road for a bit.
⦾ Melting Palms – Orchard’s Lie (from Noise Between The Shades, release date: August 26, 2022)
Melting Palms are based in Hamburg, Germany.
TMODM: What had the biggest influence on Noise Between The Shades?
MP: It is difficult to identify a major influence on the album. Everyone in the band comes from different areas of music and that’s probably what creates the sound of the album: the different influences of the band members. While Johann, our drummer, and Teresa, our guitarist and singer, were shaped by the harder rock and hardcore genres, our bassist Lukas comes from the emo genre, Tim, our third guitarist, listens to ambient and quiet melancholic music and I (Mike, singer and guitarist) was shaped by the 60s psychedelic and neo-psychedelic genres. Of course, we also have common denominators of bands we all like (Radiohead, Nothing, Deerhunter, Wand), but despite the common denominators, you can still hear the influence that each individual band member has had.
TMODM: What record changed your life?
MP: It’s equally hard to pin down an album that changed my life. There are a few. But if I had to name three significant albums, it would be: Radiohead – In Rainbows, Tame Impala – Innerspeaker, The Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream.
Of course, I’m only talking about myself (Mike). Each of the others of Melting Palms would certainly name other albums.
TMODM: What’s next for you?
MP: We are happy that we are gradually releasing what we have been working on for 2 years. In August this year our album will finally come out and we have been waiting for it for so long. Until then we will release 2 video singles. After the album release we have a few more videos planned. And then we will go on tour. We are really looking forward to that. After we had to cancel our tours several times within 2 years due to the Corona pandemic, it’s high time to finally tour again and present our new songs. We have a long tour planned. Maybe we’ll come to your homecity too. 🙂
⦾ The Striped Bananas & Nameless – Newest Age Man (from Newest Age Man, release date: May 1, 2022)
Newest Age Man is a collaboration between the Striped Bananas and Nameless. The Striped Bananas are a psychedelic indie rock band from Hartford, Connecticut consisting of husband and wife duo Duncan and Chantelle Shepard. Nameless is a psychedelic band based in Ternopil, Ukraine, that has been active since 1992, consisting of Sweetlana Forlove – Vocal/Harmonica, Zoryan Bezkorovajny – guitar/, Roman Bozjko – drums, Yaroslav Drozdovsky – bass. Nameless works with Musicians Defend Ukraine Charity Foundation [shpytal.com/musicians-defend-ukraine/], whose goal is to involve the global music industry in supporting Ukrainian artists who defend their cities and work as volunteers.
TMODM: How did the collaboration with Nameless come about?
Duncan: We had been mutual admirers of each others’ music for a few years before making acquaintanceship over social media. It is amazing how small the world is when you connect with like minded musicians so far away. After Russia invaded Ukraine, we helped raise some funds for their bomb shelter in Ternopil, which had been their rehearsal/studio space before the war. In April, Zoryan reached out and invited us to work on the new song Nameless was recording. We contributed mellotron (strings and flutes), the guitar solo and backing vocals. Over the next couple of weeks we exchanged thoughts on the mix and adjustments before arriving at the finalized version. It was a great experience and Zoryan and I were on the same cosmic brain waves throughout.
TMODM: What has had the biggest influence on your music?
Zoryan: Psychedelic music of the 60s
Duncan: The 60s definitely influence our music as well. We also listen to a lot of Power Pop like Badfinger.
TMODM: What record changed your life?
Zoryan: The Velvet Underground – Ocean
Duncan: Cream’s Disraeli Gears – first as a bass player learning the fundamentals of hard psychedelic blues rock when I was a teen and then later as a singer, lead guitarist and songwriter. I’m a big fan of Jack Bruce’s singing, bass playing and songwriting.
TMODM: What’s next for you?
Zoryan: The day of Ukrainian Victory – more information on the Musicians Defend Ukraine Foundation that supports musicians and artists who joined the UA armed forces: https://shpytal.com/musicians-defend-ukraine/
Duncan: We are currently working on our 7th LP but we also hope to do another collaboration with our friends Nameless this year.
⦾ Mienakunaru – Invisible Hammerthrow (from We Love You Junzo, release date: June 14, 2022)
From the We Love You Junzo liner notes: “Everybody who meets Suzuki Junzo loves the guy. Everybody who has seen him live drops their jaw on the floor. So when this February he suffered a intracerebral hemorrhage and a subarachnoid hemorrhage everyone was very worried. Junzo is now in a rehabilitation hospital and unable to tour or record music. Proceeds from this compilation will all go towards helping him financially but we want this to do more than that. This album is also one giant get well card, a huge sign of love from the world to Junzo. We love you Junzo and we know you got this but we’re all there cheering for you every step of the way.”
⦾ The Dry Mouths – Den-Dro Sum (from Thödol, release date: May 13, 2022)
The Dry Mouths are a power trio based in Almería, Spain
TMODM: What had the biggest influence on Thödol?
TDM: Death…In ‘Thödol’ we reflect our vision of intangible, dreamy, ethereal worlds and sensations… a musical performance inspired by ‘The Tibetan Book of the Dead’
TMODM: What record changed your life?
TDM: Nirvana “BLEACH”
TMODM: What’s next for you?
TDM: More albums and less live shows
⦾ Birds Flying Backwards – Surrender to The Void I, II & III (from Birds Flying Backwards, release date: March 25, 2022)
All songs are written, performed, recorded, produced and mixed by Joe Russell-Sanders at The Mud Factory in London.
⦾ Abronia – Night Hoarders (from Map of Dawn, release date: May 20, 2022)
Abronia is a six-piece based in Portland, Oregon (two guitars, pedal steel, tenor saxophone, bass, and a big drum). I corresponded with Eric Crespo and Rick Pedrosa.
TMODM:
What had the strongest influence on Map of Dawn?
EC: Not going on tour in 2020 or going anywhere really. We stayed around and wrote the album.
RP: creativity in the face of uncertainty
TMODM: What record changed your life?
EC: Steve Reich – “Music for 18 Musicians”
RP: John Luther Adams- in the white silence
TMODM: What’s next for you?
EC: Going on tour in Europe.
RP: tour
TMODM: What makes music psychedelic? or maybe better, what about your music is psychedelic?
EC: I think you first have to think about what makes anything psychedelic, before you can figure out what makes music psychedelic.
I’ve heard someone explain that a psychedelic experience is an experience that takes out of the familiar frame of your own life. If that’s the case then I think any music at all can be psychedelic. It doesn’t have to be good music–you don’t have to like it even, but if you really tune in to it fully you can find yourself completely immersed and transported by any music that exists. Even just any sound–a leaf blower, a bird call: it’s all fair game for a psychedelic experience. This may sound sort of obtuse, but I think anyone who is intimately familiar with the psychedelic experience can understand what I mean. When the synesthesia kicks in and you’re seeing the sound waves move in various shades of undulating color emanating from the speakers it almost doesn’t matter if it’s Mozart or the Spice Girls–all of it is sound that, for lack of a better term, can create a psychedelic experience. Sound can be sort of magical that way.
Of course our culture (or counter-culture) sort of dictates what has been deemed appropriately psychedelic music and there is a whole style and mindset built around that. Though it does seem obvious that there is certain ancient music that was made to facilitate religious psychedelic experience, and I think a lot of so-called “psychedelic music” is referencing that music.
But there’s the idea of the music taking you on “a trip” and not just being there to facilitate your psychedelic experience. But I think sometimes these approaches can often co-mingle. I could go on all day talking in circles about this but I’ll stop there.
RP: I think music is psychedelic when it takes you somewhere other than where you are. When you close your eyes and a story unfolds in your mind vividly and music dictates the mood and story. Maybe it connects with lyrics or more likely it doesn’t and the mind is using the sounds to create something new.
⦾ Golomb – Western Threshold (from Golomb, release date: June 10, 2022)
Golomb is Mickey Shuman, Xenia Bleveans Holm, Hawken Holm. I corresponded with Mickey Shuman.
TMODM: What has had the biggest influence on your music?
MS: Traveling
TMODM: What record changed your life?
MS: Spacemen 3 – Perfect Prescription
TMODM: What’s next for you?
MS: Get our music out of Ohio
⦾ JIRM – Liquid Covenant (from The Tunnel, The Well, Holy Bedlam, release date: March 4, 2022)
Sweden’s heavy rock stalwarts JIRM (formerly known as Jeremy Irons & the Ratgang Malibus) signed to Ripple Music for the release of their fifth full-length ‘The Tunnel, The Well, Holy Bedlam’ in early 2022.
TMODM: What had the strongest influence on The Tunnel, The Well, Holy Bedlam?
JIRM: I guess life itself. Being stuck in the apparatus, developing a Tunnel vision. Just doing what youre told. Numbing yourself with heavily drinking being the Well. And when they got us where they want us, they can control what we eat, vote for etc…being the Bedlam.
TMODM: What record changed your life?
JIRM: We all got so different music taste, but in there there’s Relationship of Command, Lateralus and Arclight.
TMODM: What’s next for you?
JIRM: All we got is two gigs booked in the fall. And we’re also going to repress our 2014 album Spirit Knife.
Yeah. Uplifting 🙂
⦾ Dialing In – Blooming Wire (from Portals, release date: May 20, 2022)
Dialing In is from Seattle
TMODM: What had the biggest influence on Portals?
DI: Biggest influence on the album would probably be a combo of old equipment leading the recording process, old fashioned techniques on my part, ie, a staunch refusal to learn how to mix anything via digital mechanisms, a constant swing from despair to elation and old peeling wallpaper?
TMODM: What record changed your life?
DI: both holger czukay canaxis; flying saucer attack s/t helped to guide me on how/what I wanted to do musically
TMODM: What’s next for you?
DI: Just keep making my weird little projects to keep one step ahead of the ever screaming abyss!
⦾ Acid Barretts – Heartlock (from Heartlock / Down Again, release date: July 11, 2022)
Acid Barretts are a noisy shoegaze/postpunk duo from Athens, Greece.
TMODM: What has had the biggest influence on your music?
AB: The biggest influence on our music has been the constant experimentation with musical styles and genres, as well as the exploration of boundaries regarding when something can be considered musical or not. The creation of a soundscape for the perfect moment in time, for us and the listener. We stay alive by moving forward, and music is our accelerator.
TMODM: What record changed your life?
AB: The record that was the turning point in our mutual musical life was The Piper at the Gates of Dawn by Pink Floyd. The genius of Interstellar Overdrive, the archetypical trip through existence.
TMODM: What’s next for you?
AB: More knowledge, understanding and trying to figure things out. Isn’t this the same for everyone? Music is an act of resistance under many circumstances, not only when oblivion is the enemy.
⦾ Vanishing Trace – Pierce My Brain (from Vultures and Worms EP, release date: June 9, 2022)
Vanishing Trace is Kevin Malik (Guitar, Drums, Synthesis, Sound Design) and Sean Daly (Bass, Vocals, Miscellaneous Noise). I corresponded with Sean Daly.
TMODM: What has had the biggest influence on Vultures and Worms EP?
SD: I’m sure Kevin (the smarter, better looking half of Vanishing Trace) has much different answers than I do, and my answers regularly change, but for today: an uneven mix of Husker Du, early PiL, Neu!, Loop, My Bloody Valentine, Swervdriver, Velvet Underground, Mogwai, Hair & Skin Trading Co
TMODM: What record changed your life?
SD: Swervdriver – Raise : The moment I realized intensity and atmosphere can not only co-exist, but can also feed off each other quite nicely
TMODM: What’s next for you?
SD: Planet domination. Really though, aspirations are not too high these days: staying alive and keeping our day jobs seem to be enough for now. Oh, and we’ll most likely release more music.
⦾ Bad Liquor Pond – Painted Daisies (from American Medicine, release date: June 7, 2022)
Bad Liquor Pond formed in Baltimore, Maryland in 2006. The group released 3 albums, and one 7″ by the end of 2012. The next year the band went on an indefinite hiatus with songwriter, Dave Gibson working with new musicians and recording a full length album “MORELS: Drift” (2015). Dave began writing and recording again in 2020, with 2022 marking the release of “American Medicine”
TMODM: What had the biggest influence on American Medicine?
BLP: Lock down living. All of the tunes were written in 2020 and then recorded in 2021 at my house. I got inspired by my friend Bo Lee Da who had been recording and posting live performances from his basement ( Bo Lee Da, Snowflake the Drummer, and Tomahawk ), so I decided to start recording songs that I could work on to get back in to video editing. I made videos for the songs over the summer of 2021 as I was completing the mixes and released them on youtube, one per month ( “Painted Daisies” by David Parke ).
TMODM: What’s next for you?
BLP: We have a full live band shaping up now. We’re working on writing and rehearsing and plan to play out once we have the material ready to go.
TMODM: What record changed your life?
BLP: Ween, Pure Guava. John Frusciante, Niandra LaDes and Usually Just a T-Shirt. Both showed me how to lose yourself in the exploration of self expression through lo-fi recording during my formative years, and the beauty that mistakes can make in art.
⦾ Thee Mean Reds – Vessel (from Spook Racket, release date: May 18, 2022)
Thee Mean Reds are from Toronto.
TMODM: What has had the biggest influence on Spook Racket?
TMR: Religion and horror, or specifically religion as its own unique brand of horror.
We wanted to express a sense of displeasure at the negative effect it can often have on individuals and families.
Granted most of the lyrics may be unintelligible, but fanaticism, abuse, suppressed emotions, Catholic guilt, alcoholism, (un)holy ghosts…all that fun stuff is in there.
We were looking at organized religion as the original con, or spook racket, so to speak.
TMODM: What record changed your life?
TMR: Psychocandy by The Jesus and Mary Chain – that was definitely my introduction to a whole noisy new world.
Unbridled, abrasive noise mixed with melodic pop songs – I’d never heard anything like it.
TMODM: What’s next for you?
TMR: We are working on an EP as we speak but we do tend to finish things at a very leisurely pace. It might be done this year or in five years time…who knows.
King Gizzard we are not.
⦾ Underground Mountains – In Search of Highs pt. 1 (from Cosmic Biker Smell, release date: June 9, 2022)
⦾ Shane Hartman – Presence (from Metal Machine Ascension, release date: May 25, 2022)
Shane Hartman and Underground Mountains are both on the label We, Here and Now!, which is a Psych / Doom / Experimental music label based in Stratford, Ontario. Underground Mountains here are Trevor, Jeremy and Shane. I corresponded with Shane Hartman.
TMODM: What had the biggest influence on Cosmic Biker Smell?
SH: at the time of this session, I was deep into records from Mienkunaru and Snakes Don’t Belong in Alaska, both featuring Junzo Suzuki who is a big influence on my guitar playing. Those as well as records by France (Meltdown of Planet Earth, Do Den Haag Church), Hibushibire, Dead Sea Apes and The Heads. Underground Mountains is a 5 piece with a lot of influences that run the gamut from older country records to funk, punk to jazz and dub and experimental sounds.. though full band sessions weren’t always possible since COVID struck, on these recordings Trevor, Jeremy and I play as a power duo/trio.
TMODM: What record changed your life?
SH: Sleep – Dopesmoker
G Y! B E – Lift Your Skinny Fists
Fugazi – Repeater
Black Flag – Damaged
Can – Tago Mago
Hawkind – Space Ritual
Too many records to narrow down but labels like Cardinal Fuzz, Noiseagonymayhem, Echodelick and Feeding Tube put out records that continually blow my mind!
TMODM: What’s next for you?
SH: Return to the jam cellar as soon as possible!
Shane Hartman is also the creative force behind Metal Machine Ascension
TMODM: What had the biggest influence on Metal Machine Ascension?
SH: collecting bits of odd gear, fuzz pedals and analog synths also happened to coincide with a fun challenge put out by pedal builder, Chris @ Capitalist Death Cult. Play Enya through pedals to find out if it would sound like MBV. I was isolating with COVID and instead of Enya, messed around with different meditation tapes from Ethan Bokma (@theecosmicbrickroad) played through a bunch of weird gear to use. I think the results speak for themselves.
TMODM: What’s next for you?
SH: I produce the weekly Acid Test Radio show, run the We, Here & Now! label and play in Underground Mountains. That said, I’m always excited to find time to do more of this! Stay tuned!!
⦾ East and West Rendezvous – Montjuïc (from Plantas que viven espontáneamente, release date: February 14, 2022)
East and West Rendezvous is a group of Edinburgh-based musicians who met between COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 to record a spontaneous session. These musicians hadn’t ever played together and most hadn’t even met.
TMODM: What do you think had the biggest musical influence on Plantas que viven espontáneamente?
E&WR: Musically without a doubt the biggest influence was Pharoah Sanders. Anything from his catalogue. Also Bitches Brew and Miles Davis in general In terms of putting together a lineup of musicians that were unknown to each other. I (Jack) at the time was running a recording a rehearsal space in Edinburgh so was able to meet lot’s of musicians. From this group we chose to combine some that we thought would work well together.
TMODM: What record changed your life?
E&WR: There are hundreds. Some big sonic doors were opened by CAN, Ennio Morricone, Brian Eno, Novos Baianos, Miles Davis and of course The Beatles.
TMODM: What’s next for East and West Rendezvous?
E&WR: Actually nothing. I now live in Spain and my studio that we recorded in and was a base for many of the artists has closed. It feels like a really natural end or at least break to that project. We had plans to present the project live alongside the artwork in a gallery but the pandemic and difficulties surrounding that made it impossible. I am currently launching my first solo project as Jack Burns. I also would like to start writing and producing for film or television.
TMODM: What makes music psychedelic? or maybe better, what about your music is psychedelic?
E&WR: Psychedelic music that I enjoy is really about exploring deeper states of consciousness and exploring the universe via sound. I am not the greatest fan of the incense, LSD, let’s have a picnic type British psychedelia. I love the whole west coast American 60s-70s psychedelic scene. Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead etc. In terms of this East and West Rendezvous release it could be loosely classed as psychedelic for sure. In general in my music I focus a lot on repetition and drone. When something is really locked into a solid repeated groove it then allows new elements to appear and tiny flourishes or changes can lead players into totally different tonal directions. It’s a lot more subtle than drastic chord or time changes but as a listener and player I enjoy this type of journey much more.
⦾ The Spanish English Dictionary – Hard To Find (from Loss of Motor Control, release date: February 13, 2022)
The Spanish English Dictionary is based in the US
TMODM: What had the strongest influence on loss of motor control?
TSED: A lot of indie pop/rock from all over the place, but mostly Car Seat Headrest & Guided by Voices.
TMODM: What record changed your life?
TSED: Off the top of my head, probably Weezer’s Blue Album. I discovered it in middle school and have been hooked ever since.
TMODM: What’s next for you?
TSED: To get out of my comfort zone.
⦾ Floating Witch’s Head – 911 (from Medicine Man Demos, release date: June 17, 2022)
Floating Witch’s Head is a new Boise-based project concocted by Travis Ward (guitars & vocals) with Michael Mitchell (drums), Eric Gilbert (keyboards).
RIYL: garage, psych, swamp, proto-punk, acid rock, beards, hot peppers, pickles, parties, nice people.
Answers from guitar player, singer, Travis Ward
TMODM: What has had the biggest influence on your music?
TW: The idea of DIY. Doing it ourselves, our own way, and with our own rules has definitely helped shaped our sound and concept.
TMODM: What record changed your life?
TW: Alan Lomax field recordings.
TMODM: What’s next for you?
TW: A full length album and more shows.
⦾ Omaha Haze – Snow White Ferocity, Snow White Feral City (only setuar) (from Demo 2018, release date: May 6, 2022)
Omaha Haze are from Warsaw, Poland
TMODM: What has had the biggest influence on your music?
OH: The biggest influence on our band were Dylan Carlson’s Earth album called Pentastar: in the Style of the Demons and Neil Young’s Dead Man’s OST. Last but not least lofi japanese psychedelic bands such as Les Rallizes Denudes.
TMODM: What record changed your life?
Setuar (bass & vocals): Definitely Jim Jarmusch Dead Man OST by Neil Young.
Diabel (drums): John Coltrane – A Love Supreme.
Gosia (guitar): I can’t pick just one so i’ll write them down.
Bonobo Black Sands and Migration
Jimi Hendrix Live at the Fillmore East
Bob Marley Exodus
John Lee Hooker Duets
Tame Impala InnerSpeaker
Pearl Jam Twenty
Nirvana Nevermind.
TMODM: What’s next for you?
OH: Unfortunately Omaha Haze split off. We don’t play our rehearsals anymore. Our drummer has his solo avantgarde/drone/jazz project (https://stukot.bandcamp.com/). Our guitarist is not playing in any particular project right now. I’ll be joining forces as a Skalpy z Drzew (https://skalpyzdrzew.bandcamp.com/) with another project called Pleśń (https://lofiplesn.bandcamp.com/). We will be roaming through vast territories of drone/dark ambient/noise/doomjazz soundscapes. The goal is to tell the stories like a storyteller but instead of tongue i will be using trumpet.