Aloysius

Bitchin' Bajas and Natural Information Society - Automaginary

This album hit me the first time I heard it as a really unique symbiosis. Natural Information Society is a kind of free jazz collective and Bitchin Bajas do kind of 60s inspired new-age/drone. Neither of these halves blow me away on their own but slam them together and I feel they hit on an amazing landscape of texture. Sign Spinners is my favourite track from the album - it rips a hole in space-time.

9/10

Anteater

Bitchin' Bajas and Natural Information Society - Automaginary

Groovy krautrock with a swig of acid and prog. Seeing as I'm a nerd in equal parts for early 70's world fusion, ambient and bands like Gong, Acid Mothers Temple and Ozric Tentacles, this is a groovy experience that's right in my sweet spot for this kind of stuff. There's also enough varied instrumentation to differentiate the tracks, especially the great flute on 'Anemometer'. Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

8.5 out of 10

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Trollheart

I'd have to say I enjoyed this. I mean, I didn't love it and I can't say much about it, but it was rhythmic, hypnotic at times, relaxing, interesting, changing and though the first track is a bit long at nineteen minutes plus, and basically one long drone, it was still pretty cool. Give it a 7/10 personally.

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Frownland

This is a pretty kraut driven record, which is ****ing awesome in my book. The opening drones are gorgeous and very earthy sounding. The interplay between the musicians on that track remind me Taj Mahal Travelers with the violins and psychedelic influences making for some fascinating soundscapes. This really sticks to the role of ambient music as Eno put it: music that is as ignorable as it is interesting. This would be good music to take acid to.

That second track kicks it up with that flute that is indeed groovy and some sick kraut rhythms that segues into some nice harp or zither or something. Sign Spinners is a little bit more melodically upbeat and maintains that classic hypnotic rhythm. The clarinets are a nice touch.

The closer is pretty understated in the beginning, and it builds in a pulsing way that really grabs you before it gets jammier. This album hits the spot. Great choice Alyo. 9/10

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Psy-Fi

Ambient music in general tends to bore me overall and this album was no exception. A few brief, mildly interesting spots here and there but nothing that caught my ear in any noteworthy way. Background audio wallpaper for when you want to add a little bit of sonic color to a room. Pleasant but boring and forgettable.

5/10

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