Erudite Stoner
Self Titled Album
2015


A cup of nectarous melody is poured gently over the hot coals of wistful self dancing, as acoustic and pretty guitar work drape the room with a beautiful and natural vibe. Spiritual Deliverance sounds a very apt name for this short but memorable opening piece. Alienist continues the edge and follows the path into darker waters, descending into abyssal depths and capturing the glimpses of life that flitter in the bioluminescent shades of temporal existence.


Real feeling is worked into each phrase and bar, the organic and man made element to this music makes it so easy to connect with the artist and sense a fraction of the moment within the composition. We can tell also, that during the performance for recording, that same passion and feeling was stirred up again. The microphone does a great job of detecting this extra ingredient. Maybe the mixing has been left to the minimum, and the earthen flow is kept alive.


With grace and humble adaptation to style, Erudite Stoner completes the demonstration of talent with yet more diversity but stays true to original musicianship. The mastery of the steel string and plucked timing is clear, and by the time we get half way through this relaxing and at the same time moving album, it's clear to us that we're listening to a person who has spent a long time working on their sound. The reality of working with steel and finger is that we can place our whole body into the playing, and with the slightest touch, adjust the feel of everything the instrument produces.


Waiting for the Storm is perhaps the most touchable track, with a nostalgia and a folklore feel that really reminds us of something that we don't actually remember. When the distortion kicks in, the fuzz creates another layer which actually makes it more slippery and easier to digest. I love this about music, and this one guitar sound has been able to touch on so many ghosts with the simple tunes and timings that go alongside the human and analogue way in which the album has been produced. Traditions seep across this work like clothes.


Erudite Stoner can be listened to for free and  bought as a digital download from Bandcamp.

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7JK
Ride the Solar Tide
Redroom Records


Liftoff, and the sudden realisation smacks home. It's time to go. The pulse of a distant siren recommends caution, and the key choice sheers a level cliff of musical poise upon our sensations. We are relaxed, tied down to a chair and with G forces rising, the music starts to draw us in. And this is all anticipation, as we then hear the all powerful countdown. Something happens inside us, we feel a weight lift from within as something changes in the music.


If we look out in all directions at once, and observe the visible universe, we technically stand in the very centre. Some have even said that there is no universe outside of what we see, but who knows. Everything goes back in time, it's much bigger than the Hubble pictures which capture light from millions and millions of years ago. It's moving fast. We are the Centre of the Universe. Everything is the centre of the universe, from where it is. Lets just get over ourselves and realise that we need to get doing and being if there is any life in us at all. Centre ourselves, put the universe in its place, and all falls together with a little effort. The track puts this paradox to us very well.


Electronic pulsations and sky-bound fuzzy strings sweep away the heaviness of the previous instalment, and with the vocals coming through in a much clearer and familiar way, the sensations drift again into a new bearing. I do like boiled rice, but it's only good with other things. Listen to the album to understand.


Space age titles keep coming at us, like stray asteroids of modern culture. Mixing over to the sounds made from modern methods, the scene truly is cosmic. Pitch bending wavering peaks top the crust like double cream. Dark Energy indeed, the vocal effects shiver somewhere inside me. Phase barriers keep the focus glazed but keep everything relatively in line, guidance is internal - as it happens.


Subtle use of the audio clip and sample add the cold water of digital to occasionally tamper down the swelling forces that naturally brew while listening to this album. It has a distinct warmth to it that does sometimes cause us to gag for air. We are in a space adventure, and the crafting of the journey ensures we at least get a taste of what it is about.