Osaka based psych-rock three piece Hibushibire return after a long break, with a new line up and a stunning third album. Produced by Acid Mothers Temple/Mainliner guru Makoto Kawabata who also guests on the album.

Following the successes of their debut album 'Freak Out Orgasm!' (2017), the follow up ‘Turn On, Tune In, Freak Out’ (2019) and two very well received UK tours. The band headed home to Osaka, Japan and then, the pandemic hit.

During this downtime, guitarist/vocalist Changchang decided to create a new power trio. Enter Tetsuji Toyoda (Bass/Vocals) & Aoi Hama (Drums/Vocals). The new trio have spent the last three years writing new music, playing live and honing their sound in Japan, and a short well received tour of Taiwan with Riot Season labelmates Dope Purple. And now finally, Hibushibire mark 2 is born properly.

“Hibushibire has returned after a change of members. A psychedelic, progressive work, suitable for a new beginning"

Entering the studio with Acid Mothers Temple/Mainliner guru Makoto Kawabata in the producer chair (and also as a guest musician) once again, the band recorded album number three, 'Magical Metamorphosis Third Eye’. Makoto also adds some of his own trademark guitar howls throughout the album, perfectly complimenting Changchang’s own growing prowess.

Here the band have taken their trademark psych-rock blasts and blended them perfectly with some more trippy, dare I say sweet progressive psychedelic sounds.

“The idea of this album is based on the theme of "occultism and mysticism". But it's not a serious thing, it's about the things we like (UFOs, pyramids, psychic phenomena, shamanism etc) and we all had fun while making it. In terms of what makes it different from the previous Hibushibire albums, it’s where AOI HAMA's vocals are present. I had wanted to use a female vocalist for a long time, so it was a good feeling!”

Like the band's first two albums, 'Magical Metamorphosis Third Eye’ is very much an album of two halves. Side one again is full of killer shorter tracks, while side two is reserved for a blinding majestic 20 minute epic ‘Ayahuasca Witch Abduction’. Perhaps the biggest musical surprise here though is probably track two, the beautifully mellow tripped out ‘We Won't Go Back To The Past’, which sounds like it’s been beamed straight out of the late 60s/early 70s.

The band also tip a nod to the Beatles psychedelic classic ‘Tomorrow Never Ever Knows’, but with their own twist of course.

It’s clear with the line up changes, Changchang has decided to expand the band's musical pathway, and he’s achieved stunning results.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Blasts of hammering percussion and wild shredding 'neath ChangChang's incendiary vocals, bringing to mind Melt Banana or Lightning Bolt but with the psychedelic wooze and impeccable musicianship of the great psychedelic forebears. A bafflingly hefty, undeniably psychedelic ride.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Orangesunshine Of Your Lovemachine (4:20)
A2. We Won't Go Back To The Past (4:06)
A3. Death Surfin USA (2:53)
A4. Tomorrow Never Ever Knows (6:46)
B. Ayahuasca Witch Abduction (20:43)

O-Mandroid is Kawabata Makoto’s new trio with the Acid Mothers Temple drummer Satoshima Nani (voice, drums, sampler) and bassist Hamachang from a Kobe based post punk band BLONDnewHALF

All music and words were improvised though, the sound is like composed psychedelic & progressive rock / late 70’s - early 80’s post punk / Japanese underground experimental, etc.

Kawabata Makoto : guitar, synthesizer, voice
Satoshima Nani : drums, synthersizer, voice
Hamachang : bass, voice

TRACK LISTING

1. Proto Sapiens (7:09)
2. Stone Age Second Stage (11:29)
3. Cyborg Primitive (6:33)
4. Cannibal Bag (13:07)

Finnish space travellers Nolla join forces with psychedelic guitar maestro Mike Vest (Bong, Blown Out, Modoki, Artifacts & Uranium, Drunk In Hell)

Inspired by classic space rock, driving hypnotic krautrock and bleak synth soundscapes, the Kaliyuga Express debut album is a story of ends and beginnings, light and darkness, dystopian worlds beyond and their warriors and masters.

Prepare to be blasted into endless black space!

‘Ultra Delays & Octave Hawkwind Guitar Compositions. At the Edge Of Time & The Universe.’

For fans of: Hawkwind, Can, Sun Dial, Bevis Frond, Space Rock, Kosmische Musik etc

TRACK LISTING

A1. Nightmare Dimensions (11:50)
A2. Behind The Veil (8:58)
B. Endless Black Space (18:57)

Ultra limited edition release from Taiwan’s psych-rock heroes Dope Purple, joined here by fellow Taipei resident, noise musician Bei San Q Nan.

“Dope Purple's most ferocious noise psychedelic live album with a whole lot of harsh noise and amphetamines added to the music of "Grateful End".

Recorded in September 2018. Taipei's noise musician Bei San Q Nan joined Dope Purple to begin the album with over 10 minutes of harsh noise and continued to bring the noise psychedelic tinnitus hell”

This double vinyl set includes the remastered version of the cassette album, in addition to a super-heavyweight drone song recorded in 2022.

One for the die-hards.

TRACK LISTING

A. Curse / The Last Day Of Humanity (20:58)
B. C Chord / C.R.I.N.D (13:54)
C. Your Evilness / D.P.H. (18:18)
D. The Last Waltz (21:32)

For fans of scuzzed out space punk rock n roll, Stooges, Gong, Hillage, Skullflower, Japanese psych rock.

Quick return from the Japanese/UK power trio MODOKI with album number two, 'Luna To Phobos'

Composed around the same time as their sold out debut ‘Atom Sphere’. However, this incarnation explores the darker shades of psychedelia & experimentation.

WHO ARE MODOKI ?
Mitsuru Tabata, Japanese underground rock guitarist, vocalist and composer (Zeni Geva, Leningrad Blues Machine, Boredoms, 20 Guilders, Green Flames, Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno)

Mike Vest (BONG, 11Paranoias, Drunk In Hell, Blown out, Lush Worker, Downtime, Neutraliser)

Dave Sneddon (Gruel, Threads, Flat Earth Records)

‘Second album from this prolific outfit, this album explores further into psychedelic realms, elements of twisted Steve Hillage, MC5, Skullflower and Gong' 

TRACK LISTING

A1. Sick Starliners (3:02)
A2. Mud River (4:09)
A3. Those Disruptors (5:29)
A4. Luna To Phobos (5:30)
B1. Non Telepaths (3:23)
B2. Multiplied From The Old Days (2:53)
B3. Benefit Of Control (3:20)
B4. Zenith (8:18)

For fans of Up-Tight, Les Rallizes Denudes, Acid Mothers Temple, and deep psych rock.

Introducing TOMOYUKI TRIO, a blistering Japanese/UK psych-rock power trio featuring Tomoyuki Aoki, Mike Vest & Dave Sneddon.

Tomoyuki Aoki is the founding member and lead guitarist of the legendary Japanese psychedelic rock band UP-TIGHT, who’ve been active and since 1992 building up a cult following worldwide.

This debut collaboration between Tomoyuki Aoki & Mike Vest (of Blown Out, Bong, Modoki, Artifacts & Uranium, Drunk In Hell etc) greets two titans of guitar feedback and blissful ‘improvised every-time’ leads.

Experimental ultra-delayed vocals, shimmer over downer minor chord basslines, leaving room for Aoki’s guitar devastations.

This is introverted mournful psychedelic rock music, yet it still grooves all the way to it's inevitable oblivion.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Voiceless Cry (15:02)
A2. Transcendentem (6:53)
B1. Metagalactic (6:18)
B2. Universum (7:30)
B3. Aether (3:26)

Mahti are a Finnish four-piece group presenting a unique mixture of ambient rock, electronic music and traditional Finnish-Karelian music.

Lengthy semi-improvisational pieces are built on top of complex, hypnotic grooves which are layered with opaque guitars and strangely soothing noise elements. In the heart of it all there's kantele, an ancient Finnish string instrument played by Hannu Saha, who has studied Finnish folk music in theory and practice for nearly five decades. The other players are Jussi Lehtisalo and Tomi Leppänen, who also form the rhythmic core of avant-rock group Circle, and psychiatrist Teemu Elo.

Strange dreams guaranteed!

“These ancient musicians played their ‘mahti’… and the sound they produced was called ‘musiikki’”

TRACK LISTING

A1. Pala 6 (10:44)
A2. Pala 7 (12:05)
B1. Pala 8 (9:08)
B2. Pala 9 (11:06)

For fans of psych rock, space rock, psych-prog, noise rock etc.

Their journey started a long time ago, some say on Saturn, some say in the subconscious of the human psyche, coming out in different manners through the ages, channelled by mystics, witch doctors, shamans, free thinkers, free spirits. But we do know that what has become Codex Serafini travelled here from their home world on Enceladus in 2019 and crash landed into the music scene of Sussex.

Invoking many styles of psychedelic rock from the recent human musical history to open the minds of their human audience to the other world, and higher plane.

After releasing two EP’s, ‘Serpents of Enceladus’ in 2020 and ‘Invisible Landscape’ in 2021 Codex Serafini embarked on their most immersive journey so far creating what would become ‘The Imprecation Of Anima’ an exploration of the self, the duality of the human existence. The album is heavy, much heavier than their previous output and the albums longest song, ‘Animus in Decay’ is longer than either of the bands previous EP’s.

It snakes and weaves an epic motif through the wilderness of the sometimes barren lands of the unconsciousness, focusing the mind with it’s almost heavy metal mantra and using this to open up the third eye to the realisation of our mortal existence. The whole album is a pilgrimage into one's inner self and its relationship with its own shadow in its truest form, two parts coming together as a whole.

TRACK LISTING

1. Manzareck’s Secret (9:40)
2. Mujer Espiritu (15:33)
3. I Am Sorrow, I Am Lust (3:02)
4. Animus In Decay (17:15)

Mahti are a Finnish four-piece group presenting a unique mixture of ambient-rock, electronic music and traditional Finnish-Karelian music.

Lengthy semi-improvisational pieces are built on top of complex, hypnotic grooves which are layered with opaque guitars and strangely soothing noise elements. In the heart of it all there's kantele, an ancient Finnish string instrument played by Hannu Saha, who has studied Finnish folk music in theory and practice for nearly five decades.

The other players are Jussi Lehtisalo and Tomi Leppänen, who also form the rhythmic core of avant-rock group Circle, and psychiatrist Teemu Elo.

Strange dreams guaranteed!

Mahti are : Hannu Saha , Jussi Lehtisalo, Tomi Leppänen, Teemu Elo

“These ancient musicians played their ‘mahti’… and the sound they produced was called ‘musiikki’”.

Falling Floors is a psych-rock three piece, formed in the pandemic out of a desire for distraction from dark times and an unending stream of shit news (seriously, what the fuck is going on?) There’s no master plan, no grand ambition, no product-market fit, just a shared love of 60s psych, 70s rock, and the fearless, genre-less experimentation of Krautrock and early prog to get us through.

Riding the trans-Pennine underground (up the hill and out of the crags, down there, you know?), you can hear magical sounds coming out of the Valley. On a cold and wet Calderdale winter, the band recorded their self-titled first album, DIY, live, in two days in Hebden Bridge. Rawness not perfection and feel over finesse were the aims. This album, a trans-Atlantic joint release by Riot Season (UK) and Echodelick (US), lives by slips, fuck-ups, and simple, joyous expression.

Falling Floors is Rob Herian (ex-feral stoner rockers Early Mammal) on guitar and vocals, Harry Wheeler (no ravers The Family Elan) on bass and keys, and Colin Greenwood (ex-shoegaze folk rockers No Sorrows) on drums. It’s no one’s project, and no one’s in charge. But there’s enough in common to keep it honest.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Infinite Switch (8:05)
A2. Interlude 1 (Making A Scene) (0:58)
A3. Ridiculous Man (4:41)
A4. Interlude 2 (Negotiations) (1:16)
A5. Flawed Theme (4:50)
A6. Interlude 3 (Going Quietly) (2:00)
B. Elusive And Unstable Nature Of Truth (18:48)

The third release from Fred Laird was recorded during the period June 2020 and January 2021 on 24trk home studio recording. It is also the first album recorded purely as a solo artist with the occasional guest and draws more from a roots style music (trad it isn’t) than previous more psychedelic releases.

‘Inspiration for the album came from listening to the self-recorded primal music of Hasil Adkins and the first solo Link Wray album for Polydor. The idea of these guys just doing what they wanted back of beyond seemed more akin to me sat in a box room during lockdown feeding off a diet of Billy Chong Kung Fu horror flicks, David Lynch, Noir crime movies, Jean Cocteau and the works of Yukio Mishima.

Musically the sound draws from early Bad Seeds or Crime and the City Solution, Gallon Drunk, Bohren and Der Club of Gore, The Cramps, Hasil Adkins and various other trash inspired twilight creatures. I also wanted to try and create that spooky organ sound that dominates the midnight movie classic ‘Carnival Of Souls’, so there’s quite a lot of organ and piano going on. I also got my hands on a baritone guitar to give the songs more of a deep growly twang!

Vocals are provided by Daisy Atkinson for the Jean Cocteau dedication ‘Orphee’ which is the nearest thing to a pop song on the album and the echoey almost Sister Lover’s sound of the title track. I got sick of my own shit voice and I just thought a female voice would give it a more fragile ethereal vibe.

Mike Blatchford provides formidable saxophone to the album’s last three tracks which were recorded on his mobile phone 300 miles away and synched into the music. The big blasted swing blues of ‘The Big Duvall’ is a dedication to Andy Duvall of Carlton Melton – a big guy who needed a big song. Who knows how big the song could have been in a proper studio. I could have dedicated it to John Wayne but Wayne couldn’t chop down trees with his bare hands like Andy can….’

TRACK LISTING

A1. The Green Eyes Of The Dragon (5:07)
A2. Orphee (4:30)
A3. From The Grave (5:11)
A4. Night Train To Drug Town (6:09)
A5. One More Lonely Angel (4:20)
B1. Sometimes The Night (7:29)
B2. The Sound Of Waves (3:49)
B3. The Big Duvall (7:39)
B4. House In The Snow (7:28)

"I don't remember now"

It's hard to say how Mummise Guns actually came to be a thing. What is certain is that Tracy Bellaries and Matt Ridout had shared a flat for a while and were often speaking about forming a group to have an outlet for some music that Tracy had written, but above and beyond that initial idea the rest is slightly hazy, or perhaps murky is the better word.

Also very much a fact rather than a fiction is that the name was cooked up at Supernormal Festival in 2016 when Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs bassist Johnny Hedley uttered the phrase 'Look at these guns, Mummise Guns' when everyone was hanging around a tree swing (this sounds like we're making it up now, but honest it happened, we think). Tracy and Matt immediately adopted it despite protestations that it was a completely daft thing to do. Thus, the band Mummise Guns was born.

Where, why and how the rest of the group got involved is not 100% clear, but the initial lineup of Tracy, Matt, Adam, Cleaver and Al prepped three of Tracy's songs and three of Matt's into something solid enough to record by early 2017 and the band dropped into Wayne Adam's (Petbrick, Big Lad) Bear Bites Horse Studios in East London to track their debut self-titled LP Mummise Guns (Riot Season REPOSE094LP), with Al and Adam adding further recordings at Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs guitarist Sam Grant's Blank Studios in Newcastle.

After that, it's safe to say things got busy. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs took over the airwaves with a series of incredible LP's on Rocket Recordings, Luminous Bodies wrote and recorded an absolute belter of a second album for Box Records, Casual Nun dropped a couple of full-length smashers and a split with Bruxa Maria on Box Records and Hominid Sounds, Ghold released a killer LP on Crypt of the Wizard, and Black Shape and Michael both dropped some classics on Hominid Sounds and Cracked Ankles respectively.

Yet, throughout all of this intense activity, the Mummise Guns LP lurked in the shadows like a malevolent beast just waiting for the right moment. That moment was early 2019 when everyone regrouped at Bear Bites Horse, including new addition Gordon Watson, for some final overdubs and mixing. And here it is, 2020, and the proof of all this hard graft is finally available to you.

So here are six tracks of noise-fuelled amphetamine that is perfect to drive all the right people from your house and attract all the wrong ones in.

Play LOUD.

TRACK LISTING

A1 Flattened Earth
A2 Glitter Balls
A3 Forever Triggered Forever
B1 Bipolar Brain Transmitter
B2 Dog Cocked
B3 End Of Days

Taras Bulba was formed in the winter of 2019 by Fred Laird and Jon Blacow. Taking a new direction from their last musical outfit EARTHLING SOCIETY, the duo embarked on an inner space mission for new age ideas, rhythmic mantras, ambient landscapes and creative micro dosing.

Taras Bulba ‘One’ is a pot-pouri of Eastern/ Asian sounds, Krautrock Rhythms, ambient landscapes, psychedelic blues and Orb inspired dub. Taking influences from Midori Takada, Tony Scott, CAN, Neu!, 6 organs of Admittance, The Orb and the soundtracks of David Lynch and Angelo Badalemnti.

Recorded between September 2018 to May 2019 on home recording equipment in different houses and any empty space large enough for a drum kit. A laptop dying with over worked CPU and amps so broken that the only alternative was to record straight into the desk. Working to a true DIY ethic like some paranoid Philip K.Dick character with a tin foil antenna; piecing together tracks created out of the ether like satellite messages from some imaginary planet.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
Hashish (5:13)
Moroccan Waves (8:55)
On Mt. Kailash (3:57)
I Hadit, U Nuit (6:40)

Side B
Rising Lazarus Blues (9:02)
The Neon Midnight (5:25)
The YO-YO Man (6:19)
Goin' West (3:14)

Scotland's favourite space-psych-rock-gods return with a new album 'Psych Is Dead' before heading out on a lengthy UK/European tour including appearances at all the key genre festivals such as Safe As Milk, Wrong Fest, DesertFest, Raw Power Festival and Karma Fest.

Formed in 2010, The Cosmic Dead are a quartet from Glasgow, Scotland who share their music through good vibes and better vibrations. Known for their improv, chaos strewn, Buckfast smashed against the wall take on space music, they have roamed from Roadburn to Las Vegas, Dundee to Bangalore with each album offering a meditative window into a certain time and space.

'Psych Is Dead' is the sixth full length album from the band, the glowing embers of a a few days spent recording in a sweaty Sardinian kitchen overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Soon to be available on LP and CD via Riot Season Records, 'Psych Is Dead' is an aural exploration of their tumultuous universe.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Cosmic Dead have once again opened our minds with an expansive and hazy vision of reality. Chugging guitars and swirling synths mix with thunderous drums and all-round heavy vibes. It's a wonder their hearing is still ok with riffs like this going down.

TRACK LISTING

A. Nuraghe (21:54)
B1. Psych Is Dead (8:23)
B2. #FW (15: 28)