Various - tʌntrə x: Amrita

Neotantra: 2021

Oh my God! You know all those Bandcamp bulk buys I've done? Like, whole artist discographies, and such as? That's essentially buying a box-set! I've been covering multiple box-sets all this time without realizing it. And wouldn't you know it, as soon as I've wrapped up this tʌntrə box-set, I'll be kicking off another. No, not tʌntrə xx or tʌntrə xxx. Heck, the latter is already sold-out, and currently just one left of the former. Hold a sec'... *Jeopardy music plays* I mean, both are already sold out. I'm talking about that Natural Life Essence catalogue grab, containing some... well, a lot of releases. Not to mention that Suntrip Records haul as well. Hey, all those CDs came in a box, so it can count as a box(ed) set!

Anyhow, we've come to the end of this one, and boy, did it fly by fast. Can't believe we're already on CD5, but then it's not like the music within this collection insists upon itself. Much of it can float on by with barely any attention paid to it, which doesn't make it bad or anything. It's ambient music in its purest form, and if you can get more out of it than serving as the backing soundtrack to whatever activities you're engaged in, that's all the bonus. I've certainly come away from this with a couple more artists due for further exploration, but many others kind of just passed me on by. Sort of the issue I had with trying to dig into any of those Tʌntrə digital downloads in the first place, as I recall. Ah well, maybe the 'volume two' set will help sort things out further for yours truly, whenever I get around to that one.

The final set of tʌntrə x is subtitled Amrita. Hey, I know that word! It's the title of that Loop Guru album that changed my life! Okay, that's exaggerating some – more like affirmed my early 'big city bachelorhood' sense of self. Given that amrita is the Sanskrit word for immortality, it makes sense that I'd associate feelings of righteous invincibility listening to such music. Or something.

Honestly though, this Amrita set feels a bit aimless as it plays out. Oh, the music remains quite calm and soothing, as most of the music has throughout. I'm just not hearing the connective tissue between each track. We go from from pleasant ambient drone, to acoustic fuzz, to moody minimalism, to atonal abstraction, and so forth. It rather sounds as though Lee had some leftover pieces he felt needed inclusion, but didn't know where else to place them, so lumped them together here.

That includes one of those massive thirty-minute long tracks scattered about the Tʌntrə series to close us out, Leaf Calligraphy's Sonic Flames. To the sound of densely layered piano tone and a crackling fire, it's about as ambient as the genre can get. Wrap yourself in a snuggly blanket with some hot chocolate, as the lights fade out.

Various - tʌntrə x: Tanmatra

Neotantra: 2021

While we're on the topic of cover art (we are?), I'd like to mention the design adorning the actual box of this tʌntrə box-set. It's a very simple one, an upside-down triangle enclosed within a circle. On the outer edges, however, are two forms that at first glance look like pig-tails, lending the graphic to appearing like Buttercup from Powerpuff Girls (maybe it's the hot neon yellow of the CDs doing that to my brain). Given this box-set loves its geometrical art, I got wondering what those 'pig-tails' actually are.

They kinda' look like curvy braces, as used in function equations, but they're too rounded on the tops and bottom for that. The next closest I've found is a Cartesian graph representation of a logistic curve, it's inverse stacked on top. It certainly fits the model, but the 0,0 point is all wrong, starting too high, dipping down before doing its exponential growth curve upwards. Ergh, I feel like I should know what this shape is, but I only got as far as Calculus 2 in my college studies, so perhaps it's all beyond my scope of comprehension. Or it really is just Lee Norris having a bit of fun with shapes, arranging them into the form of Buttercup from the Powerpuff Girls.

Another tangent somewhat sorted, let's dive into CD4 of tʌntrə x, subtitled Tanmatra. Straight forward what this one is: the elements related to the five senses. As we're dealing with antiquity elements, that includes air for touch, water for taste, fire for vision, earth for smell (d'at some dank dirt, yo'!), and ether for sound. I find that last one a bit amusing, since 'ether' is sometimes translated as 'space', yet there is no sound in actual space. But hey, how were the ancients to know that sound is more closely tied to air?

While I wouldn't say each CD isn't thematically consistent with their subtitle, Tanmatra definitely is the most thematically consistent of them all. With clear transitions between segments, signalling movement onto another facet of tanmatra, this one has the most 'journey-like' vibes going for it, even if some of those gaps throw off the mixed set flow. Which element kicks things off, you ask? Hmm, good question, as opener Purple Skies from California Storm features something almost no other track in this entire box-set has: a rhythm! Okay, it's but a soft, dubby downbeat, but compared to all the beatless music elsewhere, it may as well be a breakcore gabber cut. Normally I'd associate rhythm with 'earth', but 'earth' in tanmatra relates to smell. Would that make this more 'air', then?

There's a couple repeat artists here, including N:L:E:, and Drifts In Autumn. I also recognize Yamaoka and Solipsism among this tracklist (was wondering when he'd show up), but again, a lot of unfamiliar names to my eyes. May want to check out that Mōshonsensu further though, his Notion Of Wonder quite lush in a fuzzy ambient sort of way.

Various - tʌntrə x: Rakrita

Neotantra: 2021

Although I've gone off about how overwhelming all these tʌntrə compilations are, I wonder if Neotantra's wrapped the series up for now, as there hasn't been a new edition for all of 2023 thus far. Granted, the series has had a couple fallow periods, but nothing half a year long. Some of this might have to do with the label sorting out its back-catalogue, including putting together the third box-set of tʌntrə material just now, not to mention another Coercion Of Deities collection too. Then there's another box-set called Ember Delays, wherein some of their digital-only albums were given the CD treatment, plus changing all the older artwork throughout their Bandcamp page. Yes, the slightly OCD-triggering colour gradient era of Neotantra's cover art has been replaced with various still-shots of classy photography. Which... makes those original CDs a might more precious on the collector's market now? Oh, naughty, naughty, Neotantra.

Of course, this might also have to do with the label going to a subscription-based model, wherein you get sent all newly-minted music directly, eliminating the need for free compilations that may or may not get a download. Aw, but I like tidily consolidated collections, even those as formidable as tʌntrə XXIII's twenty-seven track, four hour outing.

Any-whatsit, here's CD3 of tʌntrə x, titled Rakrita. I... can't seem to find anything about this word. The Mighty Google draws an utter blank, steering me towards similar sounding words like rakkhita, rakti, yakrita, and sutrakritanga, which 'rakrita' is a part of. Definitions seem to be all over the place too, the closest commonality being affection and attractiveness. It seems a bit obtuse for a collection of ambient music, but then perhaps there's a deeper meaning that will reveal itself as the CD play- Eh? I should look at the digital title of this set? Oh, it's called Prakriti here, which has a definitive definition of cosmic material energy from which all matter is composed. Well, that makes a whole lot more sense!

I only recognize two names in this set: Ambidextrous and Mind Over MIDI. Everyone else is new to my eyes. Todd Gerber, Paul Tyrrell, Michiru Aoyama, Drifts In Autumn, Clouds Are Learning, The Fold (10), and what's his name, Whatsisname. No, seriously, how is the former prog-rocker the first to ever use this alias? Seems like such a shoo-in for so many techno projects.

Musically, this is the most ambient CD out of this box-set yet. I'm talking pure, gentle, soothing, wispy pad drone, very little in additional experimentation or heavy field recordings getting in the way of things. And while that makes sense for a theme of either prakriti or 'rakrita', it seems at odds with the actual track titles. It Drowned Again, Lose Me To Despair, Rage Against Light, Å˙¨ · º•., The Manacles, and so forth. I'd imagine something more dark and depressing going off these. Heck, even Urskog could imply a foreboding setting. Ol' Fangorn Forest ain't the sort of place for a hammock doze, nosiree.

Various - tʌntrə x: Apurva

Neotantra: 2021

Given how much music is featured on all these tʌntrə compilations, I do wonder what the selection process entails. I've no doubt folks and friends of Lee Norris are more than happy to send in material, but I'm talking about all the other, less-known names. Can you send in any ol' demo, and Neotantra's head of marketing will just slot you in whenever another edition is ready for export? Do you have to have some material already out on streaming services to even be considered? Or a Discogs entry?

Like, I'd consider myself at least somewhat well-versed in the ambient scene – my scrobbling data assures me it's the most prominent genre of music I gorge myself on. And for sure, having listened to many releases out on this label and others of similar ilk, I've come to learn of several artists I'm more than willing to drop big Bandcamp bucks on. Yet even browsing through a random volume of tʌntrə - III, let's say – I'm confronted with names like E.U.E.R.P.I., Theadelaidean, James Shain, and Sebastian Paul, all fresh to my eyes. Might I enjoy their works to?

Probably, but who's got time to digest them when just a couple months later, we're already on tʌntrə VI, with names like Todd Gerber, Nihhus, Hirotaka Shirotsubaki, and Brómus now crowding in for my attention? Throw in Neotantra's mainline run of albums, not to mention whatever parent label Fantasy Enhancing gets up to, and it can all feel overwhelming in how much is getting released. Add one's desire to explore other corners of the ambient scene while you're at it, and y'all understand why I say it's better to just focus on a select few? Even just this one can potentially leave a regular connoisseur more than sated, which I assume is kinda' the aim Neotantra's been shooting for anyway. Your one-stop shop for whatever ambient needs you may be fixin' for, yo'.

ANYHOW, here's CD2 of tʌntrə x, titled Apurva. Google tells me it's another Sanskrit word, in reference to something unique or newly achieved. Wiki tells me it's an element of ritualistic acts within Vendanta philosophy. Given the nature of the music within, I'm kinda' leaning towards the latter definition as it pertains to the CD, as this is some seriously meditative ambient.

I recognize Encym, Memex, and Natural Life Essence on here, not to mention two-and-a-half 'Moss' projects (MO-DU is half a 'moss', don't deny it!). Names that are new to me include Daniel Vujanic, Tunnelwater, Å Asher-Yates, and D York. Some of it's droney, some of it's bleepy, some of it's heavy on the field recordings, some of it heavier on the acoustic fuzz, but all of it is remarkably tranquil. Like, one, long lethargic drift through a gentle brook, slipping in and out of conscious thought. I wish I had more to say about it as music, but again, going into heavy details track by track is totally missing the point of these CDs.

Various - tʌntrə x: Dvandva

Neotantra: 2021

Yo', dawg, I hear you like reviewing box-sets while still reviewing box-sets, so here's another box-set to review while you're still reviewing other box-sets.

I mean, I guess I could have just “not” gotten this. I certainly have never felt compelled to get any of the tʌntrə digital compilations out of Neotantra, and there's plenty of them to freely nab off their Bandcamp, believe you me. In fact, I think that's partially why I never did. There's almost too much ambient music available in this series now, already up to volume twenty-six, often averaging over twenty compositions with some reaching upwards of twenty, twenty-five, even thirty minutes in runtime. It's a lot of ambient music, is what I'm saying. How much ambient music? Hell, two more box-sets of tʌntrə have come out since this one, also five CDs thick!

It's these box-sets, however, that caught my attention. Make no mistake, I'd love to gorge myself on the digi-comps, but I fear so much of it will fade into the background thrum of wallpaper music, never giving enough of it the attention it deserves. No, for my needs, I'd rather have all the choice cuts curated into thematic sets of reasonable listening duration.

That sorted, let's dive into CD1 of this tʌntrə box-set, subtitled Dvandva. What's 'dvandva'? According to Google, it's a Sanskrit term referring to compound words, and gets more complicated the deeper into linguistics you go. For the purpose of a compilation called tʌntrə, however, I assume it has more to do with yoga teachings of dualities. Or something.

Artists I recognize in this set include Specta Ciera, Martin Allin, Futuregrapher, Darren McClure, and Wil Bolton. I think I also recognize Off Land and Milieu, but haven't heard any of their stuff, at least to my recollection. Still, half of these twelve pieces are from artists I don't know, so great for discovery purposes, right? Sure, if I had a handy index of everything. Yeah, there's a tracklist, but as this is technically a 'DJ set' presented as one single track, everything's continuously mixed, even though most transitions are simple fades. I could studiously keep track of every transition, chronicling who's tune comes next and such as, but eh, that defeats the purpose of listening to ambient music such as this, doesn't it.

As for how Dvandva plays out, there does seem to be a push-pull of tone going on. A calm, tranquil piece will be followed by something a little more atonal, experimental, or abstract, then switch back to a more meditative flow of ambience, and so forth. Or maybe I've subconsciously created that theme thanks to the CD's sub-title. Hey, whatever it takes to give all these beatless, freeform compositions some sort of staying power within my psyche. Is this sustainable for four more discs though? Pft, I'm the guy that somehow managed to talk up Every. Single. CD. of a Pete Namlook tribute box-set. This'll be no th'ang, ha-hah, hah!

Bålsam - Soul Offerings

Neotantra: 2019

It cannot be denied: the ambient scene is filled with hippies. No, I'm not talking about anarchist crusty-punks you might see at 'free tekno' parties, though there is some bleed when it comes to the psy side of things. I'm referring to the more New Age sort, who are about yoga, granola diets, herbal remedies, and naturalistic life-styles. All the calm, meditative tones that comes with many forms of ambient music, it's a natural lure for those who fancy themselves living on the mystical side of counter-culture existence. I cannot deny also retaining some minor attributes of this, but nor do I delude myself into thinking I've unplugged from society at large – I'm very much a willing participant of the rat-race. How else can I afford to constantly buy music, after all?

This here Bålsam (Anthony Asher-Yates to the Minnesota census board) is one such person who has managed to get off-grid, so to speak. Inspired by his travels through South America, he decided it was best for his life to retreat to the mountains of Columbia where he could spend his days debugging his soul from the trials modern society had wrought upon him. There, he could indulge in all the healing activities denied him by Western culture – the spiritual ceremonies, the ritualistic music performances, the horticultural medications, and such as. Y'know, real hippie shit.

Okay, I tease – do what works for you, right? I guess I just find it funny how, for a label that's got 'tantra' right in its title and even features a running, free compilation series named as such, it's mostly cultivated the more arty side of ambient musicians. Bålsam is one of the few who could be considered a full-blown hippie among its roster, at least that I've come across.

And what sort of ambient music does Mr. Asher-Yates create? Little in the way of actual music, turns out, heavily reliant upon field recordings with accompanying harmonic tones. Makes sense, feeling inspired by his natural settings, wishing to share the feelings of being immersed within tropical rainforests. It's not all wind through palm leaves and birds of paradise singing Amazon songs though, an ample amount of urban recordings finding their way into his pieces as well. Or at least, it sounds like I'm wondering some city streets, what with heavy use of echo and reverb used in his sampling.

Come to think of it, Soul Offerings doesn't so much have me imagining wandering about dense tropical foliage, but rather within a gigantic biodome containing said environment. It's the way all the natural sounds seemingly echo, sounding like they're bouncing off enclosed concrete walls and glass ceilings. I assume this is a result of Anthony's manipulations of said field recordings, leaving things sounding less 'real' than their source. Was this his intent in crafting these pieces? Or just a happy accident? Whatever the case, Soul Offerings does bring a unique angle to an admittedly over-saturated genre of tropical ambient music.

Moss Covered Technology - Sodium Light

Neotantra: 2021

Oh no! Another lovely little ambient album out of Neotantra, from an artist with a charming three-word alias I know nothing about but am now compelled to explore their Bandcamp page. When will my financial suffering end! *sigh* Let's do this then... Oh, he doesn't have that massive a discography after all. Still, some highly tempting items there. Quiet Loops, Southern Points, Speicherbank, Seafields, And His Many Seas... I'm sensing a theme here, one I'm totally digging. *deep sigh* *comical unzipping sound of digital wallet*

Moss Covered Technology is a relatively new artist, one Greig Baird, releasing the odd item every so often on a variety of labels (Dronarivm, hibernate, Polar Seas Recordings, Eilean Rec., Fluid Audio (2)). He had an earlier, minor run as Boomruin, fusing ambient and drone tones with downtempo beats, eventually making the transition over to more traditional beatless music and field recording manipulations. Seems that was Mr. Barid's true calling, as he's maintained that style ever since.

A running theme among many of Greig's albums under this moniker is using the same title for each track, though not necessarily the name of the album itself. The biggest diversion from this is found here on Sodium Light, each track rather titled Night. If you're wondering why, what do you think powers all those big spotlights in wide-open urban spaces like industrial parks and vehicle lots? There's other uses for them as well, but for the most part, when folks think of twilight hours in darkened city locales, the omnipresent soft glow from overhanging poles tends to spring to mind. Especially is you're the lonesome sort to wander about when contemplating post-clubbing existence and such. Ooh, I suspect there may be a bit of an ambient-Burial vibe going into this one.

Well, not quite. Night #1 is mostly languid synth tones supported by fuzzy analogue throbs, and over in a rather brief three minutes. Night #2 carries on the gentle ambience of soft, harmonic pads blanketed within the warm embrace of faint static. It certainly imparts the feeling of a metropolitan square utterly still, perhaps a stray insect hovering about a street lamp the only movement.

Even when Greig gets a little more 'aggro' and unsettling in his use of background hiss, there's always an accompanying serenity in what melodic tones pierce the murk. Unfortunately, we don't get to dwell on such ideas for long, Sodium Light only six tracks, lasting a mere thirty-five minutes total. I suppose it's effective in getting his musical ideas across without feeling the need to dawdle about, but man, what we do get is such a tease of something larger in scope. Can you blame me for wanting to raid his Bandcamp page for more items?

No, you cannot, which is what makes music exploration and discovery so much fun. Expensive, but fun! Hmm, speaking of, I noticed another intriguing print in my label name-drop above. What does this Polar Seas Recordings offer? Oh... oh no! *sigh* Here we go again... *unz-z-z-i-i-i-ip*...

Mind Over MIDI - Outpost

Neotantra: 2019

Hey-hey, another Neotantra debut from an artist with a robust discography. This one I even know, having already covered Mind Over MIDI's Deep Map some years back. I've actually been meaning to return to Helge Tømmervåg's works for some time now, but he's another one of those highly prolific producers, making a dive into his body of work a bit daunting. For sure his Silent Season contributions are tempting, while his offerings on labels like Shimmering Moods Records, The Level Of Vulnerability, Berserk Fabrik and संस्कार Rites look intriguing. There's just so much of it though, ain't no way I'd be able to check it all out. ...unless, there's a bulk buy option at his Bandcamp page. Hmmm.... *checks* Oh, thank God, there isn't! I don't think I could take on another full-on discography just yet.

Honestly though, I hadn't planned to return to Mind Over MIDI with this particular album, having skipped on it when it first came out. Neotantra was releasing music at such a high clip that I couldn't keep up, so figured I'd focus more on names I was unfamiliar with if I was gonna' scope anything out. It wasn't until getting that Coercion Of Deities compilation that was reminded of Helge even had something out on the label. However, after listening to the gentle, flowing bell tones and soft, ethereal pad work of Subdivision, I knew I had to get the album from whence it came - Outpost - erm, post-haste.

Funny thing is that one three and a half minute track kinda' sums up the whole album, each piece variations on the same sonic ideas. I haven't dove deep enough into Mind Over MIDI's discography to know if this is just how Helge approaches each project, though I do recall Deep Map was similar in that regard. It doesn't make Outpost a deal breaker by any stretch, but if you're looking for an album with a bunch of variety on it, well, you certainly don't know how this branch of abstract, experimental ambient compositions typically plays out. Hey, at least Mr. Tømmervåg divies everything out into twelve, bite-sized chunks (Subdivision is one of the longer tracks on here!), and not some half-hour long meandering piece.

Obviously, there are subtle differences throughout. Opener Dawn To Dark is more of a dronescape. Closer Out Of Reach is a similar dronescape, but with a little more harmonic tone. Outpost 1 is a similar dronescape with brighter harmonic tones. Outpost 2 is a similar dronescape with gentler harmonic tones. Outline 1 is a similar dronescape with splashes of static. Outline 2 is a similar dronescape with sonic stutters and skips. Morning Tide reminds me of J.D. Emmanuel's Visions During Movement.

Okay, so there isn't that much variation, and for some reason, most of Outpost is recorded rather quietly too, as though you're hearing it from a distance. Still, cannot deny it being a nice, gentle bit of abstract harmonic sound while it plays. I'll take it.

Natural Life Essence - Organic Adventures

Neotantra: 2020

Ah, finally, an ambient artist debuting on Neotantra that isn't hopelessly obscure. Well, okay, Natural Life Essence probably is hopelessly obscure to a lot of folks out there, maybe even among ambient fans, but unlike some of the others I've covered from this label, he has a rather robust discography under his belt. One Juan Pablo Giacovino, the Argentinian local has been releasing music for close to a decade now, initially getting his start on German based CYAN, sharing digital domain with the likes of New Age Hippies, Musik Magier, The Mixing Chef, Fortadelis, Jaja (3), and Smooth (8). Perhaps more noteworthy is a short stint with psy label Ovnimoon Records, a lone EP and remix album to his name there.

That's just what Lord Discogs tells me he's done though. Follow a link to his Bandcamp page, however, and holy cow! Chap's been a busy lad, to say the least. To be fair, his Liquid Frog Records print isn't just all him, sharing projects with names like Kiphi, Yahgan, and Spiritual Fields. Still, there's a lot to check out there, all of it looking mighty tempting for a splurge. Space ambient, polar ambient, naturalistic ambient, meditative ambient, abstract ambient, long form ambient... just, so much ambient. What would I even begin to choose from this selection? What, buy the whole catalogue? Don't be daft, the whole thing is eighty-six items! It'd be ludicrous of me to just blind-buy that large of a Bandcamp page and I've already gone and done it, haven't I? *sigh* Well, I guess I needed something to keep generating content for this blog next year.

Anyhow, back to Juan's debut on Neotantra, Organic Adventures. Far as I can tell, three of the self-titled tracks come from an earlier release of N:L:E's, Organic Adventures (Those Other Lands). Which isn't all that uncommon when it comes to Neotantra releases, often serving as much a re-issue print for releases long forgotten or ultra-obscure. 1, 3 and 4 (Part II) are all quite lovely in that slightly psy-chill sort of way, never getting over-indulgent with effects and gimmickry, keeping things just melodic enough to hook you in while tones and drones drift along. Organic Adventures 8, which far as I can tell is an original for this release, is a slightly different outing, gentle washes of white noise dub effects and spoken dialog lending more of a spaced-out vibe.

And speaking of fresh music for a label debut, the first two tracks also appear new, and honestly kinda' clash with the original Organic Adventures sessions. Opener Polinizaton runs a lengthy twenty-one minutes, and is more of a shoegazey dronescape with field recordings of chirping birds. It's quite nice too, very relaxing, kinda' reminiscent of a Slaapwel Records session, and- oh, God! Why did those gentle pads suddenly cut out like that? Talk about sonic whiplash. Liberation (Flying Free) follows in similar fashion, though more emphasis on building upon an uplifting synth pad melody. No sudden cut-off? Now that's an Ace Track!

Encym - Music For Meditation

Neotantra: 2020

Yep, another Neotantra release. Just how many more of these do I have? Not many, though there is a whole box-set lurking further down the queue, so y'all have that to look forward to. Honestly though, I haven't gotten anything new from the label in over a year now, mostly because much of their recent output has been re-issues of Lee Norris back-catalogue. It's honestly a bit weird seeing items like Spacebound and In The Silence Of The Subconscious now on Neotantra, having long ago gathered them on other labels like ...txt and Carpe Sonum Records. Some things like Autumn Of Communion and Understanding Holy Ghosts re-appearing on Fantasy Enhancing, I get, but why not Alien or Abandoned Communities or The Longing Daylight? I'm sure there's a method to Mr. Norris' selection process, but bully me if I can figure it.

Anyhow, Encym. As is too often the case with these Neotantra releases, this artist is a total blank within the Discoggian archives. Music For Meditation is his lone album, though has made numerous compilation appearances in recent years, including plenty on Neotantra's various Tʌntrə compilations (which I never indulge in because each volume drops so-o-o-o- much music that I really, really, really fear having to write reviews on). Basically, one working his way from the minor leagues, finally getting his chance on the main-bench rotation. Sorry, this sports analogy sucks, but 'tis the season where all the sports be sportsing.

Anyhow, Mr. Encym does have a Bandcamp, where a whole bunch more music can be found, with links to all other manner of social media. He self-describes as an ambient jazz bass player, which may have your Bill Laswell triggers flaring, but that's alright. Listening to Music For Meditation, I can totally hear some Laswellian influences and connections. Though really, one could toss a rock in Bill's direction and land on any number of musical associations, his sonic reach as vast as it is.

Let me straight up say not everything on here is 'meditation worthy'. Pieces like Imbued, Quietude, and Traffic Kng feature some rather harsh tones and over-cranked dub effects, not exactly the sort of music best suited for relaxing For sure they're interesting sonic experiments to listen to – if anything, Encym knows how to engage the listener in his freeform music making, especially with a good set of headphones on your head (*cough*). At no point was I bored by what I was hearing, enjoying the variety, even if some portions came off more confrontational than others.

That said, there are some lovely pieces of ambient dub and bass tone drone throughout this album. The titular cut is pure minimalist calm, New River and The Wakening Of The Sky are almost playful in its ebb and throes of layered dub pads, while London Departures is the sort of tranquil ambient drone that makes perfect sense watching the sun slowly rise over rolling country-side hills. From within a moving vehicle, that is.

Specta Ciera - Last Light

Neotantra: 2020

There's no logical reason I should feel surprised at seeing a Specta Ciera album on Neotantra. It's not like Devin Underwood has kept his project exclusive to any particular label. Indeed, he's shopped it around many over the past decade (Earth Mantra, Flaming Pines, Energostatic Records, Distance Recordings, basic_sounds). In more recent years, he has appeared on what I consider the more 'elite' ambient techno labels out there (Carpe Sonum Records, Databloem, Fantasy Enhancing), so it only makes sense that he'd get a crack at Neotantra too.

Yet I still can't shake the notion of Specta Ciera being a dataObscura exclusive. He's released three album there, two of which were collaborations with dataObscura head Anthony Kerby (The Circular Ruins, Nunc Stans). That does leave an impression of an artist a bit loyal to a specific print. Then again, if Neotantra really is the label where artists go to truly get their creative indulgences on, I'm sure Mr. Underwood could leap at the chance at contributing to its catalogue, especially after working as a collaborator for so many years prior (also including Arbee, and Jacob Newman as Gapfield... *whew*, has this ever been a name-drop session).

Unlike some (okay, many) Neotantra albums I've covered, Last Light does appear to have a specific theme in mind. Track titles impart a chronology of deep space exploration, leaving whatever orbit the listener was stationed at before eventually succumbing to the cryo sleep required of interstellar, time-dilating, sanity-sapping cosmic travel.

Despite the name, opener Escape Velocity isn't some high-octane space synth adventure (because obviously ...and Dynatron already did that anyway), but rather a gentle trip of treated string samples and harmonic tones. Follow-ups Soft Glow and LED Circuits paints more of a portrait of life on this starship, chipper synths and twinkling melodies creating quite the atmosphere of charm and whimsy. Wait, did we suddenly turn into a children's movie, with cute muppets on board? Rather reminds me of Hearts Of Space's more upbeat moments.

While the fanciful vibe does maintain throughout Last Light, there is a sense of slowdown as the album carries on. Tracks tend to grow more minimalist as things progress, some pieces even inching just a bit into ominous and mysterious (Time Bending, Memory Freeze). Nothing grows discordant though, Devin mostly keeping things on that whimsical bent. Heck, final track Slumber practically loops back around to the chippiness of Soft Glow. Given the amount of dark ambient that suggests the 'cryo sleep' as some terrifying experience losing one's sense of self, this one instead has me imagining the sleeping crew cuddled snug in their chambers wearing a night cap, a GLO Friend hugged tightly in arms.

I cannot deny it's rather refreshing hearing an ambient album so unapologetically buoyant and jaunty, but it does leave Last Light a somewhat wafer-thin experience for me. Maybe that's more a reflection on my general tastes though, typically preferring deep, introspective drones and the like.

Pale Glow - In Dreams Awake

Neotantra: 2021

Another Neotantra release so soon after the last one? What is this, April of 2021 all over again? Well, this one came out in July of 2021, whereas Martin Allin's album came out in February of 2021, which means... absolutely nothing, if we're being honest. It's just a weird coincidence that the label would put out two albums mere months apart both having titles beginning with the letter “I”, and that I'd be reviewing them mere days apart a year later.

Heck, it wouldn't have surprised me if they were both titled “In [something]”. The world of music loves leading off with the word “In”. Take a gander at some within my own collection: In Blue, In Dub, In Stereo, In Utero, In-Between Spaces, In The Silence Of The Subconscious, In The Rain, In The Noise. And let's not forget all those In Trance We Trust and In Search Of Sunrise mix CDs, to say nothing about the endless amount of words that start with the letters I and N. It's a very, very, very common digraph within the English language, is what I'm saying.

Anyhow, if you remember my previous Neotantra review of so many hours ago, the reason I'm blathering on about silly nonsense rather actual reviewing is because I'm once again confronted with an artist with barely any available information. Total blank with Lord Discogs, a couple Neotantra compilation contributions, plus a self-release on Bandcamp of select tracks from this particular release. At least Mr. Allin had an actual name I could sleuth about a little with, Pale Glow not even providing that. There was a smidgen more with Bandcamp though, which led to a Facebook page with a dash of additional info, but no names or history I could find. Huh, contact Pale Glow directly? What do I look like, a music journalist?

At a glance, Pale Glow seems to come from the shoegazey side of ambient music, as the nine tracks offered on In Dreams Awake are titled in that long, cumbersome way shoegaze artists love. Every Moment Is A Beginning. Perceiving Imperceptible Things. Waking Is A Prelude To A Dream. The Sunlight Clasps The Earth And The Moonbeams Kiss The Sea. Hold Infinity In The Palm Of Your Hand And Eternity In An Hour. A Reflection Of Nature.

The music's a little shoegazey too, in that radiant dawn, twee feeling one gets with the more chill aspects of that scene. Synth pads are delicate, bell tones twinkle like morning dew, rhythms barely a pitter-patter, while the tone remains exceptionally mellow and sun-kissed bliss. Is it just me though, or is every track in the same key? Doing a quick skip through sure makes it sound so. Was In Dreams Awake originally conceived as a singular piece? Despite track breaks, it does come off like one long track, so tonally consistent throughout as it is. Now imagine this album being presented as such, but also retaining the entire 66-word track list as the title too!

Martin Allin - Impact Release

Neotantra: 2021

Now here's an odd one. Yes, I claim that about a lot of releases – when one has covered upward of around two-thousand items, odds are favourable that a few of them will be 'odd'. Claiming a Neotantra release as being odd is a stretch though. Their ambient manifesto is quite clear and concise, with packaging simple and clear. Seldom does the music within indulge conflicting tonal contrasts or extreme experimentation – by this point, you pretty much know what you're gonna' get out of one of their CDs. And yet, Martin Allin's Impact Release is odd because of its CD, or at least its packaging. For some reason, it's different from its digital counterpart, an almost black navy blue, whereas the latter is much brighter. Even the image preview on Bandcamp features a digipak much closer to the digital colours than what I have in my hand.

Did something go wonky at the printing press, certain colours running out on the assembly line? Are there perhaps a select few 'alternate' versions of this CD floating about now, which will command insanely inflated collector's market prices for a copy? Yeah, yeah, it's silly hyper-focusing on such a thing, but when a label makes colour gradients its distinct and only feature in the artwork, minor incongruities tend to leap out at you. At least Neotantra has evolved to include unique photography for its cover art in recent months.

Anyhow, Martin Allin. There isn't much information on him out there in internetland, so I assume he's a relative newcomer to the ambient-osphere. His Discogs page is basically blank, this album and a couple Neotantra compilation contributions the extent of his discographical data. His Soundcloud page does offer a few more items, but far as I can tell, Mr. Allin hit the road running, getting signed to the label shortly after going public with his musical works.

And what brand of ambient do we have ourselves with Impact Release? Mostly minimalist, lowercase forms, with echoing field recordings, soft pad drones, analogue fuzz and generally unassuming, background sonic padding. It's all rather like Andrew Heath (to namedrop another lowercase composer I've covered), though remixed into the deepest meditation vibes you can imagine. Some pieces, like Homeostasis Friend Weather, Your Father And Nature, and Frustrating, are almost nothing more than ethereal wisps of sound, occasional thrums of synth tone and echo drops the only reminder of a CD still playing. Yet even when there's barely any music at all, Martin Allin somehow sucks you in just the same.

The last couple tracks - I Am Grateful To Her For That Lesson and Merry The Mountain - add actual rhythms. Though they're little more than basic dub techno beats, compared to the utter ambience in the rest of the album, these might as well be storming tech-trance beasts. They honestly almost cause me mental whiplash, being so completely zoned out on the near sonic-nothingness leading up to them. Impact Release indeed.

Motionfield - Cryonics

Neotantra: 2021

Now concluding, Motionfield. Well, no, probably not. Dude's still got a number of albums out there that I'll likely spring for at some point or other. Of that initial splurge of four, however, we've finally come to an end.

I cannot deny there's a little struggle in coming up with fresh things to say about Petter Friberg's style of ambient music. For sure it's quite lovely, soothing, haunting, and all those pretty words, and each LP has maintained their own distinct themes, but much of what I've heard has remained rather similar in execution too. It's the 36 or Alphaxone problem all over again, wherein I buy too much of an artist all at once, and exhaust all the talking points I blather on about before diving into music. Guess I outta get to that instead of wasting your time with this blathering about blather.

So Cryonics. This was the most recent record from Motionfield when I went and got a bunch of 'em, though he's since released another one called Injection. That one looks like... synthwave? Well, something future-retro, if the cover-art is to go by. Oops, don't go getting distracted by gaudy, eye-catching artwork, not when I have the pure grey Neotantra's offered in their 'let the music speak for itself' style.

Actually, with a title like Cryonics, I do expect some theme, and the opener instills a proper chilly mood to everything. Mysterious ambient drone shimmers and shatters as sparse, delicate melodies echo into the distant frozen wastes of whatever vista you find yourself upon. Part 2 shifts focus, a burbling acid bassline guiding us out among the stars, all the while the hissing of oxygen tanks remain ever present. A lonesome synth lead imparts a sense of wonder, and gosh, I'm getting serious Starstation Earth vibes on this. Well, the first half of Banco de Gaia's sci-fi epic – doubt Motionfield would unleash some world beat jams anytime soon. Either way, there's some good ol' cryo feels out of these tracks.

But I can't really say the same for much of the rest of the album. I dunno, maybe after Part 2, I thought we might be in for a deep space adventure on a sleeper ship, but the next clutch of tracks feels more grounded, open, spacious, and even, dare I say, warm. A couple pieces, like Part 4 and Part 7, make nice use of field recordings such that your part of a spring melt by way of Biosphere minimalism. Others, like Part 6, Part 8, and Part 9, feature grander synth drones, sometimes layering into an almost aggressive wall of sound. Dennis Huddleston would approve. It's not until final track Part 10 that the ambience turns crisp and cold again.

Not that I want to say Cryonics is Motionfield, erm, going through the motions. Aside from a few tracks though, this is well traversed territory for Petter. One notices such things after taking in four albums of an artist.

Various - Coercion Of Deities

Neotantra: 2021

After twenty-five releases in a mere two years, Neotantra felt it wouldn't hurt to put out a little celebratory compilation summing up their (then) current catalogue. One track per release, ranging from four minute long sonic doodles, to twenty minute long dronescapes. As you can imagine, there was no physical production of Coercion Of Deities, just a Bandcamp exclusive at whatever price you wish to donate. A label sampler then, which I don't normally bother with. If I'm browsing your print, I'm already convinced of the musical product to check out all the proper releases on offer. That's just me though, so if you've just started wondering what the deal is with Neotantra, this is a handy introduction. That said, I ultimately got this for two reasons.

One, I was curious about some of the 'missing' albums from my collection. For sure I've bought quite a few of them, eleven CDs out of the twenty-five (well, technically fourteen, but one order of three was lost – does that make Blue Mountain, Organic Adventures, and Soul Offerings even rarer now?). Generally I'll take in a few audio clips before I decide if yet another Neotantra release is worth dumping my cash into, and if I like what I hear, I buy in. I know, what a shocking habit.

Some stuff I wasn't so immediately convinced on though, so let them pass. Not that they were poor releases or anything, but my music budget stretches only so far, and would rather spend on items I'm immediately sure of rather than might have to 'work to get', if you get my drift. With Coercion Of Deities, I can at least sample what I missed, maybe reconsider down the line. And yeah, stuff like Mind Over MIDI's blissy, calm ambient of Subdivision, or the reflective lowercase field recordings of Bålsam's Sunshower, or even the New Age leaning Pleochroism 2 from Juta Takahashi, even if is a bit over long... all stuff worth scoping further. The more musique concrete experimental stuff though, like Interconnected's Sockelgeschoss or Myoptik's Borgon Plinth, not so much. Personal preference and all. Still, if I want to complete the Neotantra set, I'll have to get them, won't I?

Yeah, that's the other reason I wanted to show off Coercion Of Deities. The cover art is a collage of all the album covers, nicely displaying the gradient colour scheme each batch of releases used. I may only like a select few, but gosh, won't my CDs look weird on the shelf with a broken scheme? I can't have Mick Chillage's Epinaz pink go into Motionfield's Signals purple without Bålsam's Soul Offerings magenta bridging the gap!

Not that this was some insidious manipulation of marketing on Neotantra's part, oh no. I'm positive they simply came up with a nifty thematic idea that helps their releases stand out in a rather niche yet overcrowded scene like ambient techno. I'm just astounded how effectively it triggers collector's FOMO in doing so.

Private Mountain - Blue Mountain

Neotantra: 2019

Fun thing about following labels will always be discovering new artists. True, I get these Neotantra albums because my OCD compels me to grab the gradient cover art, lest my CD collection look incomplete, but the music's usually pretty darn good too. And while many familiar names have released here, several more are complete blanks to me, my purchasing decision little more than having a good hunch over some audio clips. So it went with Private Mountain, a name I'd never seen before, but ooh, that's some nice, soothing, minimalist ambience coupled with field recordings. Sure, I'll give it a go.

Then I look into the names behind the moniker, ones Dimitar Dodovski and Toni Dimitrov. I'd love to claim I recognized them straight-off, but no way I could have, even if I have encountered Dimitar before. In fact, the project he was on was quite instrumental in opening the doors to where my ambient techno interests currently lie. It was a pairing with a chap by the name of Lee Norris, under the pseudonym Moss Garden.

Yeah, that Moss Garden. You'll forgive me for not immediately remembering that factoid, for Mr. Dodovski's career was still in a relatively embryonic stage back then. He's put out much music since though, including a team-up with Toni and Martin Geogrievski as Post Global Trio. They've put out some half-dozen albums now, but on the side Dimitar and Toni started another project as Private Mountain, this here Blue Mountain the debut.

Taking in some Post Global Trio works for a frame of reference, I can confidently claim that Private Mountain sounds quite similar, just lacking any rhythmic momentum. The abstract ambience, the immersive field recordings, the hazy feelings of memories past, wandering back road regions in solitude. Like, a hillside path, all to yourself. I just find it amusing that two-thirds of a mostly ambient project took it upon themselves to make extra-ambient music.

Opener Ainmount 1 mostly maintains a fuzzy, day-glo vibe, while Ainmount 2 opts for more night-time tranquility, a surprising contrast so early in the album. Usually you wait for the end to go twilight. The titular third cut really gets my Andrew Heath triggers going, early dronescapes gradually melting into sounds of idling about cottage dwellings. Just A Strange World gets a little fancier with the drone effects, while the eponymous track (longest at over twelve minutes) gives more of a Boards Of Canada interlude vibe. If BoC ever included sounds of running water while exploring deep caverns, sounds echoing across damp stone walls, that is. A tidy, tranquil closer in Coming Back Home wraps things up, and if you don't feel utterly blissed out after listening to Blue Mountain, I really don't know what else to say.

I suppose the only quibble I can offer is this album's rather short. Six tracks, only half of which break six minutes, doesn't feel long enough wandering this mountain. Pretty sure I said the same of Moss Garden too, heh.

Ambidextrous - Vision By Zero

Neotantra: 2019

Oh dear. Oh dear, oh me. When last I talked up Ambidextrous (also the first time), I made mention of wanting his Carpe Sonum Records album Geek Mythology, and now I've done missed my chance, the CD selling out. Sure, I can always pick up a digital version, but man, I never thought Carpe Sonum would run out of stock. On a typical ambient techno label, limited runs are often the norm, interest in the genre remaining rather niche to this day. Carpe Sonum though, they always have copies available through their Bandcamp. Some Autumn Of Communion associated stuff from way back, an Aythar and Motionfield release, that's about it for stock going dry. Maybe I need to get on that drøn CD before it's too late!

I bring this up because in the short time since I reviewed Echoes Of Science (two years is a short time, yes?), it feels like Nick Zavriev's stock has significantly risen. It's certainly deserved, Ambidextrous doing a retro ambient techno stylee that sounds quite modern on the production front. It also explains why Geek Mythology sold out on a label where sold out CDs are rare, so by gosh, y'all better get on anything else released under the Ambidextrous banner before they run out too. Oh no, a release on Neotantra now, where the colour-gradient nature of their cover art triggers one's OCD? The FOMO is real!

Jokes aside, I was quite excited to hear Vision Of Zero, enamoured by Echoes Of Science as I was. Oddly, I've kind of drawn a blank on that album now, maybe over my pining for Geek Mythology ever since. In any case, that has little to do with this record, as Vision Of Zero is a different outing compared to those two.

My assumption that Neotantra is the label ambient techno producers go to indulge their experimental side remains confirmed here, as Nick has crafted a beatless affair of subtle ambient pad work and freeform sound collages. Four lengthy tracks make up Vision Of Zero, with the first three almost forming a singular outing in of itself. Seriously, if you aren't paying attention – and the calming nature of these pieces certainly encourages a drifting sense of consciousness – you'll never notice the brief moment of silence marking each transition. There are attributes between them making each unique: the sampled conversations of Where Are You, the backing synth pads having more prominence in Mind Games Arena, the outworldly feel of Unspoken Word. Okay, all these have an 'outwordly feel', like you're wandering realms of lucidity, but more so there than the others.

Which pale compared to Salvador Ali, the nineteen-minute closer. Every piece had an askew, yet tranquil atmosphere about it, but things apparently go pear-shaped at the end of this sonic journey, with spits of harsh static, abrasive dub, disembodied chants, and even klaxons overtaking the gentle ambience struggling to make itself heard. Dammit, and I was having such a lovely dream too.

Motionfield - Signals

Neotantra: 2019

When I said, “Then suddenly, Motionfield”, I wasn't just talking about his music within my CD collection. The year 2019 saw him release three albums in the span of six months, a remarkable feat considering he'd only released one since his debut on Carpe Sonum Records four years prior (a self-released one at that). Not that Petter Friberg hadn't been productive before. Even in his obscure '00s days, he'd put out at least one album per year. With greater exposure comes greater inspiration (so long as one doesn't suffer from crippling anxiety), a chance to spread your muse abroad. So what better way to do so than offering up albums on the primary movers and shakers of your selected scene?

Actually, it isn't quite right to call Neotantra one of ambient techno's Big Labels in 2019, having just launched and all. For sure it carried a strong pedigree being a sub-label of Fantasy Enhancing, itself an off-shoot of Lee Norris' long running (if somewhat static) Neo Ouija. And as has been abundantly clear on this bloggy-bloog of mine, that's a pretty good pedigree indeed. Sure had to be tempting for many artists to get in at ground zero, especially those looking to establish more presence among dedicated music collectors.

So Motionfield sends his Signals through Neotantra, and according to Yage_2097 of the Discogs Community, it's among the 150 Best Of 2019 of The World's Greatest Ever Electronic Music Albums. Eeh, maybe need to pare that down a little. Misters Jazzual and dove_m have it in their Top 25. Ahh, better.

As for myself, I cannot deny being a little apprehensive going into this. I quite liked Luftrum, and the other albums I've picked up from Motionfield seem to have clear themes behind them. 'Signals' could be anything though, music making for its own sake. When it comes to ambient, that often translates to a lot of ephemeral fluff, pleasant as it plays but never really sticking to the memory membranes after. Well, I certainly don't have to worry about that with Signals 1. Despite a generally tranquil, dubbed-out, almost 'hauntology' backing pad work, that low bass tone always has me adjusting my speakers, lest I royally piss off my neighbours. Signals 7 too, though by the time that one comes on, I'm usually too zonked out on mental bliss to care.

Yeah, Signals is one of those albums that feels almost too calm, ambient music where there's interesting things going on with the drone tone, static glitch, and subtle looping melodies, but man, do I ever zone out on it. Individually, all these Signals are quite lovely, some even inching towards 36 levels of opulent feels (Signals 6, 8, and 10), if not in sheer musical weight.

Unfortunately, as I worried, the lack of a specific theme among these tracks does tend to blend them together, and that's when it can even hold my attention for the duration. Such an odd thing, enjoying an album that doesn't stay with you.

Darren McClure - On Opposites

Neotantra: 2019

I've mentioned before that Darren McClure is something of a label journeyman, almost never releasing more than one item on any given print. The only exception Lord Discogs lists is an EP and a collaborative album with José Soberanes on Éter Editions. So it continues with Neotantra, as obvious a label he'd find his way on as any these days. 'Cause when you're down with the Lee Norris fam', you get all the sweet label bumps. Seriously, someone really ought to create an interconnecting chart with Mr. Norris at the centre of it all, just to discover how far reaching his influence stretches. Like, it wouldn't be Brian Eno levels of convolution, but at least on par with a top tier hip-hop producer.

Anyhow, On Opposites is Mr. McClure's contribution to Neotantra, and I cannot deny, there's little I've heard like how this one plays out. Yeah, yeah, I say that often, but seriously, there's something remarkably unique about this album. Even when I think there's some other producer's influence sneaking in (Strange Slip In Time had my John Beltram triggers flaring), I struggle placing this album in any tidy compartment.

Part of it is there's such diversity going on here, I sometimes forget this is all the work of one man as things play out. Many artists show off musical variety within their LPs, but they typically have a specific aesthetic tying everything together. Darren practically pulls a one-eighty with each track here, a pleasant melodic number followed upon by an experimental dark drone piece. Opposites indeed.

If there's any unifying theme with On Opposites, it's sonic exploration in unknown territory. Not that the sounds Darren uses are terribly unique, but it does feel like I'm excavating some future-shock archaeological discovery. Otaru Box and Strange Slip In Time are bright and spritely, like benign reflections of what once was. Meanwhile, Reflecting and Charmonia feature a low, thrumming pulses, like ancient machinery breathing, as distant airy synth pads paint pictures of a lost civilization farther advanced than we could comprehend. To say nothing of the straight-up field recordings of Snow Lapse, where something is literally being excavated (Geir Jenssen would approve). Elsewhere, Darren shows off his more experimental side, but never indulges things for long, serving more as sonic respites. Yes, even the six-minute long Slow Juno, essentially nothing more than perpetually layering synth drone, and unlike anything else on this album.

Are all of Mr. McClure's albums like this? The couple I've taken in were collaborations (with Porya Hatami and Lee Norris as Memex), so I don't have the strongest frame of reference there. I did dabble some samples of his other releases, but clearly it didn't leave the same impression as On Opposites has. I'm almost afraid to check them out, unsure if they could top the weird, captivating journey this one took me on. While not every track is a winner, it certainly kept my interest in whatever different turn it might take me on.

Mick Chillage - Epinaz

Neotantra: 2019

Of course Mick Chillage would end up on Neotantra. Heck, if we include his work with Lee Norris as Autumn Of Communion, Mick's up to four LPs on this label. Keep in mind there's only been twenty-five proper albums released thus far, making him by far the most prolific artist there. What's scary is that's but a drop in the bucket compared to how many albums he's self-released this past year, many of them containing single, long-form tracks. I sense all these lockdowns gave Mr. Chillage ample time to explore as much experimental ambient music as he could handle, and then some.

Yes, we're in experimental territory with Epinaz, which mostly means fiddling about archaic equipment crafting abstract sounds and tones. There are some welcome melodic moments too, and even a few sequenced bleeps and blorps that could constitute rhythms, but if you don't have much of an ear for '70s weirdo synth music, you can probably pass this one. Heck, there are portions of this album where there's barely sound at all, the only noise seemingly the feedback hum generated by cables.

I honestly thought opener Zond was missing portions of its twenty-four minutes. It starts innocently enough with eerie cosmic synth tones harking to the experimental side of krautrock. It eventually mellows out, and you figure the composition will transition into a meditative piece. Then, almost dead silence, save some impossibly distant mechanical clanking and that feedback hum. I didn't even know this was going on when I played it on my regular speakers, Zond's ultra-minimalism blending in with the background ambience of my environment. It wasn't until I played this on headphones that I discovered what was going on.

Eventually a charming, sparkly arp lifts things out of abeyance, a simple rhythm joining the fray. Now, you think, this track is going places, but it all recedes again, returning us back to nothing but analogue fuzz. It's all a bit of a frustrating listen, especially with a four minute fade-out of near nothingness. Kind of hard to keep one invested in the rest of the album when nearly a third of it amounts to a big tease.

Carry on we do though, and Mick gets into more sonic oddities in the following set of tracks. At least there's more activity in them, and even some lush pad work in Prophets Dream and I've Seen Things. Whether you mind the atonal bloopy things going on around them will likely boil down to personal preference (I don't mind them ...much).

Short track Norge keeps things simple with synth pads, then Everything Ends takes us out with a blissy ten-minute outing that's more reminiscent of Mick's ambient techno works than anything inspired by the '70s. Almost worth the price of admission alone. Still, while there are some interesting things about the rest of Epinaz, I don't see many getting past that opener Zond to hear it. But in this age of streaming, who listens to full albums anyway? *cough*