Psychedelic World Music / Discovery

A great follow-up, and follow-through, to Tripwave: A Retrospective Collection of Russian Psychedelic Progressive Music and Five Years in Space 2007-2012 from Trail Records. Psychedelic World Music / Discovery is a worthy companion to the above, if not upping the ante in scope and delivery. Trail Records carved out a niche with re-releasing work of artists outside the ‘Western’ norm, and with recent releases like the excellent Barrett Elmore Woodlands, they seem to be extending their mission, and reach. On Psychedelic World Music / Discovery they’ve corralled artists from, well…the psychedelic world…Germany, Belarus, Italy, Belgium, China, UK, Armenia, Russia, China and even a gem hiding within our on borders with the warming and rolling long-stretch of The Sun from our very own The Misteriosos. A lot of the work on here leans to the more progressive side of psych music, some even dipping toes into fusion feeling waters, but space isn’t far behind either, or out of reach. Rather than a global smear of head music with an arbitrary thread of outfits being from ‘away,’ Psychedelic World Music / Discovery plays out as a fully realized, and wonderfully sequenced, album with many of the cuts being previously unreleased. Throw in some strong ties to roots, whether a group’s homeland or another locale, and Psychedelic World Music / Discovery is your sonic travelogue; guide and companion. As cohesive as it is, nothing is samey here. Belarus’ Mouches a L’Orange go for a slow, churning excursion on Sixty Nine that doesn’t sound like Floyd, but has that languid extended vibe they had a handle on. Deti Picasso, hailing from Armenia, plays up the exotic vibe for the Western ears on the chanting Kele Lao, much the same way Russia’s Grey Mouse do, though they slather on some bluesy swagger in just the right measure. The blues make another showing with Italy’s Plootoh on the slow-burn Caronte. Cosmic Vibration, Triptych, The Narcotic Daffodils and China’s Zhaoze, adding some almost post-rockish chime, round out the itinerary as sweetly as the others for a trip that may not go around the world, but makes some stops where you otherwise might not go.

The Crazy Dwarf :: The Narcotic Daffodils :: Psychedelic World Music / Discovery (2012, Trail Records)

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