FULL BUCK MOON (25 July 2010)

The musick dedicated to this Esbat is:

BLACKSHAW JAMES

LOST PRAYERS AND MOTIONLESS DANCES


Original Issue: 2005 Digitalis (digi008) Buy it here!!!

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Margot-meter: 4,5 moons / 5

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1. Lost Prayers And Motionless Dances

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from Jazzloft:

An absolutely monumental recording, Lost Prayers and Motionless Dances re-examines many of the themes that were explored on Celeste and distills them into one brilliant 35-minute composition that is full of excitement and surprise. The piece begins with a harmonium drone and acoustic 12-string, tuned to the guitar-unfriendly C-F-C-F-C-F (I can't find any examples of this tuning being used elsewhere) and unfolds beautifully. Blackshaw moves effortlessly from Takoma-inspired picking into electroacoustic improvisation and concludes with 12-string, harmonium and ride cymbal falling into a blissed-out circular folk groove that is absolutely infectious.

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from Boomkat:

'Lost Prayers And Motionless Dances' is a single thirty-five minute composition, opening with droning harmonium passages and only revealing the guitar part - inevitably the ace up Blackshaw's sleeve - after a good eight minutes of toying with you. Thereafter, Blackshaw's fluency with Eastern modes and sitar-like figures becomes the central attraction, dressing the piece in an enormously elaborate display of fingerpicking, but eventually it all melts away into a state of drone, leaving only echoes, jangling bells and radio static. It's one of Blackshaw's more abstract moments, but soon the guitar returns for a coda at a more stately pace, supported by thudding kick drum, drawing the piece to a suitably regal close.

FULL WORM MOON (29 March 2010)

The musick dedicated to this Esbat is:

FERN KNIGHT

MUSIC FOR WITCHES AND ALCHEMISTS


Original Issue: 2006 VHF (vhf#101) Buy it here!!!

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Margot-meter: 5 moons / 5

IMHO, the more beautiful folk-related album of 2006

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1 Song For Ireland
2 Awake, Angel Snake
3 W. Memphis
4 Murder Of Crows
5 Lintworme, Pt. I
6 Marble Grey
7 Shingle River
8 The Dirty South
9 Summer Of Throg
10 What The Crows Left Behind
11 Lullaby

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from Boomkat:

Fern Knight is guitarist, cellist and singer Margie Wienk in collaboration with a revolving cast of musicians, in this instance largely culled from the Espers line-up (Meg Baird, Greg Weeks and the ubiquitous Otto Hauser). As you can tell from both the artist name and album title, this project really isn't going out of its way to avoid the faerie folk typecasting acts like Espers are associated with, and sure enough Ms. Wienk guides her troupe of followers through the acid folk haunted wood with aplomb. As is often the case with this scene, much of the influence here has been taken from English folk fusion groups from the '60s and '70s. Opener, 'Song For Ireland' has that hypnotic Wicker Man feel that's referenced so often by this music, while 'Awake, Angel Snake' contains some of Greg Weeks' curiously medieval sounding acid lead guitar. As the album starts to draw to a close, 'What The Crows Left Behind' proves to be one of the finest things here; an upbeat waltz featuring Jesse Sparhawk's beautiful harp playing and some great ensemble arrangement and vocal harmonizing from the Espers crew. Music For Witches And Alchemists might turn out to be exactly the record you expect it to be, but given the quality of both the writing and performances, that's far from a bad thing. Excellent stuff.

FULL SNOW MOON (28 February 2010)

The musick dedicated to this Esbat is:

CASTRO NICK & THE POISON TREE

FURTHER FROM GRACE


Original Issue: 2005 Strange Attractors Audio House (SAAH030)

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Margot-meter: 5 moons / 5

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1 Sun Song 4:09
2 To This Earth 3:29
3 Unborn Child 3:40
4 Won't You Sing To Me 4:26
5 Waltz For A Little Bird 4:18
6 Guildford 5:13
7 Music For Mijwiz 2:42
8 Deep Deep Sea 8:09
10 Walk Like A Whisper 4:29

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from Splendid Magazine:

Nick Castro hails from Los Angeles, a city whose glitter and glare would seem worlds away from anything as comfortable and worn-in-feeling as Further From Grace. The acid folk-meets-Renaissance Faire aesthetic behind most of Further From Grace recalls medieval Britain more than modern La-La Land... but that's not nearly as dorky as it sounds. Castro and the Poison Tree (featuring members of Philadelphia neo-folkists Espers) are utterly convincing -- they seem contemporary, but never allow a breath of indie-rock pretension to steal into their sumptuous balladry. "Sun Song" opens the disc in fairly traditional troubadour style, with mourning cello and narrative steeped in the dark and supernatural. Soon it dissolves into a gentle melee of undulating flutes and choirlike singing (courtesy of underground folk luminary Josephine Foster). And that's when Further From Grace gets its hooks into you.

Castro's rich voice and gift for lyrical imagery find a comfortable home in Further From Grace's beautiful arrangements. The yearning, flute-like tune that decorates "To This Earth"'s introduction is echoed by the vocal melody, lending extra poignancy to the already evocative lines, "Her hair was red like the blood which she caused to flow through my heart / Her love was so pure, like a little bird in the sky / Flying right towards me, she's my one desire." Of course, Further From Grace has its share of clichés like "Her skin was white as snow", but the storyteller's empathy in Castro's delivery keeps them from sounding hackneyed.

Not all of Further From Grace follows the minstrel formula, though; Castro's 2004 debut wouldn't have gotten so much attention if he were afraid to experiment a bit. In the wordless "Waltz for a Little Bird", Adam Hershberger's mellow flugelhorn replaces the vocal with a wistful, rather circus-like melody, later reprised by guitar, over plonking piano. Placed at the album's approximate midpoint, the track functions almost as an intermission, signaling departure to regions less "folk" and more "acid". "Music for Mijwiz" primarily features the Arabic "double clarinet" of the song's title, working up to a rambling, multitonal buzz against complex hand drumming patterns. In "Deep Deep Sea", the flugelhorn once again takes center stage -- now moaning a wistful boat-whistle, now effortlessly running up and down the scale. A long, jammy interval shifts abruptly -- with a crisp bell tone, no less -- into delicate guitar picking, a fit transition into "Walk Like a Whisper", the album's slow, dreamy conclusion.

Further From Grace is an ambitious record. The studio artistry, the large number of musicians and instruments, the hodgepodge of styles -- all self-consciously demand notice and respect. But Further From Grace is also humbly built on the things that make great albums what they are: solid songwriting and arrangements, good lyrics, impeccable performances. It not only deserves your admiration, but a place in your CD player.

Sarah Zachrich

LAMMAS (1 August 2009)

The musick dedicated to this Sabbat is:

BROTHERS OF THE OCCULT SISTERHOOD

ANIMAL SPEAK


Original Issue: 2004 Music Your Mind Will Love You (mymwly0005)

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Margot-meter: 5 moons / 5

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1 Om Agar (5:23)
2 The Light Of Life (10:20)
3 The Life Of Light (10:14)
4 I Would Rather Live On The Sun (6:36)
5 Birds Of Interspace (7:43)
6 Swallowed Hole (11:28)
7 Quetzacoatl's Return (6:11)
8 Sericule (14:29)

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from Foxy Digitalis:

2004 was a year of many great discoveries for me. Davenport's massive coming out party (by way of more releases than I can count) was sitting at the top of my list for a good part of the year, but that changed a month or so ago. Make no mistake, Davenport are simply one of the finest bands around - that much is true. But last month, my mind was melted completely when a package from Australia's MusicYourMindWillLoveYou collective showed up. Centered around an Aussie named Michael Donnelly, this group of musicians are doing some truly mind altering stuff. Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood are the lynchpin, though.

"Animal Speak" is a masterful psychedelic primal declaration. It screams "We are here, and we're covered in mud." Everything on this sprawling album is extracted and returned from the earth. Acoustic instruments make up the majority of sound here, but various percussive elements add to the tribal feel of the album. It all blends together so perfectly that it's easy to get swept up in its roaring gloary.

Donnelly is the key, however. With BOTOS, he makes it all happen. His drumming lays the foundation for everything else to happen, and his skill is undeniable. Sparse clatter finds a constant rhythm somehow; there's elements of jazz inspiration floating throughout his playing, which adds to the originality of the music. Cellos and other bowed instruments add tranquility to this chaotic sea. With so many different things happening it once, it's amazing that this music is so fluid and cohesive. As the radio static of "I Would Rather Live On the Sun" fades in, low frequency drones emanate from a cello. High-pitched squeals are barely audible above the murky sludge. When the drums come in, your foot starts tapping. There's a feeling of being lost in the Australian outback while a massive thunderstorm is brewing in the distance. The skies start changing from bright blue to grey, and the wind picks up as Donnelly pounds his toms. Keyboards and guitars shimmer and glow in the background as the rain pours down. Drenched, you seek cover underneath a lone, massive tree.

Based on the title alone, one might confuse "Quetzacoatl's Return" with a song by the Mountain Goats. But as soon as it begins, it's obvious that is not the case. Low end electronic drones ride over the tops of waves created by Donnelly's tribal drumming. This is like swimming in pristine blue water, floating weightlessly underneath the surface. You can see for miles and your whole body is tingling from the cold bath. For something with so much sludge, this is beautiful.

The sister songs, "The Light of Life" and "The Life of Light," are the core of this masterpiece. The former features Japanese (maybe Chinese?) samples on top of an acoustic based piece. It slowly devolves into a hypnotic monsoon. Donnelly starts singing in an emotion-filled voice. Its got the feel of a funeral procession for a fallen hero. There are massive amounts of organic quality to this track as well, which make it even better. It's magic. The latter piece is the most melodic piece on the album. Field recordings give it a wooded feel. Again, Donnelly's drumming takes center stage, dropping a perfect foundation for the picked acoustic guitars. Various wind instruments and, again, Donelly's voice add depth and texture to this already packed song. It's fucking beautiful and brings to mind some of the more melodic aspects of The Ivytree. Bowed guitars add more layers to the mix, and as Donnelly "mmm"s and "ahh"s throughout, you are stolen away on a fantastic voyage through the Australian forests. Leaf gnomes and woodland creatures dance in unison as they celebrate the sun and the earth. The only thing left to do is cover yourself in mud and dance with them. This is one of the best pieces of music I've heard all year.

Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood are so many things at once. This surgical psych folk sludge is one of the most original and stunning releases I've heard all year. Whether they're exploring the ancient history of their lands through organic romps, slowing things down with electronic drones, or even dropping acid and flying in the clouds like on the psychedelic album closer, "Sericule," they are channelling pure fucking magic. This will melt your skull and fry your brain. In the end, all the pieces are glued together to form a better, more delicious whole. Essential. 9/10

Brad Rose

RUNIC MOON (nordic musick)

KEMIALLISET YSTÄVÄT

KELLARI JUNIVERSUMI

Original Issue: 2002 Fonal Records (FR-21) (Buy it here!)

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Margot-meter: 4,5 moons / 5

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1 Puiden Sydämet Antavat Tahdin (2:23)
2 Kellari Juniversumi (2:48)
3 Taivas Ja Meri, Yhteen Sulautuneina (3:17)
4 Utuaurat (1:50)
5 Mustametsä (2:38)
6 ...On Pieni Metsä (1:24)
7 Planeetta Kaukainen Muo Kutsuu (1:29)
8 Kuuntelin Kuinka Puut Kuiskivat (2:42)
9 Monien Kalojen Aalto (3:05)
10 Kuuma Tomu (3:32)
11 Amerikka (2:18)
12 Kummitushiiri (2:19)
13 Salainen Paikka (2:04)
14 Pallo (3:38)
15 Kuutarhassa (3:27)
16 Soihdun Tuhkaa (2:46)
17 Heijastuksia! Kaikuja! (5:10)

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from Boomkat:

After a slew of cassette, 7” and cdr releases, the wonderful people at Fonal saw fit to throw Mr. Anderzén’s work into public view and unsurprisingly it received universal acclaim.

Taking cues from the American new-psych gods Jewelled Antler Collective (of whom Anderzén is a sometime member) this is free music at its very best; unpretentious compositions which retain an undeniable sense of irreverence and can be experimental without losing sight of listenability.

All sorts of sounds are thrown into the mix – layer upon layer of analogue synth squelches, detuned guitars and other miscellaneous small instruments adding to the texture and wall-of-sound on this record.

For fans of Fonal this record is an absolute must, an important stepping stone for the label and a hugely influential part of the modern weird-folk-psych scene.

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from Aquarius Records:

Hallelujah! More droning, buzzing, flickering folk-psych from Finland's mysterious Kemialliset Ystavat collective.

Sure, we know who's in the band -- Broken Face 'zine artist/contributor Jan Anderzen, Fonal label head Sami Sanpakkila (Es, Kiila), and a host of other Finns -- but they still SOUND mysterious. The damaged four-track folk sound of NYC's Tower Recordings filtered through the forest ambience of AQ-fave improv-psych outfit Thuja might, MIGHT be an approximation of Kemialliset's sonic space.

They inhabit that territory previously explored by the likes of Amon Duul, Ghost, Kalacakra, Toho Sara, Parson Sound, International Harvester, Amps For Christ, Six Organs Of Admittance, Algarnas Tradgard, etc.

If any of these names bring a warm sensation to your frontal lobes, then you're likely already a Kemialliset fan even if you haven't yet heard 'em. Each track (there's 17 of 'em, spread over 47 minutes) is a psychedelic miniature constructed of drifting, chanting vocals, gentle melodies, and primitive rhythms, contrasting distorted electric guitar wash with pretty, chiming percussion, strings and woodwinds. Freaky and far-out yet mostly mellow and warm and cosy.

Fucking lovely. Ah, Finland.

BLUE MOON (musick by request)

SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE

LIVE KFJC 2000 AD

Original Issue: 2007 Private Release (No Number; Limited Edition European Tour Disc)

Margot-meter: 4 moons / 5

1 Journey Through Sankuan Pass (8:01)
2 Sum Of All Heaven > Hollow Light, Severed Sun (7:34)
3 Dead Flowers (3:53)
4 All That They Fear (6:52)
5 Messenger > Tuning (2:43)
6 Lament For Summer > Tuning (8:13)
7 Khidr And The Fountain (7:36)

Biography from Drag City:

Six Organs of Admittance is the music of one man — Ben Chasny, along with whomever he ropes in for recording sessions and shows. Sometimes nobody’s there with him, depending on his mood. And that’s alright too.

This one-man band started in 1998 when Ben self-released his first LP in an edition of 400, little dreaming that one day Six Organs of Admittance would sell 59 times that many. It was just something that happened.

Over the years, Six Organs of Admittance has been released on a variety of labels, most notably Holy Mountain. During this time, Six Organs of Admittance became one of the most influential sounds in the underworld with albums such as Dust and Chimes, Dark Noontide and Compathia.

The Six Organs method paired acoustic sounds — guitar, voices, percussions — with electric sounds — guitar and who knows?!? — in a fashion that produced not quite songs, but not quite jams, either. Further, it was vivid and hazy at the same time. It made people think of roots and folk music and psychedelia and noise all at once, and so people were thrilled in a confused sort of way. Nobody knew at the time that this was only the beginning.

In 2005, Ben found a home at Drag City and released the landmark album, School of the Flower. Free jazz ninja drum master Chris Corsano joined Ben for the session and the results were a perfect blend of melody, minimalism, out-folk groove and noise. This version of Six Organs of Admittance toured, getting much applause along the road. At year’s end, School of the Flower landed on many critic’s best-of lists in magazines including Mojo, Wire, Magnet and a shit-ton of others. Ben has also played in and recorded with Comets on Fire, Current 93, Badgerlore, and August Born.

2006 saw a new morning: the release of The Sun Awakens, which featured the darkest, most feedbackdrenched, cult-chanting, completely beautiful music ever released by Six Organs of Admittance. Whether or not people want twenty-four minutes of drone or not, that doesn’t mean Six Organs isn’t going to give it to them. Chasny also wrote music for Current 93’s critically-endorsed album Black Ships Ate The Sky, toured around the U.S. and Europe in the band of Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy (and had a great time) and finally took it to Russia (and played there!) as Six Organs of Admittance. Squeezing one last band into the winter of 2006, Ben formed the guitar-assault trio Basalt Fingers with Brian Sullivan of Mouthus and Elisa Ambrogio of Magik Markers.

2007: Ben’s taking a break from all his other projects to concentrate fully on Six Organs of Admittance and write the record he always wanted — Shelter From the Ash. Beyond a culmination of the very best that Six Organs of Admittance has ever offered, from
minimalist/surrealist sound incantations to pounding twilight mountain-ascending guitar affirmations to ruminations on love in the time of war and death and the end of the world, this is the Six Organs record that Ben has been wanting to release from the very beginning.
Six Organs of Admittance will be playing free shows on the west coast at the end of 2007, to be followed by a full tour of shows played for money in early 2008. Get ready — it will be well worth it.

LITHA (21 June 2008)

The Musick dedicated to this Sabbat is:

VARIOUS ARTISTS

HEAT & BIRDS (JEWELLED ANTLER COMPILATION #2)

Original Issue: 2002 Jewelled Antler (#2; limited to 100 copies)

Margot-meter: 4 moons / 5

Essential introduction to the Jewelled Antler sound-world
By the way, this compilation contains the best Hala Strana track ever; fantastic east-European tune gorgeously manipulated by Mr. Steven R. Smith.

1 Donovan Quinn - Heat & Birds 2:16
2 Hala Strana - Kanasztancok Ket Hegedun 3:03
3 The Floating Birthday Children - Swan on a Black Lake 1:30
4 Muons - Little Star 3:51
5 Of - Aerial Cisterns 4:12
6 Kemialliset Ystävät - Juurakkotukka 2:49
7 The Blithe Sons - Death in the Woods 3:01
8 Dead Raven Choir - Red Rocking Chair 3:29
9 Markus [FIN] - Kingo of Black Leaves 2:35
10 Byram Abbott - Doves Rehabilitating at Fort Cronkhite, 2001 1:02
11 Family of Apostolic - Mabel's Umbrage 3:52
12 The Franciscan Hobbies - The Horned Ibexes 3:22
13 Avarus - Hessu Se Tässä Vaan, Ei Mikki 1:59
14 Golden Hotel - The Blame 1:39
15 MCMS - Live in Brooklyn, 24 August 2002 8:23
16 Thuja - Opaque Reeds 8:24
17 Krsna Meditation - Gill's Pier, 6 a.m., 7 July 2002/Yasomati-nandana 14:28

from Aquarius Records:

"Heat & Birds" is the second 'friends and family' compilation to emerge from the Jewelled Antler collective, offering an overview not only of the numerous activities that are constantly evolving within the collective but also of like-minded artists from across the globe.

Common to Jewelled Antler sound is a magical wistfulness, which seeps through every sound within the label and draws metaphors to half-dreamt memories, impossible lands that only exist in the imagination, or the simple awe of nature.

While the core members (Glenn Donaldson, Loren Chasse, Rob Reger, and Steven R. Smith) are present, they've presented themselves in a variety of unique monikers and projects: such as Hala Strana (an uncredited pseudonym for Steven R. Smith, recreating a manic Hungarian folk instrumental with his trademarked production style of layered sounds building repeated riffs up to bittersweet crescendos), Of (an enigmatic project of evocative etherialism by Loren Chasse), and The Floating Birthday Children (the duo of Donaldson and Kerry McLaughlin offering pensive folk meanderings). Other, better-known Jewelled Antler projects, The Blithe Sons & Daughters, Thuja, and Franciscan Hobbies, also make appearances.

Of the non-JA projects, "Heat & Birds" also features the Finnish avant-improv-rock bands Kemialliset Ystavat, the medieval sounding Markus, and the elusive Avarus. Also, the San Francisco band Golden Hotel have produced another brilliant, drugged-out folk song, but do they remember recording it? And, there's some wonderful field recordings by AQ's own Byram Abbott of the birds in rehabilitation at Fort Cronkite just north of San Francisco. I could go on, but why spoil the mysteries?

"Heat & Birds" is a great collection from a great organization. Recommended.

BLUE MOON (musick by request)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
CHARMS CUT FROM OUR TREES

Original Issue: 2005 Music Your Mind Will Love You (Mymwly0009) (Limited to 100 copies)

Margot-meter: 3,5 moons / 5

1 Nada Baba - Oil Upon Water
2 Golden Oaks, The - Softly Fingered Nail
3 Majik - Horror
4 Snowfox - Gone
5 Keijo - Waving Blue
6 Kageplan - This Is The Golden Age
7 Corsican Paintbrush - Bones Of Ash (Reincarnation Mix)
8 Brothers Of The Occult Sisterhood - Precognition
9 Juniper Meadows, The - Pine Needles And Cones, Falling To Earth
10 Alligator Crystal Moth - Carabou Figurines
11 Hush Arbors - Rue Hollow
12 Terracid - Deer Eyed, Horse Skinned
13 North Sea, The - Magnolias Painted With Butterfly Wings
14 Rameses III - The Silent Union Goes To War
15 Blonde Cobra - Floating In The Pond
16 Planidin - I Don´t Know When Or How
17 Soarwhole - Lama Cave Christ
18 Keijo & Free Players, The - On Ahti´s Boat
19 Ffehro - Just Pass Through
20 Greenlanders, The - Coltrane In Stained Glass

from Psychedelic Folk Homestead:

This is a compilation of mostly lo-fi recordings of groups related with the label.
The tracks fit well together. Most of them are loosely made, and are stoned-sleepy, and are somewhat tiresome lazy improvised pieces with no other ideas other than the momentous and unprepared creativity. After having heard many improvisers who have created highly effective improvisations I realized that what it needs is a well prepared mental state and energy to make it work. With tons of ideas that brood like a volcano, even if it’s only prepared as mental stuff, nothing can go wrong in such an improvisation.

What I really hate is the new age feminine mentality or lazy egocentric musicians mentality, that someone can have talent without discipline, or a content through vague loose and lazy intuition. All big improvisers had much more in common than falling back on the feeling of “I have the mentality to do well so it will be good”. Most musicians here fail to touch upon the knowledge and true mysticism, needed how to create a truly high level of energy in such moments.

My favourite track in this style might be the one from the Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood. The most moody track perhaps is from Ramases III. More improvised psychedelic and moody too is the track by Blonde Cobra. Also Soarwhole’s contribution is slightly psychedelic.

The album features : Nada, Golden Oaks, Kageplan, Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood, Corsican Paintbrush, Keijo, The North Sea, Rameses III, Blonde Cobra, Soar Whole, Majik, The Juniper Meadows, Terracid, Hush Arbors, Planadin, Alligator Crystal Moths, Snow Fox, Ffehro, Keijo and the Free Players, The Greenlanders

BLACK MOON (the dark side of musick)

STONE BREATH
REVELATION MOON
"Folklore of the Moon" Volume I

Original Issue: 2005 Hand/Eye ( h/e-moon1 - Limited to 100 copies)


Margot-meter: 4.5 moons / 5

1 Revelation Moon

This work is truly incredible and I'm scared to death every time I give it a spin!
A kind of energy charged spell sung by malevolent ghost to evoke some Dark Lord
(OK, maybe I've to slow down a bit with my Absinthe ;-)

We must support Timothy Renner (the mastermind behind Stone Breath), his "vision" and his authentic musick genius!

Foxy Digitalis Review:

Stone Breath constant and Hand/Eye proprietor Timothy Renner kicks off his “Folklore of the Moon” 3” CD subscription series with this 20-minute performance piece, half of which was originally recorded in a church in Cambridge, MA and then supplemented with a studio-imposed music box wind-down.

Renner’s droning harmonium forms a hallucinatory backbone for vocal assistance from old friends, Prydwyn, B’Eirth and Michael (Drekka) Anderson, as his primal scream vocals gradually rise to a frenzied, throat-shredding pitch that rivals Lennon’s agonized screams on his solo debut. The glitch musicbox is the star of the last half of the track, as it slowly winds down to allow the listener to recover from the opening emotional onslaught. It’s a fine line between 10-minute filler and sad, haunting recovery-room chill-out, but I’ll err on the side of the artist.

An intriguing introduction to what promises to be a collector’s wet dream, with future moons scheduled from Martyn Bates, Fit & Limo, In Gowan Ring and Acid Mother’s Temple.

Jeff Penczak