psychedelic Folk review page : Magicfolk

private Magicfolk : (EP) (UK,2006)***'

I received this, a bit short but really promising three-track demo ("Heliopolis", "Aibo", "Narcissus"). Especially "Heliopolis" shows the multitalents in the group. This is besides nice female harmony vocals, and humming-warm guitars, and nicely sounding songs, a bit of moody acoustic improvisation leaning towards folkrock and psychfolk, also a tiny bit of more progressive keyboard improvisation. The group sound hangs together with some delicacy in combining talents and arrangements and with enough musical variety and mood to be entirely convincing. (Update : the demo has been released now on CD).

Audio of 4 tracks : http://myspace.com/magicfolk

Homepage : http://www.magicfolk.co.uk/

Intro : http://www.norfolkfolk.co.uk/PERFORMERS.htm

& http://www.norfolkgigs.co.uk/viewbandpopup.php?band=236

& http://www.partysounds.co.uk/go/a-z-bands.php?ads=10&letter=M

next Magicfolk release->

privateMagicfolk (UK,2007)***°

The group has a core of a woman’s trio, as if this is a magical triangle that is able to expand with their harmony voices just like a pentangle to the outside, while surrounded by a circle of male musicians. I can’t help but get a very Neo-pagan feeling to Magicfolk’s smooth self-penned folkrock sound and to their song inspirations. It is more than once a not direct emotional but a thought provoked inspiration and situation which is empowered with an attractively arranged folkrock sound that makes the creative entity of the group, with a convincing fashionable result, and with a form that has its own world of totally engaged expressiveness. From their previous EP, the great memorable and beautifully arranged song “Aibo” is added too. This song with all its arrangements is also more distinctive from more deliberately focused associations. I very much like the way in which the acoustic guitars add their own colours to “Aibo” and also to “Heliopolis” (also from the EP). This second track is another distinctive great track with an instrumental section of progressive guitars and some keyboards and some additional brass instrument, nice vocal arrangements and a good song too. On “Furies” the girls and guitars freak a bit out according to the theme, like during a wild dance, but also here we still hear the elves-angelic arrangements in the vocals too. Also on the last track the guitars get a larger free and progressive rock part.

A very good album.

Audio : "Green Man"(or here), "Sheba", "Heliopolis", "Egypt", "Sea Priestess"

Audio of 4 tracks : http://myspace.com/magicfolk & 5 more on http://cdbaby.com/cd/magicfolk

Descriptions on http://www.musicbizlist.com/159/Magicfolk.aspx

& http://www.artsacoustic.co.uk/Artists.htm

Homepage : http://www.magicfolk.co.uk/

private Magicfolk : Tales Of Power (UK,2011)****?

The band explored further their Celtic/intuitive mystic/neo-pagan inspirations where you can feel the folk core in the rhythmic and melodic sensibility of the songs and in the deeper breathy voice of the lead singer (and the vocal harmonies), the forward progressing rock drumming and the more worked out and also heavier guitars here and there directs the band at the same time into a more psychedelic version of folk-rock. I can’t help it here being reminded of one other English band, Maryjane. There are some nice flute passages, and small arranged elements with other instruments like harp. Also new is here and there are a couple of returning whirlwinds of an oriental groove. Quieter passages, which are there more often, show also some small keyboard textures, or simply some piano. A very enjoyable band for those who like alternative visions of a folk-rock nature.

Special guest for spoken word introductions is Gareth Knight.

Homepage : http://www.magicfolk.co.uk/