Digital IndustriesHush Arbors : Under bent limb trees (US,2005)**°°

Hush Arbers is the project by guitarist / singer / experimenter Keith Wood. “Hush” is a real accurate property of the album. The whole creative process is done as if from a transformed energy of a laid down vision and almost depressed energy, with a look at the world from a far distance almost in a sociophobic way, soft, introverted and somewhat feminine in character. It starts with a waking up while hearing a sweet noise and some wind in the recording on “Spirits over mt.blanca”. Then it is followed by various over-quiet subtle songs and instrumentals by banjo, guitar and hush vocals. Various songs like “Wherethe..” or “may all”, all quiet songs, have other additional textured instruments or noises added to the acoustic guitar. None of the songs reveal themselves easily, speaking like a whisper to me, from a slightly smoky shadowy sphere, with guitar and banjo as beautiful instruments. Last and longest track “Kudzu covered maples” is back into nature on a cold deserted area with rocks, with drones as if from natural sounds, at first nice, but a bit monotonous for its length, and with increasing nasal drones near the end.

Radioshow remarks : "I had to listen a few times because it’s very far laid back music, but it has its own specific beauty. I’m still not sure how much it works from the beginning to end, because it still comes over as a bit depressing as well."
Audio : "where the blackbear hides in the sky", "may all your pastures now spring with herbs" & here & here
Homepage : http://www.husharbors.com
Release info : http://www.digitalisindustries.com/foxglove.html
Other review : http://www.fakejazz.com/reviews/2005/husharbors.shtml

Few facts : Keith Wood lives in Asheville, North Carolina.  This is his fourth release (it's his 3rd full length album). He also plays in The Golden Oaks (with Brad) and was in the massive psych group, family lsd. Ben Chasny of Six Organs of Admittance is one of his biggest fans.
Digital IndustriesJames Blackshaw : Lost prayers and motionless dances (UK,2004)***°

This release contains just one 34 and a half minute track, which starts with harmonium drones and a C-F-C-F-C-F tuning, and is raga-like, with acoustic 12-string guitar, which evolves beautifully ; this is followed by some semi-acoustic environmental sound improvisations which transforms into a musical group’s performance with some organised noise as one of the elements, until the harmonium, guitar and a cymbal concludes with a sufi-like circular conclusion. According to the liner notes this piece uses 12-string guitar, harmonium, radio, bells, ride cymbal and floor tom.

For this release there are similar interests such as with Six Organs Of Admittance / Red Favorite but also any of the post-Takoma artists come easily to mind. In some way in sphere the recording holds the middle between raga, experiment ans even a sufi experience.

Audio : "Lost Prayers"
Homepage : http://shoryobuni.f2g.net/sunshrine/ Contact : shoryobuni@hotmail.com
Other review  : http://thebrokenface.blogspot.com/

A split release with Davenport will be released soon.

Reviews of "Celeste", "O True Believers" and 'Sunshrine are published on the raga-guitar review pages->.
1. Amish Rec.Hall Of Fame (US,1996)***'

This earlier release of Hall of Fame is pretty different from their latest effort. This sounds like temple hall experimental music consisting of acoustic noise, drones and borderline inspirations. It reminds me of Gurdjiev’s words : “people want to fill their emptiness with noise”. When we might be able to feel how little we are we create more openness to the real things around us, and to open ideas from inside that clarify all the other noise around us. But nothing is too simple, and there are no vast rules. This music for instance is like a mixture of an inner sound and rhythm, with the effect of noises from all around us, in this way creating with its own noise its own existence. This is a real different approach, by means of this kind of acoustic noise-psychedelica. Only on “Fatter leaner” and the tenth track, we hear Samsara singing, with guitars slightly slipping in tune in a different direction, as another kind of disturbing-drug-to-the-mind psychedelica. It’s all on the edge of senility and a trance-caused inventiveness that the improvisation continues, with no-drones droning, with acoustic almost-noises, with hypnotic effects, always on the edge of “noise” as a true sound and presented as coming from an inner voice from within. Actually.. very good.

Audio : "Rival"
Info : http://www.amishrecords.com/ami012.html (from http://www.amishrecords.com/)
Other review : http://www.epitonic.com/artists/halloffame.html


2. Amish Rec.Hall Of Fame (US,1998)*°

This release has in the first few tracks a partly acoustic organic aspect, with improvisations around some sounds, or driven by some two-tile-space rhythms. I’m not sure where the focus is this time. It’s a bit a weird and stoned inspiration. Then there are a few tracks with electric guitars, and other ideas around it, which give these few tracks an underground celler live sphere, more experimental, just on the border of the interesting ‘United Diaries’ related experimental mood, but still too gentle to risk the real step towards them, in that deeper, darker celler chamber. Never the les the spirals in this music go up and down, and the rhythms have its own variety within a kind of pre-existence sphere of a not-belonging-anywhere-yet, in a stage of almost becoming something, just before the stage of a focused creation or birth of a first really bright idea. Then it gets this human focus with a Samara Lubelski song, called “Blond Haired Girl”. Then it returns to the twilight on “All Fall down”, with some weird sounds, rhythms on gongs, and with a non-worldly violin improvisation. It is as if any focus on a real world becomes filtered with a strangeness of a ghostly vision, blurring the senses, and the sense of getting a real grip on things. The last track’s improvisation murmurs out these visions, until the last few seconds with environmental sounds and still leaves us with some notion of where in the world we still are present.

Hall Of Fame here consists of Dan Brown and Samara Lubelski along with sound & video artist Theo Angel.

Audio : "Sunset Spiral"
Info : http://www.amishrecords.com/ami006.html (from http://www.amishrecords.com/)

A solo work from Theo Angell is reviewed on http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/psychfolkpopreview4.html#anchor_226
NEW ACID FOLK related items REVIEW PAGE 8
-all these items receive airplay in my radioshow pvhf- 
Matthew De Gennaro (2x), Samara Lubelski / Hall of Fame (4 x),  The Tower Recordings,
Six Organs of Admittance, James Blackshaw, Ben Reynolds (2/3x), Hush Arbors
Epigonic Rec.Matthew De Gennaro : Under The Sun (NZ,2002)**°

This is the second private release of 50 only by Matti, played on archtop guitar, tape, accordion, chimes, drum, percussion, amplifier, clavioline, mouth organ, automaton, violin, aeolian harp, viola da gamba, piano and voice.
It’s a quietly evolving release. The first track, “Arrow Bold” has a carpet of fingerpicking guitar with stitches of textures from overtone sounds, from lighter to somewhat more saturated airy colours. On “Organ” there are chimes and organ droning or filling up the surrounding space, satturating in colours. “Ravenwood” is a short edit inbetween live recording improvisation with viola de gamba and a bass string. “Bells” starts with a loop of a bell sound with its overtone droning, then spotlights the musician, improvising loosely with guitar and voice, depressed in a dark kitchen, with the windows open, with background noises. “Heartstrings” on acoustic guitar with guitar overtone drones fills up spacey areas again. “Back of Beyond" is a concluding track with fingerpicking acoustic guitar, and an experimental texturing picking nstrument, with accordion and organ, and a few other instruments on the back, guiding the essence. This whole CD works like a soundtrack, describing a detailed environment.

Epigonic Rec.Matthew De Gennaro : "5" (NZ,2003)**°°

This third release is in fact very different. It is much more focused on the acoustic guitar fingerpicking (with some 'fantazias') and has some folk flavour too. I hear some instruments (organ/pipe like) that contribute to this sphere. The acoustic guitar becomes like a description of wood and a tree in nature, while the other instruments work like grass, flowers or birds, the environment, that makes the vision on the tree more beautiful and full. Matts' voice humming is nothing but another instrument, amongst the others, while the fingerpicking itself describes the real picture. ..“Day after Tomorrow” uses some part of a loop, but especially the one before last track “Hennig Christiansen” is a bit different with a family-noises-like environment-like loop mixed with some organ.* In some way this still is equally descriptive and sweet.. Last track is a very good and structured conclusion with some fingerpicking, an organ part and some song words. Very nice.

Audio : "Fantazia in G Major","Spring Light". Contact : mattdeg@hotmail.com
Both items are still for sale at : http://www.locustmusic.com/catalog3.html

* in the radioshow I said : "On this track are a beautiful two-note organ pulse, mixed with environmental sounds that have their own rhythm, fitting perfectly with the organ. One of my favorite tracks on the album."

Matt de Gennaro received some attention through his cooperations with Alastair Galbraith, for two releases and a couple of live performances, with a film or just performed in darkness, in a very experimental approach on long strings mostly.
Info : http://www.ink19.com/issues/april2002/musicReviews/musicG/alastairGalbraithMatt.htm &
http://www.emperorjones.com/alastairmatt.html
Cooperative release review : http://www.forcedexposure.com/artists/de.gennaro.alastair.galbraith.matt.html
& http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2002-02-15/music_phases3.html
& http://www.fringesrecordings.com/...

A review of Matti's latest album "Hummbled Down" (2004) will be reviewed on the raga-guitar review page->.
1. Social Registry   Samara Lubelski : The Fleeting Skies (US,2004)***'

Samara participated before with Sonora Pine, Salmon Skin, Jackie-O Motherfucker, the psych-folk related Tower Recordings (review of their latest project, underneath), the German post-Krautrock band Metabolismus (review of their only item on next page) and has also played alongside Tony Conrad & Tara Jane O'Neil, and is still part of Hall Of Fame. Samara’s voice immediately reminded me, on the first track, “The Fleeting Skies”, of the 70’s psych-folk group Agincourt. This titletrack sets the tone, because these slightly dreamy vocal harmonies are all over the album (just listen for instance to the second track “Keeper Of Beauty”). The band (Samara Lubelski with Cynthia Nelson, Marc Moore, Robert Steng, PG Six !, Tim Barnes) understand how to accompany with a similar softness. Also Moritz Finkenbeiner & David Müller from Metabolismus contribute. Some tracks, like "Guarding the Sun" have some orchestration, here in a sparse way. On the instrumental "Follow you" this orchestration leads the track. In general the band's music is not exactly psych-folk like for instance Agincourt, but is further away from folk, as more a kind of, let's say, independent psychpop (-just listen to "Waiting By the Gate"- ). A very enjoyable, very nice album from beginning to end.

Other audiofile : "The Fleeting Skies". Full track : "Fleeting Skies"
Other reviews : http://www.musicemissions.com/display_review/2628 & http://www.thesocialregistry.com/releases/sr017.html &
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/tracks/04-12-16.shtml
Short review : http://www.tonevendor.com/item/15198

P.G.Six 1st solo release reviewed on http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/acidfolkreview.html
Second and latest one on  http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/acidfolkreview5.html


2. Social Registry    Hall of Fame : Paradise Now (US,2004)***'

Hall of Fame is a NY trio consisting of Samara Lubelski, Dan Brown & Theo Angel. This is the first release in four years, and it's their fourth release.
The music on this release is a consistent psych-folk and percussionless psych, with laidback excursions and songs, with lots of amplified electric guitar picking and hushed vocals mostly. The 8th track “My sweet Miasma” contains a part with more experimentation.

Audio : "Hard Wired", "Sleight od Line"
Info : http://www.scdistribution.com/resources/tsr006.pdf
Review : http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/h/hall-of-fame/paradise-now.shtml
Nordic review : http://www.groove.no/html/review/54425249.html
Distributors contact label : sarah@acdistribution.com        next Hall of Fame Albums : ->
Drag CitySix Organs of Admittance : School of the flower (US,2005)****

For this release Ben Chasney, acoustic and amplified guitars, voice and organ, of Six Organs of Admittance  has the help of Chris Corsano, on drums, percussion and organ. The first seconds draws you into a krautrock-like wall of percussion and amplified drone. Behind that wall the garden has its peace. We hear first some acoustic guitar songs, like “Eight Cognition” with hushed vocals, and “All you left”. Like always, Ben Chasney shows his guitar talent modestly -just listen to the beginning of “Words for two”, a track which also receives additional percussion with some additional background textures and experimental amplified guitar drones, and some dreamy guitar repetitions. “Saint Cloud” is build up in a similar way. Also “Procession of Cherry Blossom spirits home” builds up with such amplified echoed guitars mixed with acoustic guitar, and hushed vocals. The longest (13'31") track, “School of the Flower” builds up with two and then three layers of loop guitar patterns, with beautiful resonating guitar noises. Then it adds on top of this another layer of great, advanced jazz-like percussion, building up tension, adding magnificent improvised freaky electric guitar too. Great to hear him do this ! Then I recognise a song originating from the great (hippie) psych-folk album by Gary Higgins, called 'Red Hash', called “Thicker than a smokey”. Last track, "Lisbon" is a quiet acoustic guitar closer.

Six Organs of Admittance succeeds in building up here consistent improvisation-like ideas, which are structured and well developed enough to make this release enjoyable for repeated listens. New was the successful electrified guitar on the long track, something which I wouldn't mind hearing again on future releases.

Homepage : http://sixorgansofadmittance.com/
Info from label : http://www.dragcity.com/bands/sixorgans.html
Review with audio : http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=16251&ljb=1&sType=list&sTrk=9675,9676,9677&sQType=music
Other reviews : http://www.foxydigitalis.com/foxyd/sixorgans_flower.html
& http://www.splendidezine.com/review.html?reviewid=11032828539723
& http://www.digitalisindustries.com/foxyd/sixorgans_flower.html
& http://sgmag.com/av/sooa_sitf/
& http://www.theunbrokencircle.co.uk/album_reviews_text_archive6.htm#Bookmark%206
Interview : http://www.foxydigitalis.com/foxyd/chasny1.html
& http://www.poptones.co.uk/interviews/qod_ben_chasny.htm

Review of Gary Higgins album on http://www.lysergia.com/AcidArchives/lamaArchiveH.htm
The Communual Label    The Tower Recordings :
The Galaxies' Incredibly Sensual Transmission Field of.. (US,2005)***°

I still remember very well Tower Records two earliest recordings, “Furniture Music for Evening Shuttles” and “The fraternity of Moonwalkers” of sweet psych-folk mixed with experimentation, both apartment recordings. The last, more professional recorded release of stretched out improvisations for me was disappointing because I really liked the poetic side from previously. This new one is recorded in a New York church. Original, talented, members S.Freyer, PG Six, Helen Rush and MV now also have the participation of Tim Barnes, Samara Lubelski, Andre Vida and Dean Roberts.
The sphere of improvisation recalls the best circumstances early Krautrock groups might have had. Is it the church environment, the combination of members I don’t know, that the improvised section or at least naturally evolving and ever evolving inspiration surely worked. It has created a nice structured go-for-it mix for the first two tracks, “Harvester” and “Empress Of I.91”. The track after that,"Giggy Garbage Gods (777)" starts with a Samara song, accompanied by a psychedelic improvising band. The following track, "Ibiza Within You" is much more a PG Six acoustic wandering, with some distorted fuzz travelling along with the acoustic part. "Forum" (more audio) is also partly an acoustic journey, but then with completely odd, actually deliberately partly not fitting electronic notes. Although starting on the edge of too-confusing, during the evolution in the playing this begins to make real sense. I am reminded of the Swedish psych-folk group Algärnas Trädgaard who did something similar with confusing harmonies back in the 70's. Last track, the song "Other Kinds Run" has more freaked out and psych-rocking and improvisation, which ends with more feedback of sounds, and some psychedelic let-it-run-for-Christmas electric guitars. Very good psychedelia !
A inspired session.

Other audio fragments (in correct order) "Forum" (or here),"Other Kinds Run
Info : http://www.midheaven.com/bin/search.cgi/datedartist=tower%20recordings
Other reviews : http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/t/tower-recordings/galaxies-incredible-sensual-transmission-field-of-the-tower-recordings.shtml & http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/1886
& http://www.digitalisindustries.com/foxyd/towerrec_galaxies.html
& http://www.foxydigitalis.com/foxyd/towerrec_galaxies.html & http://www.tonevendor.com/item/15982
http://www.theunbrokencircle.co.uk/album_reviews_text_archive6.htm#Bookmark%204

P.G.Six 1st solo release reviewed on http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/acidfolkreview.html
Second and latest one on  http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/acidfolkreview5.html
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Digital IndustriesBen Reynolds : Oh Joy and beyond (UK,2005)**°°

This 5-track 32 minute CD contains 2 raga-guitar improvisations, two experimental tracks and a combination of both styles as a conclusion. On “My hand the universe” Ben Reynolds shows his improvisational talent as guitarist. It’s a nice raga-guitar psych-folk track accompanied by a string drone and small whistle. The second track contains enjoyable semi-acoustic loops, organically moving like waves of water into just one direction, as if moving from left to right through a wide open tube, downstream. The third track is the second acoustic guitar improvisation, also raga-like, for about four and half minute. The fourth track again are abstract experimental sounds based upon all kinds of airy acoustic sounds (flute, plastic tube drone ?), now like a gigantic wave of sounds, with some distorted air tension. The fifth track combines both worlds, and is based upon an acoustic guitar loop and rhythm with other sounds, with an intention of a creation of experimental music. Really enjoyable. Only 92 printed.

Info : http://www.digitalisindustries.com/foxglove.html
Additional facts : Ben Reynolds has other releases on Memoirs Of Asthete and a cd-r coming up soon on new zealand's Pseudoarcana Imprint. He also plays with Ashtray Navigations, on occasion.

update : Two Wings  (2008) has been reviewed on http://www.psychedelicfolk.com/guitar12.html#anchor_364
Outmospheric arts of the outmosphere (2008) is reviewed on http://psychemusic.org/prog16.html#anchor_195
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