ATO US Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Jasper Verhulst's burning passion for Turkish folk and psychedelia led him to found the Atlin Gun band. Gece is their second album from 2019 and arrives in the same month as their third, Yol. It showcase a real understanding of the dynamics of his chosen soul but laced with contemporary flourishes and plenty of great musicianship that touches son Anatolian rock and folk as well as colourful synths capes and psyched out meanderings. Steamy, bright and brilliant, this is a fine reminder of what makes Atlin Gun so damn irresistible especially on the vocal laced 'Anlatmam Derdimi' which is dripping with cool.

Review: Les Claypool and Sean Lennon as you may suspect are The Claypool Lennon Delirium; the former being slap bass aficionado of the band Primus, and the latter of course the son of Beatle, John Lennon (& Yoko Ono). It presents the pair's second LP after a handful of EPs for ATO Records (Think Alabama Shakes, Ben Kweller, and Kaiser Chiefs) and it's a '70s futuristic embrace of psychedelic rock and funk cosmosis. Across nine virtually instrumental tracks - if there are vocals they're sung in a freakish "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" tone which sounds best on "South Of Reality". It's very much an album of hallucinogen, experimental, preamped and acoustic skill, with Pink Floyd and BBC Radiophonic Workshop semantics abound! A good one for that next trip, space bugs, grand canyons, interzone, and all.

Review: ATO Records' RSD 2018 offering is a collaborative affair featuring previously unheard songs from psychedelic soul artist Nick Hakim and Onyx Collective, an outfit that has a rising reputation on NYC blossoming modern jazz scene. Hakim's "Vincent Tyler", in particular, is superb; a loose, languid, string-laden soul torch song that will have the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end. In contrast, the two Onyx Collective offerings are fuzzy chunks of slightly psychedelic post-rock madness with occasional wild post-punk sax solos. While nowhere near as emotive as the A-side, they're certainly very satisfying.

Review: Covering other musicians can be something of a minefield, without balancing respect for the original and stamping one's individuality, it can wind up sounding inauthentic and distasteful. However, My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James has proved he's more than adept at the craft. His band are well-known for their diverse covers, and back in 2009 he released his first solo EP 'Tribute To', an homage to George Harrison. Eight years on, his second tribute album covers a broader range of artists of a bygone era, bringing together Beach Boys, Dylan, Willie Nelson, ELP and more. James' treatment of the songs shows his admiration and attention to detail, reimagining the source material in a quiet and focussed mood. Often, the covers are stripped back to James' vocals drenched in reverb and a single instrument, which does wonders as he winds through old jazz crooners, soul, country & western and 60's pop. What is most evident here though, is his esteem for these songs, and just how much he enjoys playing them.

Review: All hail the unhinged and delightfully dirty world of the Gizzard, a band that were already responsible for some of the finest live recordings we've heard this year, if not ever, on spring's concert movie soundtrack Chunky Shrapnel, which featured, among other things, 19-minute masterpiece 'A Brief History of Planet Earth - live in London, Berlin, Utrecht and Barcelona '19'. Now they're back at it, only this time allowing us to dive headfirst into one single date in one individual city, hence the title.

Obvious statements aside, San Francisco '16 confirms what many of us had already picked up on with the aforementioned predecessor. The Australian outfit really, really know what a rock concert should sound like, calling on heavy metal, prog, blues and post-punk to launch a full-blown assault on ears, minds and feet. Right now this is the closest you're getting to that life-affirming experience, so we say drink it up.

Review: Cutesy Australian duo Oh Pep! celebrate the release of their second album, scoring a bolstered release on American label ATO Records, home to the likes of Ben Kweller, Kaiser Chiefs and Alabama Shakes. It sees the pair continue to playfully enjoy their time in the indie-pop and alt-folk sun, with an album dedicated to the sweet themes of relationships; the ups, downs and middles. Highlights include the atmospheric and hushed tones of "Hurt Nobody" to the more full and chorus heavy "What's The Deal With David?" - a song for highway driving - to the melodious "Your Nail & Your Hammer". A record that will appeal to fans of Lana Del Ray and First Aid Kit.

Review: The Return Of Pachyman is a brand new reggae record with all the authenticity of a stone-cold classic. It takes in time spent in San Juan as well as LA and a rather healthy serving of influences from Studio One in Kingston, Jamaica. It will sound superb on huge sound systems this summer with its deep space reggae rhythms and sci-fi synths taking off into the clouds. Pachyman is a guitarist turned dub technician who has lived in LA since 2010 and taught himself bass, drums, and piano while collecting various bits of recording equipment in his basement studio. This is his magnum opus.

Review: Whether you prefer the 1971 movie, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, or the 2005 reboot, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, two things are clear. Firstly, the modern remake carries the title Roald Dahl chose for the original 1964 book. And, secondly, the older film is by far the weirder, more sinister, unnerving, surreal and - at times - disturbing.
Primus' golden ticket-themed album is certainly paying direct homage to the 1971 film, and this is clear without picking up on the clear use of musical motifs from that movie. Like an acid trip, the record slowly lures you to some minor detail before suddenly revealing itself to be a temporarily inescapable sensory overload that you need to ride with. At times reworking tracks from screen, in other moments introducing their own interpretation of those moods through distorted guitars and effects, it's a wild one.

Review: Temples have always been a band of our times - which may sound oxymoronic until you try the meaning on for size. While perhaps not wildly (or, indeed, really) diverting from the psychedelic rock 'n' roll sound they first gained attention through back in 2012, nevertheless they have always had a way of capturing and questioning the world as it is in that moment.

'Paraphernalia', which they first unveiled back in September, is certainly no exception to the rule. Inspired by conversations around the depth and realism of connections in a digital world, from the off it's an emotionally captivating, dramatic number that smacks of great theatrics with bold strings hooks. In turn this only serves as a platform from which to hear the band's surrealism in more vivid detail. Certainly plenty to keep us thinking until the next instalment, which hopefully won't be too far away.

Review: Inside Out is a compilation of Nilufer Yanya previously released EPs Small Crimes, Plant Feed and Do You Like Pain? All seven tracks explore her own unique brand of alternative indie rock. There are poppy hooks, dreamy chords and of course her own icy but soulful vocals on each of the beautiful and tender tracks. Pressed on transparent pink vinyl and limited to just 2000 copies, Nilufer is donating any of her own profits from this real to Artists in Transit, aka AiT, a non-profit collaborative artists project that delivers creative workshops to displaced communities.