Back catalogue: Psych/Garage Rock

Review: Sababa 5 are a funk band from Tel Aviv who tap into their position in the Middle East to create a dynamic, outernational sound, and they're continuing a hot streak on Batov with this crucial collaboration with Turkish singer Candy Dogan. Dogan is currently a member of the jazz department at Istanbul University, and she sought out the band after hearing their music and noting its similarities to Turkish music. Already an alternative pop sensation on her own terms, Dogan slots into the Sababa 5 sound beautifully, resulting in a must-check 7" single that hopefully signals the start of an enduring partnership.

Review: Famous as the nephew of the world famous sitarist Ravi Shankar, Ananda Shankar carried the torch by contributing several greats to the continuing tide of prog rock and Western electronica. One such project was Sa-Re-Ga Machan, first released in 1981, and which lent a jungle-safari theme to the already established electronic rock fusions he'd laid down on his earlier self-titled record. Seguing through rollicking, schools-out psychedelic odysseys, not to mention humid, wonderfully sublime tropical soundscapes on which we can't tell what's synthetic and what isn't, this is an worthy new reissue from Life Goes On; worth every penny.

Review: Fabled jazz-rock group Soft Machine present this heartfelt tribute to one of the greats of British jazz - trumpeter Harry Beckett - covering his stunning 'The Dew At Dawn' on this limited edition 7" vinyl, with a cover of a classic Softs tune on the B-side. This is the second 7" in My Only Desire Records' Brit Jazz 45s series, which sees some of their favourite contemporary jazz acts each making brand new studio recordings of two classic compositions from the golden era of 60s and 70s British jazz.

Review: Top Sounds digs into the garage rock archives and has turned out some real treasure. The Syn were a short-lived but now cult outfit that, in 1967, released just two 45 rpms for the Deram label. Ever since then, fans of them and 60s rock alike, have fawned over them and collectors have paid high prices to own them. Now they can for a much more reasonable fee with this reissued 7" featuring the jaunty melodies and vocal harmonies of 'Created By Clive' and faster, harder more psyched out 'I'm Following You.'

Review: The fifth solo album by Japanese musician Shintaro Sakamoto, the former leader of psychedelic rock band Yura Yura Teikoku and later prolific solo musician, comes in the form of Like A Fable: a round-numbered compendium inspired by both international music styles and Sakamoto's isolation during the COVID lockdowns. This tension between local and regional makes for a well-rounded album; our fellow Brits might recall the cute and brassy productions of Jameszoo in it initially dreamy refrains, but things soon grow pretty characteristically Japanese, with 'You Still OK' providing an unmistakable Shibuya feel, which continues the charge from thereon. A meditation on isolated romance, the album ends on as funky a note as it began on, 'The Whereabouts Of Romance', which is its by far its most distinctive contribution and a beautifully slide-guitarred conclusion.

Review: "No-one knew the songs or what the plan was. We kept it loose and fun. This was the spirit of the sessions. No headphones, no playback, minimal overdubs, or bleed. Fast and loose," says Sam Evian of his latest record, the first to grace his new imprint, Thirty Tigers. If that's not enough to make you balk with jealously at not being invited, then the idea of Big Thief's Adrian Lenker and Sufjan Stevens, among others, debasing to Evian's house in the Catskills to examine a revamped studio, complete with vintage tape deck and console, then going wild swimming at midnight, just as snow fell, might seal the deal. The following day, work began on Plunge, a record with no real fixed direction or plan. In the end, it will - or, at least, it should - be remembered among Evian's finest offerings. A stunning collection of folk-leaning rock 'n' roll, Americana and jangly indie, you can almost smell upstate New York.

Review: Berlin-based Saturns Drive is a project by New Zealand-born DJ and producer Elfy, and is one that takes its cues from a world of early sci-fi, exotica and library music, as well as coming on thick with cosmic disco synthesizers, Italo grooves and lush arps. His latest outing 'Next Stop Nebula' also brings in slide guitars and retro digital synth sounds over the top of rhythms that owe a debt to the 90s. It's a fresh and new sound that makes for expansive, immersive listening and transports you to an imagery, sun-kissed world where gentle grooves like 'Next Stop Nebula' and 'Bride Of Frankenstein' await for a nice laid-back party.

Review: Today & Tomorrow is yet another superb album from the Sault collective headed up by Dean Josiah Cover AKA Info. Not much else is known about them but there sure is a hell of a lot of music to get stuck into. This album was dropped as one of five last year - alongside 11, AIIR, Earth and Untitled (God)) - all for free and all on the same day. That is a mad thing to do and you might think they can't all be good albums, but they are. This is another lo-fi soul masterpiece from one of the best bands of our time.

Review: In November of last year Sault shocked the world of music with a five-deep drop of outstanding albums which some have reasonably deemed to be Christian deep funk. Initially offering the music out freely as a gift to God and to no doubt land their message that little bit further, now they're releasing these outstanding albums and giving each one some space to breathe. The music is steeped in the tradition of OG funk and soul, captured with a legitimate grit which lands the grooves all the deeper, and we're instantly drawn into the sound world of this spirituals-charged project transmitting from true believers to anyone who feels the funk.

Review: Originally released on Sarah Records in 1992, the Sea Urchins' 'Stardust' was the first ever album to be released by the West Bromwich band. Cutting the jib of a 1990s version of Black Country, New Road (there were indeed 7 members, and they were all from the Black Country). Their purview was jangle indie, bowlcuts, and lo-fi. The song 'Pristine Christine', which features here, is widely credited as the cash cow single that launched Sarah, and the band's influences can still be felt nowadays, such as in the cover designs of modern artists such as King Krule. For fans of The Smiths or The Charlatans, the band are a little further down the obscurity iceberg, which should make 'The Stardust' a draw for the most avid collectors.

Review: Following 2022's acoustic opus - Hello, Hi - Ty Segall returns with Three Bells, his most ambitious, elastic set of songs to date. A 15-song cycle that takes the listener on a journey to the center of the self (whether that be Segall's or a projection of the listener's own self), Three Bells' arc is rainbow-like, promising a prosperious fulfilment of desire, but ever extending outwards from our reach, keeping the listener in a state of suspense. Though Ty's is a daimonic journey, it's still brimming with alternating perspectives, never once settling onto any lyrical platitude and keeping its sense of resolve open-ended.

Review: Estonian-based label RR Gems is on a mission to present music that carries on a rich tradition of "free form, experimental and jazz" sounds. It does that here with dynamic Helsinki sextet, Soft Power, who have a style that ranges from jazz-rock to psychedelic jazz, always with exuberant musicianship and eclectic energy. Raw Bites is another exceptional outing that challenges conventions without ever losing sight of a compelling groove in amongst the cosmic sounds and noodling melodies. Walking bass brings bluesy qualities to some tunes and others are epic sonic adventures a la Sun Ra.

Review: From the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s, Brazil's population suffered at the hands of the brutal dictatorship of the Fifth Republic, arising from a coup at the hands of the country's armed forces with support from the US administration of the time. Human rights abuses, institutionalised torture and extrajudicial killings were par for the course of a regime, supported by religious and anti-Communist sections of society. At the same time, the domestic avant garde music scene was merging with the mainstream birth the Tropicalia arts movement, but this wasn't the only sound that was pushing back against the corridors of power. Forged from rock, folk, psychedelia and traditional Brazilian rhythms, while Som Imaginario aren't always considered part of that scene, they shared values and, in many ways, an approach to pushing sonic boundaries. This 1976 live album speaks volumes about the creative freedoms expressed as a form of protest against militarised conformity.

Review: The Soundcarriers are back with a reissue of their second album Celeste, a luminous gem of baroque pop and psychedelic folk. Originally released in 2010, this album was intended as a nocturnal, hauntological journey through a strange yet familiar city, as if serenely sunday-driving through said metropolis - a self-driving car dream of an album. That being said, don't fall asleep at the wheel on this one; cop it ASAP because it has remastered sound, new artwork and new bonus tracks.

Review: The fourth LP outing from the Nottingham band sees revelling in 60s psychedelia and folk sounds, checking in somewhere between the whimsical glories of The Left Banke, the powering grooves of The Doors and the beguiling melodicism of Nick Drake. It's a nostalgic sound but it's not lacking in dynamics, especially when driven along by the glittering, sparkling drums of founding member Adam Carr, which often feel like the lead instrument as the vocals of Leonore Wheatley and the guitar, bass and keyboards mesh into a hazy supporting act.

Review: This is a black vinyl version of a reissue that we also have on gold vinyl of Soyuz's '2' album. Originally released in 2019, this album marks a significant phase in the band's evolution, offering a glimpse into the sound that would define their later work while retaining traces of avant-psychedelic-pop influences. Produced during bandleader Alex Chumak's transition from Minsk to Kyiv, the LP reflects the tension between exploration and homesickness. Drawing from influences like Mikita Arlou, Ethiopian jazz, and Italian library music, the album eloquently captures the melancholy of long-distance travel and transience, creating a sonic narrative of emotional flux.

Review: Soyuz follows up their 2022 debut Force Of The Wind with a stark but subdued reissue of their second album, Ii, released three years earlier in 2019. The album captures a pivotal evolution in the band's career, the recordings giving a snapshot of what would become their sound on Force Of The Wind, yet with echoes of avant-psychedelic-pop footprints from yester years. Produced at a time when bandleader Alex Chumak had moved from Minsk to Kyiv, torn between the need to try something new and the homesickness it brought about, Ii nicely captures the slow burn of homesickness extended across a long bouts of travel and transience, through stylistic recollections of Mikita Arlou, Ethiopian jazz and Italian library music.

Review: Space Age originally released this authoritative compilation of legendary psychonauts Spacemen 3 as a CD-only affair back in 2003. Some 20 years on, as appreciation of the band maintains if not grows over time, it's great to see it getting a ceremonious vinyl pressing. As fans of the band have pointed out, what Forged Prescriptions achieves so well is capturing the two distinct halves of the band, from the garage rock squall of their early sound when they were guided by the likes of Velvet Underground through to the more grandiose sound they perfect in the later stages as a precursor to the eventual split and formation of Spiritualized. Peppered with demos and other such curios, it's become an essential part of the Spacemen 3 canon.

Review: English alternative-garage psyche rockers (and that barely comes close) Spacemen 3 had a serious reputation for their live shows. Inducing the kind of trance-like states in their audiences we more commonly associate with the endless spirals of dance music, for some the trio are godfathers of shoegaze, writing the book on that epic guitar opera long before people really knew what to call it, helping set the tone for the more exploratory side of 1980s rock. Simply put, they were a group you'd feel lucky to have experienced live, and even this five track opus of mind-melting rhythms, discordance and pent up energy is a pretty incredible thing to behold. Recorded live at Melkweg, Amsterdam, and originally released in 1989, once you've lost a few minutes in the refrains, builds, and crescendos you'll understand the cult status of this release - thankfully now repressed.

Review: Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs of Saint Etienne fame are the diggers behind this new rock assemblage which pays tribute to mid-afternoon set times at lesser-known festivals from years gone (well, the 70s) such as Deeply Vale, Bickershaw, Krumlin, Weeley, and Plumpton. They were just as important to those who attended as the more celebrated likes of Glasto' and this collection shows the sounds were just as good, too. The sounds - from big names liek Deep Purple, Hawkwind and Alan Parker & Alan Hawkshaw to lesser known acts like Jonesy, will appeal to hippies and bikers alike with big riffs, funky drumming and some psyched-out sounds.

Review: Sternenmadchen, or Star Maiden in English, was a title given to Gille Lettmann, part of the Cosmic Couriers coterie of kosmische German adventurers in the mid 70s. The album Gilles Zeitschiff was released in 1974, but a quickly recorded follow-up never saw release despite the heavyweight line-up of Dieter Dierks,AJurgen Dollase,AHarald GroBkopf andAMythos backing up Gille. The reasons for the hiatus are undisclosed for now, but either way, 50 years after the fact, Gilles Zeitschiff 2 finally surfaces as a true gift from the psychedelic gods for all lovers of kosmische music.

Review: Nimbus by Sunburned Hand of the Man is a special journey into the band's enigmatic world, that is an ever-evolving experimental project. Recorded during a wintery week of sessions in Turner's Falls, MA, the album exudes a familial warmth and creative spontaneity as band members come together in a cozy setting to cook meals, reminisce, and make music. The album's sonic landscape is rich and varied, blending elements of psych-rock, spoken word, and instrumental improvisation. From the jaunty earworm Ishkabibble Magoo, featuring Phil Franklin's witty wordplay and infectious melody, to the haunting poetry-based pieces like 'Consider the Wound,' read by Peter Gizzi, the album traverses a wide emotional spectrum. Instrumental tracks like 'The Lollygagger' and 'Brainticket' showcase the band's musical dexterity, with dreamy synths, swirling guitars, and hypnotic rhythms creating immersive sonic textures. Each track feels like a sonic exploration, with layers of sound intertwining to create a captivating listening experience. Nimbus is a kaleidoscopic collage of sound and imagery that defies categorization and invites listeners to immerse themselves in Sunburned Hand of the Man's unique musical universe.