Tag Archives: Hypnotic

Pretty Lightning ‘This Machine Is Running’

Christian Berghoff and Sebastian Haas are two lifelong friends from Saarbrucken, Germany who back in 2007 formed the band Pretty Lightning. The duo tick off a long list of influences from 60s psych and delta blues through to krautrock and drone and the end-product is a heavy dose of raw, twisted psychedelic-blues.The two-piece have two highly-praised LPs behind them and have now released their new album ‘The Rhythm Of Ooze on Fuzz Club Records. ‘This Machine Is Running’ is the perfect example of what this duo have to offer.This relentlessly dizzying track is a constant assault to the senses of bewildering hallucinogenic soundscapes that melt your mind in a blissful woozy staggeringly striking blast of psychedelia.  An entrapping stomping rhythm pumps adrenaline through your veins while fuzzed out guitars add a disoriented daze and thrilling labyrinth to wander through, its lushly mesmerising yet darkly eerie. Reverb vocals echo throughout creating a hazy soothing effect to the rushing surge of instrumentation. The perplexing invasion of your mind only slows down in pace to submerge you in a swirling whirlpool of deranged meandering keys. It’s an enthralling stupefying heavy dose of psychedelic rock. A trip you won’t return from quite the same again.

Stream ‘This Machine Is Running’ below


Crome Yellow ‘Yellow Road’ EP

Waterford’s alternative rock/ synth pop band Crome Yellow have released their debut EP ‘Yellow Road’. The band have created a 5 track collection of liquefying mind melting tunes that are just sublime.
The sweet dazed ‘My Chateau’ kicks off the EP doused in narcotic psychedelia and ridiculously chill tones. Sharp guitar adds a wobbly sting to the hazy mirage while gentle vocals soothe you into a calming state of hypnosis. ‘Cordial People’ takes you on a funky tinged journey with spacey hints and darker tones of dreamy delusions. Whispered almost eerie vocals and the zesty guitar jingle create a dull shot of acid-fried absurdity. ‘You Never Ask Me If I’m Happy’ is a peppy clap along friendly track with a western desert feel. Psychedelic guitar adds scorching heat to the optical illusion. A sway like melody and peppy beat adds a shimmy wavy danceable element to the EP. ‘Grey Cords’ once again lulls you into Crome Yellow’s tranquillised state of opiate ecstasy. With lush backing vocals and trippy synths they take you further and further down the rabbit hole. ‘Jean’ brings us to the end of our journey with Crome Yellow with sonic pulses twinkling guitars and warm toned keys. It’s a swoony slow-moving track that is mind numbing and dreamy with space-age like psychedelia.
Crome Yellow’s ‘Yellow Road’ EP is a sophisticated deeply dreamy collection of tracks that drown you in a synth pop trippy illusion filled pool of euphoria. Its rich in intricately layered synths blended with hypnotic chimes and spacey psychedelia. Funky guitar elements and pop melodies create lush texture and deliver the bands distinctive sound. A strong debut EP from the four piece. Its a relaxing mind dissolving treasure.

Watch the video for ‘Jean’ below


Modern Crowds ‘Eye Of The Storm’

Jersey Shore-based band Modern Crowds have released their new single ‘Eye Of The Storm’. The four piece have crafted a diverse alt-rock sound that’s as huge as their arena dreams. Formed in early 2016 when Joseph Pellegrinelli (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Charlie Kupilik (drums) started jamming together the lineup would be rounded out by Adam Baczkowski (backing vocals, lead guitar) and Doug Gatta (bassist). With a debut EP ‘Go’ already under their belts, Modern Crowds are now gearing up to release their debut, self-titled full-length out this summer via self-release.
‘Eye Of The Storm’ is a hypnotic sparkling prism with flashing sonic flecks between speckles of glistening chimes and twinkling guitars. Soft soothing vocals place your mind in a narcotic daze and state of calming ecstasy. This track is a mesmerising trance-inducing state of swirling trippy bliss. With mild distortion and lush harmonies it’s mind melting-ly chill and mellow. Sticky beats keep a constant hypnotic elasticity to the track while everything else consumes you in a soft swirling marshmallow of sweet psychedelia.

Stream ‘Eye Of The Storm’ below


The Lizards ‘She Goes Down’

Birmingham, garage-psych band The Lizards have released their new single ‘She Goes Down’. The band consists of members Cameron Harris,Dan Whitehouse,Liam Radburn and Harry Shaw. ‘She Goes Down’ is a wavy dazed prism of blissful psychedelia. Gentle explosions of ecstasy burst from each note like sparkling fragments of magic, enticing with wonder and elation. Soft swaying guitars like a narcotic sedative soothe with an instant mind numbing effect while the wobbly rhythm flickers with mystifying euphoria. Hazy honeyed vocals and pacifying melody gives the track a swoony daydream vibe. Its a liquefying illusion masterfully crafted to melt your mind. The Lizards have created a trance-inducing track that is just magnificent.
Watch the video for ‘She Goes Down’ below


Worth A Listen

Our Worth A Listen Track This Week Comes From The Cuckoos

Psych rock band The Cuckoos from Austin have recently released their self-titled debut EP. The Cuckoos are Kenneth Frost (Lead Vocals/Songwriter, Keys), Dave North (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals), Eric Ross (Bass) and Cole Koenning (Drums). These young guys (the oldest is just 21) create music that sounds like it’s straight from the 1960’s however with their own unique twist. The quartet recently completed a successful first-ever run at SXSW and aren’t slowing down any time soon, booking shows across their home-state and in the UK. We have chosen their track ‘Mind Breakthrough’ as our worth a listen track this week.
‘Mind Breakthrough’ is a dark grimy twisted concoction of classic rock brewed with psychedelic garage and hints of acid. Its an opaque trip into a thick hazy hallucinogenic delusion. With mesmerising eerie synths and thrilling razor sharp guitar, its a swirling dizzy opiate mirage smothered in dark dingy tones. The groovy rhythm adds a shimmy to the track, the limp kind one would do when mind boggled and dazed. Deep strong vocals command with a spellbinding possession while the track consumes you in its narcotic swirling abyss. ‘ Mind Breakthrough’ is an enchanting luring track that is riveting and smothered in nostalgic and retro vibes. It showcases the fine musicianship of these young guys. If they are writing tracks like this now imagine whats next… its going to be good. Watch out for these guys.

Stream ‘Mind Breakthrough’ below


Ivory Wave ‘Separate Beat’

Birmingham’s Ivory Wave have released their new single ‘Separate Beat’. The new track which the band have been debuting live at gigs across the midlands, is produced by Matt Terry and recorded at Warwickshire’s Vada Studios.

‘Separate Beat’ is a psychedelic trip swirling with narcotic dizzying soundscapes. Sparkling zealous guitars  and mind expanding synths swirl with euphoric bliss while lush lulling backing vocals take the track to a hazy dreamy state. The commanding vocals and heavy beat becomes the steady anchor to hold on to while the track attempts to sweep you up into its woozy hypnotic  electronics. Its a track for relentless dancing.

You can catch Ivory Wave live at

May 20th The Sunflower Lounge (single Launch) The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

June 9th Record Junkee, Sheffield

June 10th Verve Bar, Leeds

Stream ‘ Separate Beat’ below


Future Lover ‘Dead Soul Dagger’

Future Lover has released a new single ‘Dead Soul Dagger’ Colin Lime is Future Lover, He writes, records, and produces all the music, with occasional contributions from far-out friends. Originally hailing from Indianapolis, and having spent more than a decade touring the country and living in New York, the sound of Future Lover reflects that journey. It evokes a psychedelic trip through inner and outer space, lighting up the darkness and rocketing out into the universe. He calls his sound “Psych-Wave”. ‘Dead Soul Dagger’ is taken from ‘Reverb Tales’, the forthcoming LP out May 2017 on Crystal Cave Records.
‘Dead Soul Dagger’ is a fuzzed kaleidoscopic prism of psychedelic rock swirling with trippy confusion. Opiate vocals sooth with a narcotic numbing effect while weaving electronics act as a wobbly wave like mirage causing a blissful daydream head trip. Razor sharp fuzzed guitar becomes the constant, keeping you from dangerously slipping into the enticing enigma. The shredding guitar riff is gritty and hypnotic with steamy flashes of disorientation. Strong punchy drums give the track a heavy sound that will cause your glazed head to mosh messily and uncontrollably while you become consumed in the dark bewitchment of this fascinating track. Haunting falsetto vocals echo in the background while the track swirls and weaves with liquid blurred fluidity. Let Future Lover dissolve your brain in trippy ecstasy.
Stream ‘Dead Soul Dagger’ below

Dia ‘Gambling Girl’

Dia is the stunning project of composer and performer, Danielle Birrittella. The Indie folk/baroque pop artist has released the beautiful, cinematic music video for her latest single, ‘Gambling Girl’ off her debut EP ‘Tiny Ocean’, which was released with Manimal Records and features songs produced by Joey Waronker (Beck, REM, Atoms for Peace), Tim Carr (The Americans, HAIM) and Frankie Siragusa (theLAB). Raised on a Hindu ashram, Dia sang ceremonial ragas as a child, which led to training and performing as an opera singer throughout the U.S. and Europe. Along these travels, she began experimenting with music and writing song fragments on a ukulele, which was gifted to her by her brother. Dia’s practice as a classically trained opera singer induced an incredibly critical ear. Her influences of classical music, such as Baroque and French Romantics are beautifully infused with modern experimental cinematic folk on her debut EP. A native of New England, and graduate of New York University (BA) and California Institute of the Arts (MFA), she has lived and worked as an artist in New York, France, and Italy. Highlighted performances have included Disney Hall’s REDCAT – Los Angeles, La Musica Lirica – Italy, The Chautauqua Institute – New York, La Main d’Or – Paris, and The Ludwig Foundation – Cuba.
‘Gambling Girl’ is a moody cinematic dream pop swirl that is more sticky than honey. The dark stuffy atmosphere suffocates you in a spiralling dreamy haze. The steady thump beat teamed with sultry bewitching lull on vocals give a narcotic hypnotic effect that draws you further and further into the calming opiate illusion. Dia’s vocals act as a sedative or tranquilliser cooing with soft mind numbing qualities. Driven by a seductive sway-like flow ‘Gambling Girl’ lures and entices with graceful delicate charm and daydream obscurity.
Watch the video for ‘Gambling Girl’ which portrays Dia and a cowboy beneath a sunset, riding horses and dancing in the desert below.

The Fin.’Through The Deep’ Remix EP

Japanese masters of shimmering ethereal pop, The Fin. have announced an exclusive remix EP, featuring versions remixed by The Field, Ten Fé and All We Are. The ‘Through The Deep’ remix EP features four adventurous reworkings of tracks from their ocean-inspired dream-pop nugget ‘Through The Deep’ which was released in the summer. The remix EP will also serve as a key component of the launch of Spotify in Japan. Hailing from the vibrant Japanese port city of Kobe, The Fin. elected to temporarily relocate to England’s equally bustling capital in autumn 2016 to explore the impact that life in London might bring to bear on their new material. Having signed to Lost In The Manor Records the previous year, the band’s growing renown on these shores has led to a surge of media interest and prime headline slots such as this year’s Great Escape Festival. The Fin. have performed before thousands of rapturous fans at major Japanese festivals including Fuji Rock, Rising Sun and Viva La Rock. Not content with such acclaim in one country alone, Yuto Uchino (vocals and synths), Ryosuke Odagaki (guitar), Takayasu Taguchi (bass) and Kaoru Nakazawa (drums) set their sights worldwide and in 2015 embarked on a major tour of the US, which included a performance at SXSW, before signing to Lost In The Manor and releasing their debut UK EP, ‘Night Time’.
All We Are step up to the plate first with their exceptional rework of ‘Anchorless Ship’. Guro and Luis convert the sparse funk of the original into a haunting cut of anthemic techno, upping the tempo, bottoming out the bass end and decorating the track with dissonant acid stabs. True to All We Are’s psych-disco leanings, their ‘Anchorless Ship’ evolves into a second act with a ferocious tribal edge, and psychedelic stinging acid trip that livens up the original dream pop and introduces an invitation to dance that can’t be refused.
London’s blissful electro-indie pairing Ten Fé follow next artfully crafting their mix around the melodic synth washes of The Fin.’s 60-second ‘Heat’, originally the track shimmers with a chillwave and beautiful ocean lit glittering synths. Ten Fé expand the groove via a punchy bassline set to a motorik pulse, adding a kick and edge to the track. Phasing the original sine-wave oscillations and warping frontman Yuto’s vocal into an alien drawl. This singular piece of extra-terrestrial kraut-funk builds to a euphoric climax, as horn stabs and sustained harmonics add colour to an irresistible clubland vibe.
Stockholm-born, Berlin-based ambient techno producer Axel Willner, aka The Field, transcends the rapturous dream-pop of the EP’s title track ‘Through The Deep ‘ with an extraordinary 12-minute canvas of electro-minimalism. A hypnotic raga for our time, ‘Through The Deep’ here becomes an unusual jewel of rich, breathy experimentalism, almost imperceptibly peaking and trudging along luring and drawing you onto its mesmerising sonic path.
Finally ‘White Breath’ a remix by The Fin.’s vocalist Yuto Uchino takes us to the end of our psychedelic trance with soft electronic waves weaving and swirling in a blissful mind-bending kaleidoscope. Removing the delicate vocals of the original and becoming completely consumed in thick electronic experimental psychedelia. Beautiful warm tones on guitar give us a strong melody to hold onto keeping us afloat from the pulling and swirling abyss of the track.
The ‘Through The Deep’ remix EP is a Pandora box delight, full of mesmerising waves of synths interweaving and washing with acid elements and sonic depths with reverb weighty guitars on top of blissful melodies. The guys did a fantastic job with the remixes however I will say check out the originals first, you will fall in love with them and will only then appreciate the true talent of The Fin. and the effort and craft that went into creating the remixes.

Stream both the original and the ‘Through The Deep’ remix EP below

The Grey Merchant ‘Spotless’

the-grey-merchant

The Grey Merchant are an alternative indie band from Cork. Their debut single ‘Spotless’ is set for release via Demeanour Records on November 8th. The Grey Merchant introduce us to their swirling concoction of psychedelic experimental rock that will blow your mind. Its a labyrinth of pulsating bass and distorted guitars swirling in an intoxicating brew of hallucinatory narcotic rock. This thick ecstasy of eye- popping exhilarating psychedelia resounds and winds around a vocal line sampled from Charlie Chaplin’s speech from ‘The Great Dictator’. With rapid punch and repetitive striking drums ‘Spotless’ lures you into a darkened  hair- raisingly thrilling atmosphere where there is no returning. Once you let yourself succumb to the crisp edgy sting and moody undertone you become swallowed and consumed in the tireless relentless onslaught of the meandering entwining coil of The Grey Merchant’s unique and fantastic masterpiece. These guys are ones to watch.
Stream ‘Spotless’ below