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Electric Moon & Papir, The Papermoon Sessions: Comfort Mechanisms

On Aug. 9, 2012, Danish promoter, engineer and heavy psych supporter Ralph Rjeily passed away from testicular cancer. His loss reverberated through those who knew him in the European underground (Scott “Dr. Space” Heller of Øresund Space Collective contributed a remembrance), and it’s in his honor that the Sulatron Records collaborative release, The Papermoon Sessions, arrives. The album, dedicated to the memory of Rjeily, features Copenhagen trio Papir in direct and improvisational collaboration with guitarist/keyboardist Dave “Sula Bassana” Schmidt and bassist Komet Lulu of Germany’s Electric Moon, as well as synth specialist Mogens Deenfort (also of Øresund Space Collective), and of course takes its name from the combination of Papir and Electric Moon that it is. This collaborative effort poses an interesting question in terms of Electric Moon‘s overall catalog — and since it’s released on Schmidt‘s Sulatron Records and features artwork by Lulu, I’ll count it as part of that pastiche — in that since most of their output is the result either of improv jamming or of parts put together as a result thereof, and since so much of its appeal is in demonstrating so honestly the foundational chemistry at the heart of the band, what do you call it when they bring four more players (five if you count Rosi Diamond, who is credited with “mental support” in the CD liner) along for the ride? Turns out on The Papermoon Sessions that you still call it jamming. The members of Papir — guitarist Nicklas Sørensen, drummer Christoffer Brøchmann Christensen, and bassist Christian Becher Clausen — fit in smoothly alongside Schmidt and Lulu, and the overarching ethic of The Papermoon Sessions remains much the same as it is on their many live and studio releases, with the key differences being rooted in the fact that the psychedelia is given even more reach by the additional parties involved.

The album itself is comprised of three jams, two longer works bookending a shorter centerpiece: “Farewell Mr. Space Echo” (16:10), “Red Dust” (5:58) and “The Circle” (21:17), resulting in a still-vinylable 43-minute runtime. Each of the three cuts is given its own personality and sense of movement, and it should say something about the level of immersive substance overall that “Red Dust” should feel like a take-a-breath interlude at just under six minutes. Elsewhere, the hypnosis is complete, whether it’s immediately textured feel that “Farewell Mr. Space Echo” hones as it begins to quietly unfold its build or the solo-drenched culmination of “The Circle,” which draws complete in a manner befitting its title. It’s murky in terms of knowing just who is doing what at a given moment — though that last solo seems a little more searing than something Schmidt might concoct, as much as I’d hate to speculate and be wrong — but of course part of the fun of listening is being taken along for the ride by the players involved rather than picking out every single change. That said, Christensen‘s work on drums is especially worth noting, as he brings fluidity in his crash to “Farewell Mr. Space Echo” that only deepens the (purposeful) meandering sensibility while also keeping it active and moving along with the wash of guitar, effects and synth, not to mention the two bassists, who seem by the song’s middle to be locked in a tandem groove. That’s not to say that Sørensen and Schmidt have all the fun on these jams, but the collaboration plays out like an extension of the power trio dynamic rather than a complete six-piece band. There is a rhythm section and there are guitars and synth giving a lush, melodic and of course spaced-out vibe. It’s how well the sides work with each other — hard enough to play like a trio with a trio, let alone a six-piece — that makes The Papermoon Sessions so ultimately engaging.


And of course the emotional context of the release is a factor as well. There are no lyrics on The Papermoon Sessions — both acts being at least mostly instrumental — but with the dedication to Rjeily and brief tributes from Lulu and Deenfort in the liner, the expression is clear all the same, and it speaks to the nature of everyone involved that getting together to jam would be both how they paid homage to Rjeily and how they sought comfort in their grief. In the progressive melancholy of “Red Dust” and in the synth-fueled reaches of “The Circle,” what remains true is the human spirit driving the material. It invites a closer bond with the listener not only for this release, but with Papir and Electric Moon‘s works overall, and gives insight into the processes of all who took part, including Deenfort, whose additions are crucial if bound to be underrepresented as a result both of the greater amount of effects surrounding and the fact that his name doesn’t show up in the album title. Even on a basic, out-of-context listen, The Papermoon Sessions offer rich and trance-inducing space jamming. That’s never going to be everyone’s thing. Some people crave structure or traditional songcraft and neither really has a place here, but Electric Moon haven’t left their audience behind yet — everyone comes along for the trip — and this partnering with Papir has resulted in gorgeously interwoven layers of exploration that speak to potential for further collaboration. As Papermoon has been confirmed for a live improvisation at Roadburn 2014, it seems only fair to speculate that The Papermoon Sessions may only be the beginning of a creative bonding between Papir and Electric Moon, and if that winds up being the case, then it’s all the more fitting that it was born out of finding solace in their love of what they do that the project came about.

Papir & Electric Moon, “The Circle” from The Papermoon Sessions (2013)

Electric Moon on Thee Facebooks

Papir on Thee Facebooks

Sulatron Records

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