Peruvian psychedelic rockers Serpentina Satelite were one of the first bands I ever reviewed for this site, way back in February 2009. As much as I was still getting a feel for what I was doing, on their debut, the five-piece had a much firmer handle on their sound on their debut, which they informed today they’ll be releasing later this year on vinyl through international psych purveyors Trip in Time.

From the band:

We’re glad to announce that Nothing to Say will be released on vinyl later this year by Trip in Time Records. This time around, our brother Johnny ‘O’ from Rocket Recordings took care of the vinyl’s artwork. The record will come out in a limited edition of 500 copies, a 100 of them in lysergic red.

Nothing to Say
A. Nueva Ola / Nothing to Say / The Last Drop / Madripoor
B. Kommune 1

I can’t believe it was only a week ago, but last Tuesday, Peruvian psych heads Serpentina Satelite posted an outtake from their Mecanica Celeste album to Soundcloud for all to hear, and I embedded it. As that tune was killer and as the band put up another, I figured we’d just repeat the process and do a weird deja vu kind of thing, like the ensuing week never happened and now you have to go through Xmas all over again. Yikes, what a nightmare.

This song — who knows how many others there might be? — is called “Rendencion.” It’s about three minutes shorter than its predecessor, and differentiated by ethereal spoken vocals, that, as far as I’m concerned, rule. If, like me, you’re looking for a good way to check out mentally on this post-“blizzard” Tuesday afternoon, I can personally attest to its assisting properties in this regard. Listen:

Peruvian psychedelic jam-meisters Serpentina Satelite have made an 11-plus-minute outtake from their Mecanica Celeste album (review here) available via Soundcloud, and I thought I’d stream it here in case anyone wants to listen. I’m having one of those days where it feels like I never woke up, and “Chaman” fits that mood wonderfully. It’s something you can put on and get lost in; perfect for the exhausted haze of this holiday week.

The wav form pretty much tells the story. It’s a dynamic song that ebbs and flows excellently while maintaining a strong, live feel and psychedelic mood. I (and, one assumes, the band, who emailed me the link) hope you enjoy it.

With their last record, Nothing to Say, Peruvian psych heads Serpentina Satélite blended deep space with heady riff-led jams, coming out of it sounding neither formulaic nor offensively derivative. On the follow-up, Mecanica Celeste (Rocket Recordings) — their third record overall — the four-piece push even further into the reaches of Hawkwindian psychedelia, staying off the ground almost entirely for 43 minutes of freewheeling exploration, relying on structure about as much as the average amoeba. If they said some of this stuff was made up on the spot after pressing record, I’d believe it, though the clarity in the production leads me to assume otherwise.

Mecanica Celeste finds Serpentina Satélite expanding their repertoire some. The two guitars of Renato Gómez and Dolmo lead the way with moaning solos and almost ceaseless effects. On nine-minute opener “Fobos,” the album gets a subtle start that pans into brighter territory with the one-two hit of “Sangre de Grado” and the title track, which bleed right into each other. Vocals, provided by bassist Félix Dextre, are sparse, but come on heavy with delay on “Sangre de Grado,” drummer Aldo Castillejos providing suitable freakout behind and sounding like he’s having a lot of fun doing it. Centerpiece track “Imaginez Quel Bonheur ce Sera de Voir Nos Chers Disparus Ressuscités!” is something of a ritualistic interlude, its title translating from the French to say, “Imagine What Joy This Will Be to See Our Departed Loved Ones Resurrected.” The atmosphere created is expectedly spooky.

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Well, after a whole bunch of anti-virus crap, I think it’s almost good to go on this end and hopefully tomorrow this site will be able to pick up where it left off. I’ve got a back log of stuff now for reviews and interviews, so there will be plenty to see. In the meantime, here’s a video from Peruvian psych rockers Serpentina Satelite, whose album Nothing to Say was reviewed a while back.

Sometimes the artwork tells you everything you need to know, and that’s more or less the case with Serpentina Satelite‘s Nothing to Say (Trip in Time). Billed as an EP, but with a length approaching 50 minutes, the Peruvian band’s five-track excursion capitalizes on the psychedelic, sonic swirl and organic earth mama nudity suggested by the cover. It is bright colors, late ’60s/early ’70s space tripping, with nine-minute opening track “Nueva Ola” acting as a sort of blast-off for what comes after, building a tension with wild drumming that lasts for most of the song’s duration.

They don’t appear immediately, but as the record progresses, Serpentina Satelite reveal more straightforward moments — even if that straightforwardness is relative. “Nothing to Say” is an appropriate title track, with exceedingly reverbed vocals and feedback wavelengths permeating an atmosphere driven forward through the cosmos by classic garage rock rhythms. A fuzzy guitar line opens up “The Last Drop,” the first of the album’s two tracks under the five minute mark. Somewhat less esoteric, if only for its lack of time to unfold, the centerpiece of Nothing to Say is peppered with echoey spoken word vocals and distant ambient guitar noise. If the mushrooms have kicked in yet, this is the track that lets you know you’re in total harmony with the universe. Read more »