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On Wax: Planes of Satori, Son of a Gun b/w Dichotomies 7″

It was a surprise to learn that the Son of a Gun b/w Dichotomies 7″ is the debut release from Oakland-based Planes of Satori, since they come across with such a firm grip on a sound that could easily break apart in what would apparently be less capable hands. The two songs included on the black, 500-pressed Who Can You Trust? Records platter, “Son of a Gun” and “Dichotomies,” each work quickly to establish a dynamic rhythm as a foundation for psychedelic guitar work and airy, echoing vocals. The moods and general level of insistence vary between them — “Son of a Gun” pushes so hard one is almost inclined to push back — but both the A and B side carry across inventive, intricate rhythms well beyond space rock’s ordinary “we’ll keep playing the riff while the guitar takes a four-minute solo” fare. Nothing against that as there are plenty of bands for whom it works well, but with Planes of Satori, bassist Justin Pinkerton (also of Golden Void) and drummer Chris Labreche stand out just as much as the wah guitar of Raze Regal or the far-off vocals of Alejandro Magaña.

Pinkerton, who also recorded and mixed (the former with Christopher Sprague), has an obvious understanding of rhythm as the heart of the band, and that works immediately to “Son of a Gun”‘s advantage, the drums setting up a shuffle somewhere between Afrobeat and jammed-out tom meandering, hitting right in with Regal‘s guitar, which shortly opens up to give Magaña room for the verse. The tom hits and cymbal wash are constant, and the bass keeps up, while the guitar holds chords beneath and flourishes with winding lead lines and a high-end pinch. While it starts off with an already pretty wide soundscape, there’s an uptick in vibrancy in the second half of the track as well that’s only furthered by Regal‘s solo near the end, so a build exists too, and it’s not like the song is just three-plus minutes of a drum-fill/guitar-lead freakout, though I’ve no doubt that if it was, Planes of Satori would likely pull it off.

The flip side, “Dichotomies,” begins with a simpler bass and drum line that feels slower but might just be less active and once more finds Pinkerton and Labreche soon joined by Regal and Magaña. Neither track sticks around longer than it needs to in order to make its point, warm bass tones and guitar effects distinguishing the B from the A on the release, kinetic momentum still in effect despite the pullback. Magaña‘s vocals fit easily over the airier “Dichotomies,” and Regal‘s guitar handles the task of marching the song out with a psychedelic lead progression that the rest of the band seems glad to follow. Again, especially for a debut release, Son of a Gun b/w Dichotomies stands out for how much Planes of Satori seem to want to and to be able to do with their sound, but I’d be less shocked if their next release didn’t expand on what these two tracks present either. A band this given to movement in their material rarely has interest in any kind of standing still.

Planes of Satori, Son of a Gun b/w Dichotomies (2014)

Planes of Satori on Thee Facebooks

Son of a Gun b/w Dichotomies on Bandcamp

Who Can You Trust? Records

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