In May, Chilean psychedelic adventurers Föllakzoid will head to Europe for an extensive month-long tour that includes stops at Eindhoven Psych Lab and Freak Valley 2017, among other fests. Before they go, the trio will issue London Sessions, a collaborative work with J. Spaceman of Spiritualized and Spacemen 3 that reimagines two tracks from their 2015 outing, III.

That album was in itself a collaboration, the band working with German synth specialist Atom TM to foster a minimal but spaced-out sound on tracks like “Electric” and “Earth,” the opening duo that reappear on London Sessions. As to how these versions might be different than the ones released on III, you’ll have to pardon me if I pass on guessing. They were recorded live, so it seems fair to expect some measure of difference, but yeah, just not gonna even speculate.

The PR wire teases possibilities:

Föllakzoid and J. Spaceman (Spacemen 3, Spiritualized) Join Forces on London Sessions

Available April 20 via Sacred Bones

Föllakzoid feat. J. Spaceman
London Sessions
Pre-order: Sacred Bones | Bandcamp

1. Electric
2. Earth

It should come as no surprise to fans of the Chilean trio Föllakzoid that upon meeting the legendary Jason Pierce a.k.a. J. Spaceman (Spacemen 3, Spiritualized), they discovered they were kindred spirits. Föllakzoid and Spaceman’s projects share a restless drive to explore the outer limits of music, as well as an uncanny ability to lock into a groove until it infiltrates the deepest recesses of the listener’s psyche. When Föllakzoid met Spaceman backstage at a Wooden Shjips gig at London’s Electric Ballroom several years ago, they instantly became friends.

For London Sessions, the Chileans and Spaceman joined forces for new, live-to-tape renditions of “Electric” and “Earth,” two highlights from Föllakzoid’s III. The recordings were made in a private studio in London while Föllakzoid was on tour in Europe in June 2016, and Spaceman’s contributions breathe new life into the songs.

“Jason added a very different harmonic atmosphere to the songs,” guitarist Domingo Garcia-Huidobro explained. “It somehow re-articulated the space and metric that already existed in a way the band never could. These new versions have a different edge.”

Föllakzoid Live Dates:
May 18: Manchester, UK @ Soup Kitchen
May 19: London, UK @ London Fields Brewhouse
May 22: Haifa, Israel @ wunderbar
May 23: Tel Aviv, Israel @ Levontin 7
May 24: Ghent, Belgium @ Charlatan
May 25: Brussels, Belgium @ AB
May 26: Eindhoven, The Netherlands @ Eindhoven Psych Lab
May 27: Amsterdam, The Netherlands @ London Calling
May 28: Groningen, The Netherlands @ Vera
May 29: Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland @ L’Amalgame
May 30: Winterhur, Switzerland @ Albani
May 31: Leipzig, Germany @ Ilses Erika
June 2: Malmo, Sweden @ Plan B
June 3: Gothenburg, Sweden @ Pustervik
June 4: Copenhagen, Denmark @ Loppen
June 5: Berlin, Germany @ Lido
June 6: Warsaw, Poland @ Hydrozagadka Club
June 7: Poznan, Poland @ LAS
June 8: Prague, Czech Republic @ Theremin
June 9: Zagreb, Croatia @ KSET
June 10: Milano, Italy @ Santeria
June 11: Guastalla, Italy @ HandMade Festival
June 13: Marina di Ravenna, Italy @ Hana-Bi
June 14: Rome, Italy @ Monk
June 15: Torino, Italy @ Magazzino sul Po´
June 17: Siegen, Germany @ FreakValley Festival
June 18: Bern, Swiss @ Reitschule

https://www.facebook.com/FOLLAKZOID/
https://follakzoid.bandcamp.com/album/london-sessions
https://soundcloud.com/follakzoid
https://www.sacredbonesrecords.com/collections/frontpage/products/sbr176-follakzoid-feat-j-spaceman-london-sessions

Truth be told, I’m happy to get the below news about the vinyl release of At Devil Dirt‘s 2013 full-length, Plan B: Sin Revolución no hay Evolución (review here), if only because it gives me an excuse to break out the record and listen to it again. I dug the hell out of Plan B: Sin Revolución no hay Evolución when it was released initially on CD and download, and it seems to me that the big low-end tone of the Chilean guitar/drum two-piece is perfectly suited to a substantial platter like that on which Bilocation Records is serving it, so yeah, call it a good match and call me glad to dig into the Bandcamp stream again. Everybody wins.

Only 100 copies are available in clear/purple and 200 more in solid purple. You know the drill with limited vinyl. It goes. You might note the 13-minute track “40 Years Ago” and the Beatles cover “Across the Universe” are left off the LP tracklisting, no doubt for spacial concerns. Here’s the rundown courtesy of the PR wire:

AT DEVIL DIRT “Plan B: Sin Revolución no hay Evolución” officially out on vinyl

This dynamic duo (just vocals, guitar and drums) hails from Chile and delivers ultimate heaviness excellently combined with great melodies. Some call it Beatles doom, some call it a mixture of Kyuss and Pink Floyd, some say fans of bands like Torche will love their music … well, to get a real idea you’ll have no other choice than browsing their full album below and listen for yourself. And always remember this sounds even more awesome on high quality 180g vinyl!

VINYL FACTZ
– 100x clear with purple haze (EXCLUSIVE MAILORDER version)
– 200x solid purple
– all high-quality heavy 180g vinyl pressed in Germany
– matt laquered 300gsm gatefold cover
– handnumbered

TRACKS
A1. Don’t see you Around 5:31
A2. Conscience 4:16
A3. People Raise Again 4:32
A4. Mommy 4:54
A5. Sin Revolución no hay Evolución 3:20

B1. There’s not a God or a Devil 4:52
B2. The Caravan of Death 3:26
B3. The Marching Crowd 3:57
B4. I lost my Guide 5:40
B5. Time to flee 3:12
Total: 43:40

Available at: 180g Vinyl AT DEVIL DIRT

http://atdevildirt.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/atdevildirt
http://shop.bilocationrecords.com/

At Devil Dirt, Plan B: Sin Revolución no hay Evolución

Running a pretty wide gamut this week, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. This week is a pretty good example of one where there’s way more added than just what’s listed here, so make sure you check the updates page to see the full list of everything that went on the server. Next thing I knew, I turned around and there was a ton of awesome stuff waiting to go up. Tough times.

It’s been a few weeks doing the adds this way and I’m digging it so far, so I’m going to keep it up, at least until I think of something else or it gets to be a pain or whatever. Thanks for reading and checking out the radio stream.

Adds for June 6, 2014:

Wolves in the Throne Room, Celestite

The much-awaited follow-up to 2011’s Celestial Lineage finds Washington US black metal forerunners Wolves in the Throne Room not quite ready to let go of that album yet. Celestite is intended as a complement to its predecessor, and as the first release on the band’s own Artemesia Records imprint, it comes as a particularly bold move for a band clearly looking to shirk expectation. Its five included tracks are cinematic, ambient set-pieces — instrumental works that, when played at the same time as Celestial Lineage, enhance the atmospheres of those already dense songs. Of course, cuts like the 11-minute opener “Turning Ever Towards the Sun” and the centerpiece “Bridge of Leaves” have value on their own as well, but there’s little denying that the apex of Celestial Lineage in “Prayer of Transformation” is pushed further by Celestite closer “Sleeping Golden Storm” and vice versa. Anyone expecting forest screams or raging blastbeats is in for a surprise, but those who approach with an open mind will be rewarded, which has always been the case with Wolves in the Throne Room‘s work. On Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.

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Milligram, Live on Pipeline (WMBR)

A band with a reach that has lasted much longer than their actual six-year run, Milligram retain a presence in heavy rock consciousness despite having really only gotten together to open for Kyuss Lives! in 2011 since calling it quits in 2002, prior to Small Stone‘s issue of their This is Class War full-length. Accordingly, the version of “Not Okay” included on this collection of live recordings from the radio station WMBR sounds like a blueprint for some of the soulful heavy vibes Lo-Pan would conjure in their early going. Also included are covers of the Misfits (“We are 138”) and Black Flag (“Jealous Again”), so in addition to hearing Milligram — which in 2000 when Live on Pipeline was recorded was comprised of vocalist Jonah Jenkins (see also Raw Radar War), guitarist Darryl Shepard (see also Hackman, Black Pyramid, Blackwolfgoat, The Scimitar, etc.), bassist Bob Maloney and drummer Zephan Courtney — tear into some of their own material, there’s also a look at their punkier roots. Shepard has begun a series of digital releases of his bands with this, so look out for more. All are available for name-your-price download through his Bandcamp. On Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.

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Damo Suzuki Møder Øresund Space Collective, Damo Suzuki Møder Øresund Space Collective

Captured live and largely improvised on Valentine’s Day 2013, the 3LP Damo Suzuki Møder Øresund Space Collective indeed proves a match meant to be. The Danish/Swedish space jammers and the krautrock legend — Damo Suzuki has released decades’ worth of solo output and collaborations, but is still best known for his contributions to Can — offer no single piece under 14 minutes long, so I guess as jams go, these worked out. The six inclusions are immediately exploratory, and while at just over two hours, the meeting of these expanded-mind entities can feel a bit like traveling through a wormhole where you snap back to consciousness on the other side and wonder how you got there, each piece also takes on a life and movement of its own, propelled by ceaselessly creative guitar work, engaging rhythmic nod and, naturally, a near-constant swirl of effects. Suzuki‘s voice echoes through “Dit Glimtende Øje” as though beamed in from another galaxy, and his first contact with Øresund Space Collective results in vibrant, cosmic jams that push through the psychedelosphere. On Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.

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A Sad Bada, White Rivers and Coldest Chains

Chilean four-piece A Sad Bada specialize in post-sludge that is lurching and atmospheric in kind. White Rivers and Coldest Chains is their first full-length, with it they offer five extended tracks of crushing density and grueling nod. They skirt the post-metal line — guitarists Gastón Cariola and Fernando Figueroa, who founded the band in 2008, keep a steady supply of airy echoes on hand throughout — but as a cut like the 11-minute “Hide and Grieve” shows, they’re never quite looking to get away from the sludgy churn of their slower-than-thou progressions, bassist Roberto Toledo and drummer Alejandro Ossandon expertly holding together the songs as Figueroa offers vicious, throaty growls over top. White Rivers and Coldest Chains (out on Australis Records) is intended as a slog, and it is one, but the soundscape that A Sad Bada enact over the course of the album has more appeal than just its tonal weight or extremity. There’s a darkness at its heart that comes from more than just the music itself, and that bleeds from the speakers with every oozing riff. On Thee Facebooks, Australis Records.

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Phant, The Octophant Pt. II

Newcomer Swedish trio Phant return with their second self-released, digital-only EP in less than a year’s time, bringing their eight-armed elephant mascot deeper into a heavy-riff melee over two more extended tracks and an outro with The Octophant Pt. II. Like their predecessors on The Octophant Pt. I (review here), “Nativitas/Hakaisha” (13:53) and “Magna Cael” (9:31) blend cosmic doom and heavy rock tendencies, finding a cohesive balance of aggression and groove along the way, subtly adding effects amid echoing vocal interplay from bassist Jesper Sundström and guitarist Anton Berglind while drummer Elias Sundberg taps into reaches no less spacious via a constant-seeming wash of cymbals. Found sounds, samples and other sundry weirdness caps The Octophant Pt. II in “Outro Pt. II,” with tales of UFOs and government coverups. How long Phant might continue this series of EPs, I don’t know — they can at least get a trilogy out of it if they want; I’d take another 26 minutes of this no problem — but the heft the three-piece bring to bear across “Nativitas/Hakaisha” and “Magna Cael” also shows they’re more than ready to tackle their debut full-length, should they decide to go that route next. On Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.

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Other adds to The Obelisk Radio this week include Novembers Doom, the four-way split between Naam, White Hills, Black Rainbows and The Flying Eyes, as well as Recitation, Sunwolf, Godflesh, Dylan Carlson of Earth‘s solo-project, Drcarlsonalbion. For the full list, check the updates page.

Thanks for reading and listening.

“Mommy” is one of several tracks on At Devil Dirt‘s Plan B: Sin Revolución no hay Evolución where, once you’ve heard it a few times, all you need to do is read the name of the song to have the chorus stuck in your head. In that regard, I’d file it with opener “Don’t See You Around,” their cover of The Beatles‘ “Across the Universe” and “There is Not a God or a Devil” among the highlights of the record, which balances personal-seeming descriptive lyrics against larger social themes on cuts like “40 Years Ago” and “People Raise Again.” They don’t get much more personal than “Mommy” and short of trotting out old family photos, the duo of guitarist/vocalist Néstor “Gato” Ayala and drummer Francisco “Hongo” Alvarado get about as deep as one might ask with a behind-the-scenes look at the recording process itself.

The clip, aside from being a well-edited look at At Devil Dirt constructing what I consider their best and most accomplished work to date, gives an engaging look at the intimacy of a duo in the recording studio. Early on, we see Ayala and Alvarado putting the track to tape. The mic is set up so that the two face each other, and though there are obviously more than one layer of vocals at work in the finished product of the song, to even have that basis of a live-tracked version makes a difference in terms of how it’s built. As lush as the album is at points, it maintains that natural feel, and if the video is an excuse to revisit the full-length, I’m glad enough to have one.

Bilocation Records will reportedly have a vinyl version of Plan B: Sin Revolución no hay Evolución out soon. More on that as I hear it, but in the meantime, enjoy:

At Devil Dirt, “Mommy” official video

At Devil Dirt on Thee Facebooks

At Devil Dirt on Bandcamp

Up to this point, the chief appeal of Chilean duo has been the tone. Their first two albums — 2012’s Chapter II: Vulgo Gratissimus Auctor (review here) and their 2011 self-titled debut (review here) — practically shocked the listener once it was understood that there was no bass, and that guitarist/vocalist Néstor Ayala and drummer/backing vocalist Francisco Alvarado were creating that richness of sound with just the two of them. That and a burgeoning lean toward catchy hooks made particularly the second album and the band’s ensuing digital EPs and singles indicative of potential for something more intricate and skillfully crafted, and their third album, Plan B: Sin Revolución no hay Evolución, arrives self-released on CD/digital with vinyl due March 2014 on Bilocation Records as the realization of that potential. In the layers of Ayala‘s vocals and in the songs overall the band’s melodic sensibility has bloomed, and the 10-track/55-minute offering is all the more engaging for it. One is tempted to compare it on paper to Torche, who also blended thick tones, pop melodies and irresistible hooks to satisfying effect, but the reality of Plan B: Sin Revolución no hay Evolución is different, less upbeat musically and more socially themed in its lyrics, as heard on the extended “40 Years Ago,” which deals directly with the 1973 coup in Chile that saw the rise of Augusto Pinochet, even breaking in the middle to a long sample (in Spanish) of the news about the government being overthrown by the military before the lyrics (in English) return to decry the theft of natural resources for capitalist ends and land on repeating the lines, “Never again in our country.” That the words to that song and all the others save for the mostly-acoustic “Time to Flee” would be in English is even more interesting in the context of an anti-colonialist stance, but ultimately the album is about more than just that, with opener “Don’t See You Around” offering a laid back, rolling groove that catches the ear immediately and allows At Devil Dirt a platform from which to launch the varied explorations of “I Lost My Guide,” “Mommy,” “40 Years Ago” and so on.

Unmistakably, the mood of closer “There is Not a God or a Devil” is darker than a lot of the rest of Plan B: Sin Revolución no hay Evolución, and while “40 Years Ago” is mournful, then the finale is more horror-themed, but even in those last moments, At Devil Dirt hold to a psychedelia that sounds full and heavy and balanced. The inclusion of a cover of The Beatles‘ “Across the Universe” is telling, and that famous single is treated to a suitable rumble and vocal layering, but really, the songs showcase a diversity of spirit each almost unto itself, and where “Don’t See You Around” is practically dream-pop with tonal gravitational pull, “Conscience” takes more of a heads-down rush to get to its own strong chorus, more definitively stoner rock in its vibe, with rougher vocals over top of the continually-impressive low end. Those vocals still arrive in layers, whether it’s Ayala adding tracks to his own voice or Alvarado backing, and provide the uniting factor that ties much of the record together throughout the various shifts in mood and approach. The semi-title-track, “Sin Revolución no hay Evolución,” begins one of the album’s most significant of these moves, though admittedly it’s more thematic than sonic, acting as a kind of introductory chapter in a four-piece set of political material. There are those automatically turned off by social consciousness in music. I’m not one of them. South America has beautiful traditions both of heavy rock and political philosophy in art, and At Devil Dirt in no way sacrifice songwriting for message, so all the better. “Sin Revolución no hay Evolución” keeps firm to the opening duo’s memorable ethic, pulling back on some of the crunch of “Conscience,” and even with the long break from about 3:20 to 9:37, “40 Years Ago” carries with it one of the most resonant hooks At Devil Dirt have composed to date, which leaves a lasting impression even though the slower third movement of the song doesn’t return to it (I had been hoping for just one final runthrough). The second-longest cut, “People Raise Again” (6:30) ups the pace initially and moves fluidly through a languid verse chug that devolves into droning and noise that foreshadows the psychedelia to come on “I Lost My Guide” and “Mommy.”

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I was about to post somebody else’s video, an official-type thing that came down the PR wire earlier today, and then I saw this clip from Chilean bashers At Devil Dirt. The song is “That’s the Way I Like It” from their self-titled debut (review here), and as you can see once you press play, it’s a stand-and-deliver performance of balls-out unfuckwithable eye-level tone. What I like about this clip especially is that it’s so head-on, it’s almost like the band is staring you down while they kick your ass.

The video was recorded in Argentina in 2011, and the only thing about it that’s a bummer is that there’s no way in hell this band is going to tour the US anytime soon.

At Devil Dirt, “That’s the Way I Like It”

The Latin subtitle for the second album from Chilean guitar/drum duo At Devil Dirt, Vulgo Gratissimus Auctor, translates according to the interwebs to “most popular author.” What this phrase might have to do with the Corvus Discos release of Chapter II itself, I’m not sure, but the thick-toned Santiago twosome make a strong case for the bestseller list all the same. Listening to the new 11-track collection doesn’t pack the same kind of surprise as did the first run through their 2011 self-titled debut (review here), if only because that album did so well to establish At Devil Dirt’s tidal-fuzz methodology, but Chapter II: Vulgo Gratissimus Auctor satisfies thoroughly nonetheless, growing the melodic vocal style of guitarist Néstor “Gato” Ayala and presenting a number of developmental changes both superficial and aesthetic. Primary on the surface is the fact that at 47:38, Chapter II is 12 minutes longer than was its predecessor, and with one less track, the obvious conclusion to draw is that Ayala and drummer Francisco “Hongo” Alvarado are riding their parts out longer, increasing the average length of the songs. That’s true. Where eight of the tracks on At Devil Dirt were under three minutes long last time, only “Peel” qualifies this time around – though a couple others are close. The long songs are also longer – mid-album highlight “Let it Flow” tops seven minutes, and opener “I am an Ugly Skin” six and a half – both longer than anything At Devil Dirt has attempted to date. As those two tracks are some of the best on Chapter II, I feel comfortable calling the experiment a success, though there are places on the album where the wash of low end in Ayala’s guitar tone – the self-producing outfit does not use a bass and makes a point to say so – seems to be straining at the weight of its monolithic largesse. Offsetting that is largely the responsibility of the vocals, which are gorgeous layers of psychedelic melody, such that even the titular proclamation of “I am an Ugly Skin” seems somewhat less believable by the sheer prettiness of its delivery.

Also of note for anyone who may have heard the first record – or even if you didn’t, I suppose – is that none of the tracks on Chapter II is sung in Spanish. The catchy hooks that make standouts of “I Walk Aimlessly,” “Better the Devil You Know than the Devil You Don’t Know,” “Let it Flow” and “I Said Goddamn” are all in English, and while most of the self-titled was as well, the shift is nonetheless noteworthy. That doesn’t stop it from being or at least sounding personal lyrically – three of the song titles also start with “I” – and though “I am an Ugly Skin” is given a surprisingly abrasive intro of feedback and screams, once the song itself actually starts, it’s a mid-paced lolling groove that sets the tone well for much of what At Devil Dirt have on offer with the album. Moods vary somewhat throughout, but Ayala’s tone remains consistent across the board, and that’s a good thing. While I wonder at various points what a bass might add to the dynamic between the guitar and Alvarado’s similarly-hefted crash and periodic show of bluesy swagger, At Devil Dirt want nothing for thickness. Shorter tracks like second cut “Don’t be Afraid” (3:06) or the later “Lie to Me” (3:26), “Peel” (2:03), and “I Said Goddamn” (3:09) run a faster tempo, and while one might think the overwhelming heaviness of the guitar would be best suited to sluggish stoner groove, on “Peel” the effect is like elephants running. Additionally, as much focus is by the nature of the material and the recording going to be on the guitar sound – the tone is just that good; it can’t be ignored as a defining element of the listening experience – periodic landmark choruses and the depths of arrangement and layering in the vocals show At Devil Dirt aren’t solely relying on riffs and fuzz to carry across their ideas. “Better the Devil You Know than the Devil You Don’t Know” beefs up an early High on Fire thrust, but the sweetness of the melody makes the track even more memorable, and with the upbeat, brighter mood of “Let it Flow,” At Devil Dirt touch on heavy psychedelic pop in a way that few desert rock bands dare, and do it brilliantly, marrying harmonies and fullness of sound with a grace that makes one wonder how they ever became viewed as separate ideas to start with. On a single-song level, it is their best work to date.

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In a seemingly ongoing effort to shoot my own work productivity in the ass, I was at the office late yesterday evening dicking around on the internet, and I came across this YouTube clip for the song “Demonizador” by the Santiago, Chile, band Demonauta:

Demonauta — not to be confused with Argentina’s Dragonauta despite the “d–auta” similarity — are a pretty regular fixture in my feed on Thee Facebooks, which if nothing else speaks to their ongoing capacity for self-promotion. I respect that. It finally got me to hit up their track above, and I wound up thinking it was well worth the time. Hopefully you did too.

I saw from their profile that they had a Soundcloud page too, and in hitting that up, found that not only is “Demonizador” available to stream, but so is the entire Vol. 1 full-length from which it comes.

To wit:

And that’s how fucking easy it is to “discover” a new band these days. Roughly 12 minutes of time invested (most of that spent listening to “Demonizador,” which as you can see almost accounts for nine on its own), and I’m drenched in gloriously heavy psychedelic fuzz. It’s not as much commitment as buying an album, waiting for it to arrive from South America, and digging into it over time, but it’s immediate satisfaction, which seems to have an appeal of its own if this post and the course of human existence in general are anything to go by.

Hell, looking at that widget above, you don’t even have to leave this site to download the whole of Vol. 1 if you don’t want to (and I don’t know why you’d ever want to leave; I never do). There’s a button right on there. What a fabulously interesting thing musical globalization has become. Just listen to how Kyuss‘ “N.O.” riff has been reworked into the verse of Vol. 1 closer “Desvanecer” if you don’t believe me.

Thanks to Demonauta for continually putting themselves on my radar, and for making their music so readily available. If you also dig what they do, feel free to drop them a line and say so.