HOMO FRACTALIENS

Wonderful space/psychedelia from Russia. Many times listening to this album I am reminded of early BRAINTICKET or even the mellower side of GONG and definitely mirroring the work of American band MIDDAY VEIL.

Tracklist: 1. "Introduction" (3:31) a slow introduction into space with the sexy voice of Anastasia Skabelkina reciting poetic verse to us through a effects box. (8.5/10)

2. "Homo Fractaliens" (7:16) a more upbeat, driving piece of kosmische musik over which Anastasia gives us her best CAROLE MUIR impression. Then the song turns almost SpaceReggae! Not VESPERO, but freaky close! The guitar work is more like West Coast psychedelia. (9/10)

3. "Undermind" (9:32) droning sounds, notes, chords, float in and out of the soundscape with didgeridoo-like and Middle Eastern reed pipe sounds (Vladimir Skabelkin's "ethnic" instruments?) appearing and traipsing in and out over the first four minutes. This is awesome! I'm in Tibetan (or Egyptian?) heaven! Rhythmic, tribal drums pulse their way into the fabric and we are approaching hypnotic bliss! By the seven minute mark it almost seems as if the song is beginning it's fade--soundscape simplifying and emptying, as if the shamanic journeyman is walking away, walking out of town, leaving the rest of us to carry on, carry forward the healing bliss they shaman brought us. Wonderful song! (10/10)

4. "Syndicate" (9:05) a great groove over which the "wrong" guitar effect and Ray Manzarek organ weave their gentle soli for the opening four minutes. Anastasia's dreamy, trippy vocalise are in the vein of the Gilli Smyth school of psychedelic vocals. Very much like the current American band MIDDAY VEIL. (8.5/10)

5. "Quant Um" (4:20) and the MIDDAY VEIL party continues! Nice groove (part U2 "Boomerang," part PROPAGANDA/Trevor Horn); nice, tight weave among all of the instrumentalists. (10/10)

6. "Shutsuryoku" (6:13) monotonous bass and organ and lack of drums hold this song back from ever properly taking off. It's like it's stuck in Bar-do. (7.5/10)

A band with a lot of promise. Though Cosmic Triggers have put together a wonderful album, I can see lots of room for growth.

Four stars; a wonderful display of spacey progressive rock music. A short album but enough. Like a GONG album.