F/I

— First review of this album —

The music on 'Blanga' can be described ... maybe as acid garage space rock. Some elements like Rick Hake's straightforward drumming remember at HAWKWIND. But to let this stay so would be way too short-sighted. Many hallucinatory moments force you also to think about a recording session under heavy dope influence. If you have a look at the cover/sleeve art you will detect pictures from China with opium smoking people all around. It's said the expression Blanga results from a band's internal joke related to a german band named Amon Düül. And krautrock influences can't be denied for sure.

When you are listening with headphones on please don't close your eyes and don't forget where you are staying. Hypnotic rhythms, rumbling bass lines, twittering/bubbling synths and distorted guitars are accompanying you all the way on the journey and you run into danger of losing the orientation. It all starts with the typical space rock jam In The Garden Of Blanga,one of the album highlights. A stoical drum work provides the background for meandering guitars and synthesizer, apparently working on their own but acting in harmony in fact and finally closing in a heavier mood.

Blanga's transformation now appears much more weird oriented at the old school of krautrock. Starting as a heavy rocker with a cornucopia of psych guitars the song transforms into a melancholic spheric part and later gets back to the roots with repetitve guitar riffs remembering me at the geman band GAM featuring Günter Schickert. And then for the next ten minutes a lovely girl is dreaming of Blanga. The band draws on sitar and tabla to provide an oriental tinged hallucinatory track which gathers speed after a while. The music dramatically culminates supported by electronical effects and then falls down again alternating ... open your eyes! You have been warned!

This sounds completely rounded - probably the result of one exceptional session recorded in summer 2004. On the surface this may appeal somewhat monotonous to some listeners. But 'Blanga' is interesting for sure for genre lovers which have no problem to leave familiar paths and to turn towards some more experimental stuff - 3.5 stars.

— First review of this album —

Here we have a F/i production containing two songs which express a less experimental approach. They are tending to straightforward heavy rock with spacey add-ons. Richard Franecki had left the band some years before to form his new band VOCOKESH and Brian Wensing remained as the only leftover of the original lineup.

Written by Wensing and Franecki From Poppy With Love appears in the vein of HAWKWIND. Very powerful - new members J. J. McAuliffe (bass) and Rick Hake (drums) are caring for the necessary pressure. Wensing plays the guitar with some great echo and feedback excess whilst Grant Richter (electronics) is sending the band up into the orbit with his spheric synth patterns.

Five Crowns Of The Saxon King comes more weird accompanied by alienated voices what serves a special creepy mood. Provided with the same straightforward rocking drive this song is probably suitable for accentuating a thrilling sci-fi movie outtake where aliens are causing confusion when trying to occupy mother earth.

This EP is not that typical F/i output but definetely listenable though - 3 stars are well deserved.

— First review of this album —

A new sign of life from avantgarde space rocker F/i after leaving mother earth for some years. This album marks the return of Richard Franecki (guitar, electronics) who had left the crew in 1990 to move on with his new band VOCOKESH. But now he's back and besides the diversified electronical goodies the dual guitar appearance matters a great plus for this production.

They are starting off with Uber-Wizards Of The 88Th Meridian, a relaxed grooving space jam with driving drum work by Darwin Grosse, typically provided with ups and downs, smooth but also excited parts. The hypnotic bass loop is electronically generated I assume. Lots of swirling synths and a clarinet solo included. Franecki and Wensing are alternating with distorted and fuzzy guitars provided with echo and delay effects. Great start so far!

Hit the Kill Switch, Eugene opens with excellent tribal drums. The other instruments come in by and by - alienated voices appear and then they are back on the jam once more. It's the second song which is faded out by the way. The somewhat balladesque Keep The Third Eye Open comes as the first one to get out of the range - feeding into the avantgarde realm for what the band is known for. Most of the instruments are looping along which serves a special hypnotic mood and only the synths are varying. Surgical Procedures on the Ship is completely dominated by Grant Richter's electronical skills and even the trippy Using Enemy Weapons works without any guitar accompaniment ... no not correct in the end. For the last minute a guitar solo finishs the on electronics reduced excursion so far to switch over into a somewhat oriental raga part with sitar and percussion.

Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Daisy Cutter will probably stir nearly every krautrock fan's blood. Here we have another trippy track with some industrial sounding electronics and fuzzy guitars based on a blues theme. The regular album released by the Canadian Submergence label now ends as it begins - the title track is another long spacey improvisation but this time without drums and much more way-out ambient hallucinatory. The Strange Attractors release from 2006 contains one bonus track offered by another line-up featuring John Helweg and Rick Drake. The Hot Shop is a fine groovy addition played with a genuine bass and excellent guitars in a somewhat happy optimistic mood.

'A Question For The Somnambulist' is a highly recommended album when you have a preference for acid space and krautrock. If you feel comfortable with a repetitive song structure and a proper portion of electronics you are right here then as for that matter.