Way of the Cross for Krautrock

In the spring of 2007, the nine musicians convened for a European tour titled "Way of the Cross: On the Path of the Ninefold Muse," a reference to Robert Graves' The White Goddess by No-Neck Blues Band's David Nuss. Around Nuss assembled an all-star cast from the psychedelic underground: Embryo's Mik Quantius, Stellar OM Source's Christelle Gualdi, Kemialliset Ystävät's Jan Anderzen, James Ferraro and Spencer Clark of the Skaters, Jonna Karanka (better known as Kuupuu), as well as Keijo and Vapaa collaborators Tiitus Petäjäniemi and Jari-Pekka Koho (who also records as Kulkija). As Gualdi explained in an interview, "The band was dealing with the ideas of pagan attraction of the Goddess, worshipping of love and the Earth, the Muse. This book is poetry and not exact history and we were into this freedom from the facts. We had our own edge to it as the two other books we traveled and referred to were: Mind of the Dolphin and The Dirt (Mötley Crüe)."

With a shambolic, drugged-out lurch landing somewhere between Amon Düül, Can, Circle and the Taj Mahal Travellers, Way of the Cross compiled the finest moments of their tour onto a limited edition vinyl LP, Mind of the Dolphin, released via Phoenix in 2008.

"Mind of the Dolphin" (2008)

<-----the only thing coming close to a band photo

This is interesting and I ended up listening to the whole thing. 

It's interesting that it has some appreciation for things that were done before by Can, Amon Duul (the first version not 2), and other stuff, although this time I kinda look at it as a bit of a joke ... not in trying to be funny, bit it reminded me of the way of things coming down from a heavy/farout trip ... and you kinda felt a bit on the slow side and the mind was just floating all over ... and some folks, in the middle of something or not, might have added some sounds, if this was within an open group, more or less.

It's kinda nice to hear things like this, as they have a tendency to take your mind away to some spaces that you might have heard before or felt in some way, however, it would be hardly considered "music" (how I hate that term sometimes), but in the end, heck, there is so much African music that we won't listen to that is just as free and out there that defies the idea of "music" ... I would consider this more of an EXPERIENCE than anything else, and that is what makes it neat and special.

Kinda strange to see it related to "krautrock", although I never thought of it as something that was (pardon the expression) mindless, but it worked ... very well I might add. It appears to have been quite "focused" on what it wanted to do, which would help all the immediate and improvised moments within it, specially the variety of vocals, and how they are used ... 

AND, above all ... it was nice to hear something, and you FINALLY did not have to get bloated with a guitar, or drums ... the totality of this material is very nice and enjoyable.

Also had thoughts of Daevid Allen tripping around ... but that might be just me waiting for him to do some warbles in the middle of his glissando excursions, which never happened.

Neat stuff ... nice! Thx for posting.