A FAREWELL TO BRAINS

4.5 stars. I hope Simon is making albums for many years to come because the man really is a treasure. I love his humour and of course his music which is dark, experimental and zeuhlish. Lots of guests helping out including drummer extraordinaire Morgan Agren and bass monster Guy Segers. I would rate this album right up there with "Led Circus" and "Fat Again".

The album opens and closes with 17 minute suites. First up is "Schrodinger's Cat" which begins with a nod to MAGMA before it settles into a groove with fuzzed out bass. It settles back with accordion but kicks back in quickly. The guitar is crying out after 2 1/2 minutes. It settles again before 4 minutes into a zeuhl mode before settling right down again 5 1/2 minutes in and again MAGMA comes to mind. A dissonant horn comes in around 7 1/2 minutes in a relaxed manner. It settles down again 10 1/2 minutes in with accordion and atmosphere. More dissonant horn then it picks up before 14 minutes and again it's zeuhlish before ending in an avant manner with droning. "Elephant" is a short piece of just under 2 1/2 minutes with fuzzed out bass, piano, drums and more.

"One" opens with a slow paced, dirge-like way with these female vocal melodies that are avant sounding, I really like them. They stop then it lightens after 2 minutes. I really enjoy the different sounds here as it plays out. A change after 4 minutes as it seems darker until around 6 1/2 minutes when accordion and interesting sounds take over. I love the melancholic synths after 8 minutes. It's building before 10 minutes with a zeuhlish flavour including chanting. Piano only after 10 1/2 minutes then it picks up a minute later.

"Fader Var" is the only song I'm not into with those female vocals and piano standing out. It's only 3 minutes in length though. "The Idiot" is sparse with female vocals sounds and piano then it turns fuller before a minute with bass clarinet, vocal melodies and more. We start to get this pulsating rhythm with fuzzed out bass then the tempo picks up before 3 minutes then it turns heavier. A calm after 4 minutes then it starts to pick up 7 minutes in. This sounds really good. Vocal melodies a minute later and I love that fuzzed out bass. A calm before 11 minutes and this is dark and kind of creepy with spoken male words. Experimental stuff.

Another incredible album from this crazy Swede that might be his most zeuhlish recording to date.