TAROT, PART I

Spain give us another gift in music Magick Brother & Mystic Sister formed in Barcelona in 2013, and its members have participated in multiple musical projects, among which I'd like to highlight Akron, a Magic Pop favorite. The original project was called Fungus Mungus, where they set the Tarot to music. The band is made up of Eva Muntada (vocals, piano, organ, synthesizers, and mellotron), Xavi Sandoval (guitar, sitar, and bass, as well as mixing), Maya Fernández (flute), and Marc Tena (vocals and drums). The project began to take shape in the early 2000s when the first two met Daevid Allen at the Canterbury Festival. They even released a DVD of the documentary about Gong's performance in Montserrat, entitled "Gong Montserrat 1973 and Other Stories." Maya and Marc joined the project in 2013, forming the band. They began performing live covers of Soft Machine, Skin Alley, and Jethro Tull, before later focusing on their own creations. There's also Krautrock influence?think Guru Guru, early Eloy, or Can?and the Canterbury sound of Gong. You can also hear early Hawkwind and the psych side of Pink Floyd's first records. Right from the first track, "The Fool," you know you're stepping into something special. The band doesn't rush anything. The music unfolds slowly, naturally?like incense smoke swirling in a candlelit room. This is pure, analog-feeling psychedelic prog with deep roots in late-'60s and early-'70s sounds, but it never comes off as copycat. Think early Gong, some Amon Düül II, or even the quieter parts of Pink Floyd's Obscured by Clouds?but more colorful, more melodic.

The instrumentation is full of vintage keyboards (mellotron, organ, Moog), hypnotic basslines, soft female vocals that drift in and out like a ghost in a dream, and guitars that shimmer rather than shred. There's no rush to get anywhere, and that's the beauty of it. The songs feel like Tarot cards being turned one by one? each one opening a new scene, a new feeling.

1. The Fool The perfect opening. Light, mysterious, and playful?just like the Tarot card itself. The melody feels like a character stepping into the unknown, wide-eyed and curious. The drums are soft, the organ dreamy. It's a gentle invitation into the band's world, with that hazy, late-'60s vibe already in full effect.

2. The Magician More grounded than the opener, this one brings a subtle groove and more focused arrangements. You can feel the intention behind the music?like something's being conjured. The synth lines swirl around like smoke, and the bassline really drives the spell forward. You start to sense that this album is not just a collection of moods?it's telling a story.

3. The High Priestess Mysterious and slow-burning. A standout. The vocals are ethereal, almost whispered, and the keys paint this misty, sacred space. The atmosphere is everything here?beautifully restrained, but layered with meaning. You don't just hear this track, you feel it on your skin.

4. The Empress Here things start to bloom. There's a warm, almost pastoral energy?like walking through a garden at sunrise. Flutes and soft guitar lines give it a folky touch, very early Gong or maybe even something out of the Italian prog scene. The rhythm flows naturally, almost womb-like. A nurturing, enveloping piece.

5. The Emperor The contrast to "The Empress" is perfect. This one's more structured, heavier. There's a quiet authority in the rhythm section and more pronounced organ work. It's not aggressive?but it stands firm, grounded. You can feel the Tarot card in the music: power, presence, control.

6. The Hierophant One of the more esoteric pieces. Echoes of Krautrock here?slow, ritualistic pacing, lots of space between the notes. The textures are deep, almost meditative. If the Hierophant is about spiritual tradition, this track sounds like it's channeling some cosmic church service in another dimension.

7. The Lovers Probably the most melodic track on the album. It has a dreamy romanticism to it?tender vocals, gentle guitar arpeggios, and a real sense of connection between the instruments. There's no drama, no big climax. Just two musical forces intertwining. It's beautiful.

8. The Chariot More movement here. The drums pick up, the tempo shifts, and things start to push forward. It's not explosive, but it's clearly going somewhere. Feels like a cosmic road trip?lots of swirling keys and that classic '70s psych-prog momentum.

9. Strength A slower, deeper cut. It doesn't show off?just holds its own. The bass is heavy and grounding, while the organ creates a kind of floating contrast. There's emotional weight here, but no melodrama. It's subtle strength, just like the Tarot card.

10. The Hermit A quiet moment of reflection. Sparse arrangement, more ambient textures. You can hear the solitude in the music. It's not sad, though?it's thoughtful, inward-looking. Like watching the stars alone from a mountaintop.

11. Wheel of Fortune The closer ties it all together. It has ups and downs, changes in tempo, shifting dynamics?just like the ever- turning wheel. There's a sense of motion and resolution. It doesn't end with a bang, but with a kind of knowing exhale. The journey pauses here? until Part II.

Tracks like "The High Priestess" and "The Lovers" are standout moments?not because they try to blow you away, but because they invite you in. This is headphone music. Room-dark, incense-lit, eyes-closed kind of stuff. There's also a strong cinematic vibe?like a forgotten European film soundtrack from 1972.

As an album, Tarot Pt. I is a space to get lost in. It flows beautifully and builds a dream world that continues in Tarot Pt. II. But this first part stands solid on its own. It's patient, immersive, and incredibly well-crafted.

For lovers of cosmic prog, mellow psych, and vintage sound textures. Magick Brother & Mystic Sister aren't just looking backward?they're reaching across time, channeling something old and making it new again. This record is slightly better than their sequel Both are great

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