SLEEPING WITH THE SUNWORM

`Sleeping With The Sunworm' is a 57 minute instrumental space rock jam performed by the Oresund Space Collective. Lead by the charismatic Dr Space, their fully improvised music takes you on a hazy and hallucinogenic voyage, and although split into three tracks on the CD, the music is really one long continuous piece. Anyone who enjoys the deep galaxy adventures of bands like Nektar, Dom, Zone Six, early Pink Floyd and the Ozric Tentacles will find much to enjoy here.

An air of mystery surrounds the opening few minutes of the first part. A thick wall of electronic noise purrs away like pulsing generators, while gentle blowing winds and hypnotic bass draws to mind `Ricochet'-era Tangerine Dream. Warm tambourine percussion enhances this sound and gives it a repetitive trance-like loop, again like the 70's electronic artists. The music slowly builds in urgency, like a suffocating vacuum, as alien-sounding wailing synth effects creep through, stony strummed chords play over and over into infinity alongside ghostly floating organ. Then without warning, the drums kick in with a warm skipping rhythm and a melodic guitar solo take flight!

Overloaded with sonic sound effects, part two tears through deep space as the guitar takes a rougher turn. Throbbing synths and snappy upbeat drum-work soars even higher, while Steve Hillage-like fuzzed up guitars drift around the dreamy atmosphere. There's a great jazzy groove to much of this section, especially the drumming. Half way through the beat gets pounding and harder, the bass more chugging and dominating like Hawkwind. The music takes on an almost dervish like quality, maddening and overwhelming. Love how the rhythm slows up and speeds down, back and forth, really throws the listener around! Lots of squalling wah-wah guitar dripping with noise here, and some gorgeous glissando and a knockout bubbling keyboard run near the end!

Frantic drumming and crazy jumping synths fight it out before the storm subsides as we enter the third movement. A mellow come-down with some loopy keyboards, acid-drenched bluesy guitar and very loose addictive bass and drums. Fans of early 70's Floyd will love the first ten minutes of this section, and it's probably the highlight of the album. Then the beat expertly picks up again, with some shimmering keys and roaring guitar solos fighting through hissing winds and stormy waves. I love how the drumming takes on a very hypnotic, almost programmed feel! This final section has a lot of tension, and it ends the piece overall in an energetic and dramatic manner.

I react differently to this album each time I listen to it. Gripping and hugely atmospheric one time, then plodding and mundane the next. You just have to be in the right mood for it. Anyone who hasn't heard the band before might be better inclined to give the terrific `Live at Roadburn 2010' double LP a listen first, as it offers much more variety.

The CD is limited to 500 copies, so anyone interested would be wise to get in touch with the band or their reliable prog supplier and snap up a copy! I think it's important for us to support talented artists committed to our favourite progressive related genres like this, and Oresund Space Collective put out consistently good quality releases.

Although not a lot of emotional depth, `Sleeping With The Sunworm' is still a very vibrant, colourful and very listenable cosmic trip around the galaxy!

Three stars.