PSYCHEDELIC/SPACE ROCK

I have to admit that this album isn't sticking to my little brain. It's bizarre that other than one track, I feel like this is a lot of spacey soundscape music. Mellotron and synths rule. "Part II was released 7 or 8 months after "Part I" and this latest comes across as being the left overs from the "Part I" sessions. I don't know this, I'm just saying what it sounds like. The guest flute is missing from "Part I" as well, but essentially this is the same trio with the same guests.

In the liner notes they show track 1 "Strength" as being track 11, so a continuation from "Part I". Except that there were eleven tracks on "Part I" so "Strength" should be track 12. Regardless, this "Part II" just feels mailed in to me, or the left overs. I like it, and I'm not sure why I am just not connecting to it at all. Keep in mind I know several fans who prefer "Part II" by a wide margin. I feel the exact opposite. The one song that did standout was "Sun". It feels energetic even though it's mid-paced, because the music on here really does feel like soundscapes that just don't move much.

I'll keep this review short as I'm just not absorbing the music enough. "Part I" is in my top 10 for 2024, while this one I will remember as being a disappointment.

The music is incredibly moody and mellow, kind of like a contemporary electronic rock rendition of Alan Parsons, but significantly more elegiac and occasionally desperate. Moore proves to be a master of feel and texture as he explores both of these elements in depth on 'You Go Now', as the album offers some of his most memorable songs (the opening track 'Get Back in the Car', 'Another Permanent Address', and 'Astronaut Down', all of which have an incredibly elusive ambient texture to them, yet manage to remain faithful to the structure and expressive force of rock music, with Moore punctuating the atmosphere with bits of psychedelia). On the other hand, this record also goes into some instrumental ventures, and these turn out to be rather enjoyable more often than not - 'Lunar' is quite laid back, while 'When You Drive' introduces some lounge soundscapes. 'Subway' and the title track seem to be a bit muddy, but this does not undermine the quality of an album that is rather unusual. Kevin Moore can be sufficiently eclectic to keep you interested in what comes next and his emotive approach to composing music is what renders his work so potent and evocative.

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

I don't know how many times I've written this, but Spain is experiencing a rebirth, a revival, a new wave of great music?especially in the progressive scene. Just a few days ago, I was listening to a band that I swore was from the late '60s. But no?it's from the 2020s.

Magick Brother & Mystic Sister is a band from Barcelona, Spain, and they feel like a reincarnation of those great psychedelic bands from the late '60s to mid-'70s. There's 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. But what's amazing is that the band still sounds original. They don't just imitate their influences?they use them to create something fresh.

This is the band's third album, and it moves between different atmospheres and textures: layered keyboards, dreamy vocals, hypnotic drums and bass, and long, expressive guitar solos.

Tarot Part II is the counterpart to Tarot I. It's less adventurous than Part I, but it met my expectations as a continuation of the band's journey. It opens with "Strength," and from there the album flows like a long meditation?spacey, atmospheric, and textured. It breaks at times with voices, guitar solos, or delicate arpeggios. It's really beautiful. The music feels organic?it grows and retracts like a living thing.

It's almost impossible to do a track-by-track breakdown because the album feels like one cohesive whole that evolves as it goes. That said, track 9, "The Sun," stands out as something a little different?a kind of refreshing American bossa nova touch. In the end, Tarot Part II confirms that Magick Brother & Mystic Sister are not just another retro band. They've taken the spirit of an era and shaped it into something personal, sincere, and timeless. The album doesn't try to impress with technical showmanship or big climaxes?it pulls you in with atmosphere, feeling, and flow. It's the kind of record you sit with, close your eyes, and let it take you somewhere else.

Spain keeps giving us these hidden gems, and this band is right up there with the best of the new progressive wave. Highly recommended for anyone into psychedelic prog, cosmic vibes, and albums that feel like a journey rather than just a collection of tracks.

Quelle belle découverte psychédélique ! De surcroît accessible. Je fus comme suspendue, devant cette effervescence sonore. D'où émerge une atmosphère spatiale aux concomitances "floydiennes". Mon ouïe fut embarquée par ces effluves vintage rappelant un tant soit peu les beaux jours du groupe GONG dans des sonorités en moins excentriques, plus somptueuses, et voluptueuses de la scène Canterbury's proche également de CARAVAN, plus précisément de l'époque "If I Could Do it all Over again?" Mais, dès le début du répertoire des saccades enivrantes, combinées avec une basse envoûtante, hypnotique, convergent vers des notes radieuses, virevoltantes à souhait. L'ambiance y est "psyché", surréaliste, tribale. À cela, j'ajoute des couches électros pour parfaire l'aspect cosmique. Ça.."vocode" à tout va ! si je puis m'exprimer ainsi. En veux-tu en voilà ! Le combo accentue la prosodie en juxtaposant des réverbérations de voix féminine. Sans être pour autant prosaïque ni cartomancienne, le mystique a certains attraits qui me sied. J'en conclus là, inopinément, pour la première carte du tarot de Marseille " The Fool" l'une des vingt-deux arcanes majeurs du tarot divinatoire. Voilà, à brûle pourpoint, un petit cliché éphémère de la thématique de l'album. Si, je vous ai donné l'eau à la bouche, j'en serais fort aise ! Toutefois, il serait opportun désormais d'apporter de l'eau au moulin concernant nos deux lascars catalans tout droit venus de Barcelone, si j'en crois les infos recueillies. Une anecdote aurait été rendue publique par le duo. Elle évoque l'épisode impliquant DAEVID ALLEN (cofondateur de Soft Machine et créateur de Gong). Cela remonte en 2000 lorsque EVA MUNTADA (piano, synthé, orgue, Mellotron, vocals) et XAVI SANDOVAL(basse, guitares, mandoline, voix , sitar, backing vocals basse/ guitare) l'ont rencontré lors d'un festival à Canterbury où se produisaient GONG, CARAVAN et ARTHUR BROWN. Quelques décennies plus tard, le binôme se lance avec brio dans leur premier projet créatif. Ils choisissent, comme nom du groupe " Magick Brother & Mystic Sister ", en référence au premier titre du premier album de GONG. Cet événement fut source d'inspiration pour le combo puisqu'il s'enrichit de MARC TENA (batterie et chant) et de MAYA FERNÀNDEZ (flûte). Afin de donner vie au projet, Ils publient en 2020 leur premier album éponyme. Le quatuor sort de l'ombre, à la lumière d'une presse dithyrambique. Il aura fallu néanmoins quatre années de gestation pour que les espagnols de "MB&MS" accouchent d'un nouveau projet. Il a vu le jour sous le label grec "Sound Effect Record" le 29 mars 2024 titré "Tarot Part 1". Ce sera le premier volet d'une série en deux parties. Ils s'inspirent notamment des cartes du tarot divinatoire des arcanes majeurs. Pour cette première partie onze cartes seront tirées. Auxquels sont associés onze morceaux plutôt ramassés représentant les cartes du tarot. Mais, avant de me lancer dans la narration des divines cartes. Je souhaite vous faire partager une sensation controversée qui m'amène à cette réflexion. Certes, via ces quelques lignes vous y avez sûrement décelé un élan d'enthousiasme et d'euphorie. Une sensation tout à fait justifiée à l'égard de cette formation. Cependant, que ce fut difficile d'y plonger sans décrocher puis, d'en extraire matière à écrire. Pataugeant dans mon marasme linguistique, il a fallu être assidu, concentré. Il m'aura fallu énormément d'écoute. Est-ce une aphasie, une sorte de catharsis liée à l'extase de ces notes radieuses, virevoltantes, aériennes, cosmiques, relaxantes, oniriques, qui ont traversé mon lob frontal ? Ainsi inoculé, je fus perplexe, confuse, divergente, sans pouvoir y aligner le moindre mot. Aurai-je été plongée dans un songe ? Bref, un autre point m'interpelle. Est-ce une coïncidence, l'alignement des étoiles, une intervention divine ? aurait-elle guidé mon choix pour cette nouvelle découverte ? Quelle qu'en soit la raison, je suis heureuse d'avoir fait ce choix, ô combien judicieux. Cela m'a permis de me délecter d'un kaléidoscope sonore en tout point remarquable de la formation sis Catalogne. Un son rétro futuriste, folk, avec des accointances néo Canterbury psychédélique. Estampillé rock psychédélique/ Space Rock. Avec autant de marqueurs seventies, j'espère sincèrement que vous n'imaginez pas que nos loustics seraient une pâle copie, un prog rétrograde de GONG ? Il n'en est rien, je vous en conjure ! Seul le nom du groupe est un indicatif et un hommage à leur aîné. Ils ont su au travers leurs influences musicales, leurs appétences, trouver leurs propres identités. Et qui plus est, leur empreinte sonore ne laissera personne indifférent. Mais, voyons les cartes que nos hôtes ont tirées pour les convives. La première carte " The Fool" il faut se l'avouer, les jalons avait bien été posés dès l'album éponyme. On retrouve ici, ces sonorités psychédéliques moins déjantées certes, que leur aîné avec une touche cosmique, hypnotique, envoûtante, une orchestration conçue aux petits oignons de derrière les fagots. Wouah ! ça titille les esgourdes vers un voyage onirique. La seconde carte montre le magicien "The Wizard". S'ouvre alors, un narratif et, à l'instar de "The Fool" emporte l'auditeur au pays des songes. La magie opère, l'ambiance psychédélique demeure. Subrepticement se dévoile à l'ouïe des phases éphémères, évanescentes, au piano, à la guitare, au mellotron trois minutes de rêve instantané. Le rêve se poursuit à l'écoute du troisième tirage "The High Priestess" Les réverbérations des voix féminines se superposent sur des séquences folk/médiévales de toute beauté. S'ensuit la quatrième carte "The Empress" les envoûtantes vocalises féminines se déclinent dans l'apaisement et la sérénité. Un moment de nostalgie captivant. S'enchaînent allègrement "The Emperor" trois minutes Canterbury's , cinématographique aux réminiscences de CARAVAN. Quant à "The Hierophant" , les notes mystiques du sitar transcendées par les accords magiques de TONY JAGWAR dans un rythme effréné, apportent l'orient à portée de l'ouïe. "The Lover", les douces harmonies de la sitar évoquent à nouveau les sonorités sino -orientales. "The Chariot", une fioriture de sonorités prog psyché, émerge le long de mon lob auditif. Ne serait ce pas des réminiscences à "Sweet Smoke just a poke" combiné à la magie de la flûte de MAYA FERNÀNDEZ ? Une merveille d'exotisme. "The Justice" Un dream prog Canterbury associé aux harmonies de la flûte et de la voix d'Eva. Épique ! "The Hermit", l'immersion dans un espace sonore méditatif, obscur et futuriste. Intrigant ! L'opus se conclut avec : "The Wheel of Fortune". Un final qui mêle sons et pulsations charnelles. Les combinaisons sonores évoquent une impression d'apesanteur, les voix masculines y sont feutrées et se réverbèrent à l'unisson. Nous sommes dans un tempo plutôt lent, les saccades derrière les fûts fluctuent. L'alchimie agit. La beauté des notes s'enchevêtrent avec légèreté dans une atmosphère psyché cosmique. Une composition à la beauté formelle, comme le sont, l'ensemble des onze compositions merveilleusement orchestrées pour charmer vôtre ouïe et jouir de ses parements sensoriels. Puis, arrive le moment fatidique de la conclusion. Où demeurent sans réponse les sempiternelles supputations, interrogations ? Pourquoi n'ont-ils pas fait un double album part 1 et part 2 ? Est-ce le temps de digérer le premier ? Ou peut- être de faire grimper au rideau l'auditeur d'impatience ? Outre ces questions sans réponse, il me semble également avoir omis d'évoquer la virtuosité du combo, la symbiose qui en émane, condition sine qua none d'une bonne d'orchestration. Puis, le charme des vocalises d'Eva. J'en conclus là mes omissions. Enfin, pour l'avenir, sans l'ombre d'un doute, j'envisage un avenir prometteur pour les Catalans de MB&MS.

As I've said before, this is a good era for Spanish progressive music. In recent years, we've heard great bands like Malabriega, Noah Histeria, Cielo Drive, Vientos Moderados del Este, Jordi Farreras, Joan Villalonga, and Javier Miranda. The Astronomy Records label has been steadily guiding the genre's train, along with Rafa from the Amarxe label?another Spanish imprint leaving a strong mark on the global prog scene.

Now we have Eksilo, a very interesting band that bursts through the front door with a strong debut. Quantum Phase Transition blends extreme metal with jazz fusion and neo-progressive touches. When I heard the opening track, "Patibulum," I was caught off guard?in a good way. It's a devastating, powerful start. But from there, the album slowly moves away from that intensity and drifts into something more predictable. Not bad, just less gripping. The band clearly has chops?these are skilled, creative musicians? but as the album progresses, the surprise factor fades and things start to drag. Some tracks left me wanting more; others just wore me out.

Eksilo is a great band with a promising future. They're still finding their voice, and that's okay. If the album had a more defined concept or theme, it might've held together better. As it stands, I'd stick with "Patibulum" and "Evolution" as highlights. The rest, while well played, didn't quite land for me and at times slipped into boredom. Despite that Eksilo is a great band that deserves more stars but for now on it has to improve those moments and evolve.

'Quantum Phase Transition' is an album that confidently stands on that fine line where restraint is worth more than excess. This mostly instrumental work, with only two vocal tracks (the opener and the closer), dives into a state of carefully measured sonic contemplation.

I came into it without any prior knowledge of the band's earlier material, so I wasn't expecting that raspy voice in "Patibulum" It caught me off guard - in the best way. That intensity, that controlled frenzy, immediately brought Between the Buried and Me to mind, especially those sections where everything seems to break apart, yet never fully loses its shape. You're left wanting more vocals - there's a real curiosity about how that voice, somewhere between clean and shredded, might have blended into other moods across the album. Still, the decision to use it only at the beginning and ending has its own logic - and it works.

The interplay between the musicians feels intentional, but never stiff. There's a constant dialogue; they listen to each other, give space, push and pull. "Brujería" encapsulates that perfectly: tight rhythm, collective growth, and an outro with Spanish guitar that's not just for show or folklore - it closes with identity, with a sense of place.

What truly elevates this album above the average is the keyboard work. It's not background - it's foundation. It builds atmosphere without becoming dense, sustains tension without being predictable. There's a melodic sense always present, yet never obvious; piano, synthesizers, Rhodes, Hammonds... everything in its right place, delivered with impeccable taste. There are moments when a single texture or ambiance speaks louder than any virtuosic solo - and that's not easy to pull off.

This isn't an immediate album, and it doesn't need to be. It has layers, patience, intention. Once it pulls you in, there's no rush to leave - and when it's over, you feel the need to return, just to find something you missed the first time.

This band still has room to grow. Within their style, there are ideas and concepts that deserve deeper exploration. No doubt - their best record is still ahead.

Music: 4 stars

Lyrics: 3 stars

Execution: 5 stars

Emotion: 4 stars

Production: 4 stars

Artwork: 3 stars

Average: 3.83

Klaus Schulze was one such luminary to be attracted by this six-piece Japanese ensemble. Helping produce their early albums (the first two albums are very similar, the latter of which was re-recorded and sung in English, and other slight variations), Schulze saw an opportunity to promote cosmic rock all over the globe. However, I always felt the debut album/successor tried too hard to be the next Dark Side of the Moon. The instrumental bits are great only to be ruined by sensitive pop ballads - not Far East Family Band's strong suit I'm afraid.

But it all came together on Parallel World. Focusing on their instrumental cosmic sound and pretty much foregoing the pop commercial-oriented songs, the six-piece Far East Family Band unleashed a gem that easily could have found itself on the Kosmische Kouriers label. In fact, the recording comes closest to sounding like the first Cosmic Jokers album with more focus given to the whooshing synthesizers than the guitars (Schulze's influence?). As one can guess, the two keyboard players are featured most prominently, and it's hard to imagine that Far East Family Band actually had two guitarists as well!

The album opens with 'Metempsychosis' which is a tribal drum and synthesizer atmospheric backdrop piece that sets the stage for 'Entering' which contains some intense fuzz bass and a ripping guitar sequence among the 12 minutes of keyboard ecstasy. Brilliant, and this is one of finest tracks Far East Family Band has ever recorded! 'Kokoro' is psychedelic ballad. This is the sort of piece their first albums featured, so one can get a whiff of this style, if not familiar. The side long closing title track sounds like a long-lost Galactic Supermarket recording and aptly finishes a masterwork of cosmic progressive space rock. 5.0