Vocokesh - Through The Smoke
SKU
SAAH034
Milwaukee: home of some of the planet's most seriously unhinged psychedelic rock. As unlikely as that locale may seem, such has been the case for the past twenty or so years as the players behind the long-running F/i and its offspring Vocokesh have kicked up enough space dust to permanently haze over the minds of underground avant-rock followers everywhere. Following up their darkly hallucinogenic fourth album The Tenth Corner (Strange Attractors, 2004), Vocokesh mastermind Richard Franecki & Co. sequestered themselves in their sonic laboratory, fiendishly concocting the next platter of extraterrestrial psychedelic soundtracks. Through the Smoke is the result, yet another brave excursion into the netherworld of rock. With Through the Smoke, Vocokesh expand upon the ominous acid soundtracks that saturated The Tenth Corner. Combining the swirling guitars of Pink Floyd and the Kraut-inspired mayhem of Ash Ra Tempel with the early analog electronic surrealism of Tangerine Dream and Popol Vuh, Vocokesh continue to place pressure on the boundaries of sound, incessantly exploring cryptic soundscapes via their often times unsettling brand of electronics-drenched, drugged-out rock. On this outing, however, the soundscapes come mixed with some more Prog-like elements and even a touch of psych/garage riffing. Vocokesh manage to skillfully hybridize the best of the early 70's avant-garde into their cinematic improvisations. Florian Fricke, David Gilmour, Manuel Gttsching, Edgar Froese, Moebius & Roedelius and Fripp & Eno are all exhumed, but Vocokesh re-image the references into something far more extreme than the aforementioned ever imagined. Eerie and sonically provocative, Through the Smoke is one intense mind-moving hallucination.