Institute of Contemporary Arts

The Experiment: February 2009

DronesBongosFuzzPhasersBellsTamborinesDistortionMoogSynthsPsychedelicSunglasses and of course lots of hair are all essential for any respectable psychedelic band aka 1968 - 1975?

But we are not stuck in a timewarp and we are not delving into the back catalogues of the glorious musical archive. No, the bands we are showcasing in the February podcast are alive and well in 2009. It's official: a new era of wizardry-bedazzled sounds has opened up shop, and these pixie-led dreamhouse bands are walking the earth in their multitudes. They may not all be wearing sandals or have flowers in their hair, but the spirit and ideals of the late sixties/early seventies are definitely being re-examined. These new bands are doing psychedelic mannerism this time round with more vigour: be it slightly tinged '81 industrialised sound or an element of '88 tribal rave, the modern psychedelics are still dreaming of utopian rainbows.

The marvelous Brooklyn-based record label Abandon Ship Records have just put out their 50-somethingth release. Most of the releases on Abandon Ship Records are small in number with unique-sized editions of 100. First from the label is the reclusive and elusive Buck Paco. This spell binding stuff is a mixure of Bo Hansson and early Sonic Youth - very droned, blissed-out instrumental dreamscapes - fantastic stuff!

Our next Abandon Ship Records artist is Fantastic Magic. This highly creative San Diego four piece are like a mobile performative hippy commune with detailed improv love-ins. Their music can and will take you anywhere you wanna go.

Then we have the New York-based occult-inspired band Telecult Powers: intellect, otherworldly drones with tension and ideals. No half baked ideas here although they do release lovely DIY cassettes on Baked Tapes.

Did I mention we have an exclusive interview from our podcaster-at-large Jim Hammond? Jim has kindly set up a pre-gig interview with the great Animal Collective, on which they chat about the ideas and sounds behind their new album Merriweather Post Pavilion. Jim has done his research, and can be heard putting the A.collective through the interview hoops!

Finally, to round off the podcast we have few tracks from the experimental drum/bass break core unit/label Bitcrusher Records. Clean, crisp and cut-up for your listening overload pleasure. We have tracks from Used to be Cool and the psychedelic breakbeat rhythmer Iacchus, as they say, "The light bearing star of the nocturnal mysteries"

Keep Listening!

The Experiment is a monthly podcast commissioned by the ICA and presented and produced by Kevin Quigley. This month's guest presenter is podcaster-at-large Jim Hammond.

www.myspace.com/animalcollectivetheband
www.bitcrusher.co.uk
www.myspace.com/iacchusmusic
www.usedtobecool.co.uk
www.abandonshiprecords.com
www.myspace.com/buckpaco
www.myspace.com/telecultpowers
www.myspace.com/fantasticmagic