STONED GOLD

'Stoned Gold' is the fifth album of the American psyche-space-prog-rock band 3RD EAR EXPERIENCE from Joshua Tree, CA. And this is arguably the most diverse, intricate, and colorful offering from the band to date.

Clocking in at about 70 minutes, the album features 6 mostly instrumental compositions which crystallized during extended jam-sessions in the studio involving Amritakripta (keyboards, synths, vocals), Robbi Robb (guitar, vocals, productions), Richard Stuverud (drums), Jorge Carrillo (bass guitar), and two guest singers ' Alex Perez and Steven Young. In some way, the music illustrates the aesthetic views and theoretical foundations which one can find in Robbi Robb's 'The Art of the Jam Band: Concepts and intricacies for collective improvisation', 20-page musicological essay attached to the CD/Vinyl release. The essay itself is a sort of recourse to the young generation of aspiring musicians stating that Improvised Rock is incredibly rich and imaginative array of modern music.

While many modern impro-instrumental bands adhere to the principle 'play what you can' (creating actually the same sounds over and over), 3RD EAR EXPERIENCE are here to elaborate huge variety of creative approaches and bring multiple different colors to each new composition. In fact, each track on 'Stoned Gold' has its own stylistic identity (or even several identities). From vintage and forceful, classic power-trio Acid-Psyche-Rock (on opening 'Infinite Unmanifest'), through esoteric and synth-textured Space-Rock ('Iceberg Dreams' and 'Stoned Gold'), groovy-motoric, droning, distorted, and riffy Kaut-Rock and Heavy-Psycho ('I Am Not Robot'), towards Tribal-Rock and Afro-Beat ('No Walls, No Wars' and 'The Drone'). Each track on the album offers kaleidoscopic variety of stylistic elements and influences. As well as each track showcases intelligent, thoughtful, absolutely competent and artistic performance of each musician involved.

Summing up, 'Stoned Gold' is highly representative, expressive, inventive, stylish, challenging, and enjoyable album. This is 'must have' for lovers Psychedelic-Prog, Space-Rock, World-Fusion, and modern Impro-Rock in a broad sense. There is no Progress without Experiment, so yes, don't be afraid to experiment and try yourself in what you don't know yet!