ARCHAÏA

Archaia is a band that is really difficult to be put under one genre. Their only album (self- titled) released in 1977 is a mixture of abstract soundscapes from psychedelic rock, effects, strange keys and vocals that remind you of kraut rock, heavy bass lines that remind you of zeuhl, odd sounds and melodies fro avant-garde bands... It's something really unique really. Don't be confused by the categorization, they're not really like Magma (even though there is an obvious connection).

All songs have this haunting feeling. Dark melodies, strange vocals, distorted "screaming" guitar are what give you this feeling. On the original LP there are no drums. Songs 9, 10 and 11 are extra tracks in the last two of which drums are used. All the other songs are filled with all kind of percussion and that's something that makes the album really interesting. The impression I get from this is a band that is trying things, experimenting really without having a particular idea where they're heading. As a result I can't give it more than 3 stars.

If you find this cd (which I doubt) and you are attracted by the idea having a very rare cd buy it. Buying it only for the music seems a bit strange to me (since it costs more than $300). Anyway, it is a good effort and really interesting to see a mixture of so many different genres.