OCTOPUS SYNG

I'll have to admit that psychedelic music probably isn't among the types of music I have a natural inborn high interest in. The splendid releases from UK label Fruits de Mer Records have certainly opened my mind to the joys of this kind of music, receiving their promo releases for a few years now have given me number of delightful experiences with this specific style of music. But I'm not amongst those that have a natural disposition to like music merely because it is psychedelic in form, style or nature, and I'm probably a bit more critical about such productions than the main fan-base of such ventures.

In this case this leads to what I suspect is a much more critical view of this production than many others have given it or will give it in the future. Because the overall mood of this album is one that will satisfy those with a strong affection for vintage psychedelic music rather instantly I suspect. The production is a closed in one, verging on lo-fi, and comes across as true, natural and organic. My experience with psychedelic music enthusiasts is that those assets are appreciated on a general basis, albums that sounds like they were recorded sometime back in the 1960's. Constant use of resonating instrument effects is a key element, this is an aptly named album in that context, and we have plenty of folk-tinged sequences bordering the pastoral to along with as well as moments that are almost bleeding pure psychedelia. A track like Very Strange Trip as good an example of that as anything. Sleepy, almost spoken like lead vocals with a naive touch and chorus sections that the hippie era written all over them other details that should please dedicated psychedelic music aficionados no end, especially those with a specific affection for the folkier oriented parts of it. That a few textured effects that gave me associations to post rock was thrown in on a couple of occasions a charming addition to this sound, but also one given a more subdued role that doesn't break the mood or the mould of this album. Vintage organ displays and sitar are other elements that will be noted as positive by the core audience for this production I assume.

Personally I find the compositions themselves to be somewhat anonymous however. The sound, mood and atmosphere is just about perfect, apart from the overly sharp esse's and some equally sharp cymbals that stabbed into my eardrum from time to time, but the songs themselves just never managed to grab my attention. Until the very end of this album. The darker, almost sickly sounding Mirror of Our Memories and the almost Gothic nature of the following Reflections of Our Time did catch and maintain my attention. They do stand out from the rest of the songs due to the darker, gloomier and almost menacing atmospheres, those fond of the more naive hippie sound may not appreciate these excursions, that might be more appropriate as soundtracks for walks in the Finnish forests at night time with thick sheets of fog covering the moon and the stars.

Still, the nine minute long creation that concludes this album is in a class of it's own. Listen to the Moths is the name of this elegant, light toned and mystical affair, opening as a sparse folk-oriented affair with frail resonating acoustic guitars and a darker sleepy spoken like lead vocal, followed by a harder edged and more vibrant section and then concludes with soft repeated vocals, soaring psychedelic textures and sparse drum details. The opening two thirds brilliant and magical, the final third not as tantalizing for me personally but one I would guess that fans of acid folk in particular should appreciate highly.

At the end of the day my personal experience of this production is that it is rather uneven, with the final third of this album as my personal highlights. When that is said, I can easily understand if many others will be drawn to this album like the proverbial moth to the flame. Those with a strong affection for psychedelic rock from the late 1960's, and in particular those who treasure and love the moods and atmospheres of that kind of music just as much as they love the music itself. I would guess that those people, presumably many of which would describe themselves as free spirits, will be captivated by this album from the get go. As far as specifying a key audience beyond that description, I'd suggest that fans of Syd Barrett might want to give this one a go.

This needs a warning, I believe: I just discovered that this album doesn't have any reviews yet, so I wrote my very first one. I do hope it provides at least some information about the music. I'm neither a rock musician nor a native speaker, though. Due to my limited knowledge I will focus mainly on things as: What mood does the album invoke? What band does it sound similar to? To whom would I recommend this? Are the streams on this site representative of the album? I hope such a review is ok on this site. If the administrators feel that this is inappropriate, please feel free to delete the review.

Who and what is this?
Octopus Syng is a project by finish musician Jaire Pätäre. He plays all instruments himself, to produce psychedelic music that hunkers back to its 60s roots. His style brings early Pink Floyd and Jefferson Airplane to mind - at least to my mind. Indian, folk and blues influences left their mark on this album. The music feels warm and happy and is predominately acoustic. Most songs of the album are mellow and tranquil, with only a few rockier numbers in between. There's no "space" rock to be found here. This album is pure psyche.

What about individual songs?

1) We Could Be Everywhere
The album starts out with this sitar driven instrumental track. This song is very upbeat and happy.

2) It's So Nice To Feel High In The Summertime
This is a tranquil, floating ballad dominated by acoustic guitar and a drifting, mumbling voice.

3) Intuition Waltz
Here the tempo takes up a bit and the bass is featured more prominently. Psychedelic effects are used on the voice. The production is rather muddy.

4) Life Of Nature
Slow acoustic music floats aimlessly through a garden that is basked in sunlight. Instrumental lines are repeated endlessly to lull the listener to sleep. The singer mumbles on to help in the effort.

5) Soft Velvet Dreams
This one follows the psychedelic tradition to incorporate noises in songs. It starts out with the contribution of either a train, a helicopter something similar. The guitar solo is at the heart of this track. The rest has a jammy feel to it.

6) Chinese Garden*
A short song, that's very psychedelic. It has tranquil, floating acoustic guitar, percussion effects, a short drum solo and wind chimes in the end. The mumbling, dreamy voice adds to the hypnotic effect again. The lyrics summarize what all slower songs on this album are about: Lie on your back in a garden, look above you and feel joy.
The track may seem rather silly, but is one of the better ones on the album in my opinion. It condenses the atmosphere the artist wants to transport rather well. To go on any longer in this style would be superfluous, in my opinion.

7) Frail Elephant *
This song is funny, energetic and happy. It's also the rockiest track yet. The funky bass line here should be mentioned. It's also one of the better tracks, in my opinion. Frail Elephant can be listened to on PA.

8) Magical Moonlight And Mystic Girl*
For the first time on the album, electric guitar is the dominating instrument. This is a bluesy song rather than Indian psyche. The Doors may have been an influence here. The rather interesting mix of styles makes this one of the better songs on the album.

9) Spring
This is the piano ballad of the album. The piano is accompanied by electrical guitar and soft vocals without lyrics.

10) All The Woods Of My Childhood
A short instrumental interlude combining Indian and blues influences.

11) Varanasi Rock'n'Roll All Night Long*
This is an upbeat, sitar based, Indian rock song. We are treated to a fake Indian accent and a party atmosphere. This song I recommend. In my opinion, the album could have profited from more fast-beat rock songs in this style. The track can also be heard on PA.

*Most recommended tracks

Are the two songs on PA representative of the album?
Both tracks that are available for streaming on PA, are rockier than all the other songs on the album. They may give you an idea of the hippy, psychedelic atmosphere of the work. The other tracks however, are more tranquil and drifting. Both examples are also pretty tightly composed songs, while other tracks feel more like jams at times. So I don't think they are very representative of the whole album.

Why do I rate this work with only two stars?
Well, the album is clearly rooted in 60s psychedelic music. I just don't think it has anything new or important to say. It is not terribly well made either. It sounds rather amateurish, with a muddy production. This may have been intentional to emphasize the hippy-atmosphere, but it doesn't resonate with me. Mr Pätäre's voice is not the best in the world and the mumbling doesn't help. His instrumental skills are decent, though. The album succeeds in transporting a warm, fluffy, happy feeling. I believe this must have been a major goal. However, the songs are not very well compost, in my opinion. Their only prog-connections are the psychedelic atmosphere and the use of sitar. This album should adequately be labelled psych-pop in my opinion. I also feel that the target audience is rather limited. Only die-hard fans of old-style psychedelic rock will really enjoy this, in my opinion. That's why I rate it a "fans only album".

Who should listen to this?
Mmmmh...that's a tough question. Can I recommend a 2 stars album to anyone? Mmmmh...perhaps...ah yes:
Recommended to anyone in search of a soundtrack for their backpacking trip to Tibet!
It should also work as therapy for proggers who suffer a psychological condition after a Meshuggah overdose.

Seriously: I believe, the album can only be recommended to fans of 60s psychedelic music, who might value the retro and slightly amateurish feel. That's why I gave it two stars, as explained above.