HÄXAN

A brilliant new collection of instrumental songs composed/created in an analog domain as a soundtrack to what is believed to be the oldest surviving full-length animated feature film, from 1926, "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" by Lotte Reiniger.

1. "Peri Banu vid sjön" (3:01) an atmospheric experimentation in dronescapes with bass and simple drumming. Nice. (8.5/10)

2. "Jakten genom skogen" (4:10) is an amazingly soothing though uptempo two-chord acoustic guitar-based instrumental jam drenched heavily with Mellotron and incredible percussion work. One of my favorite songs I've heard from all year. Not to be missed by any prog lovers! (10/10)

3. "Wak-Wak's portar" (1:35) heavily distorted electric guitar strums and pans while free-form flute 'child's play' form this wildly psychedelic song.

4. "Den fattige Aladdin" (0:30) sounds like someone listening to flute over the radio or television.

5. "Trollkarlen och fågeldräkten" (4:30) sounds like a VINCE GURALDI TRIO or KOOP loop over which guitar(s?) and organ(/synths?) are racing in a wild tapestry. Cool! Psychedelic entropy. (9/10)

6. "Grottan" (0:58) eery space music culminates in 7. "Häxan" (2:48) plays like a funeral march over which folk themes are explored. "The Witch" to be sure. (9/10)

8. "Aladdin's flykt över havet" (0:59) is a brief synth and Mellotron play over toms and bass. This one sounds like it could come out of a Miyazaki/Studio Gibli film. More of this! (9.5/10)

9. "Kalifen" (4:37) starts out sounding very much like the organ, drums and bass tracks to PROCUL HAREM's "Whiter Shade of Pale"--which came from a Bach melody, if I'm not mistaken. By then end of the third minute it has shifted into something more jazz experimental--almost SUN RA or LARRY YOUNG like. Awesome song! (9.5/10)

10. "Achmed flyger" (4:33) piano, Mellotron and upbeat drums and bass make this uptempo instrumental another winner. The true adventurer in this one is the Mellotron (especially in trying to keep up with that piano). The main melody is quite familiar. Awesome jam--like an ANEKDOTEN live jam. (9/10)

11. "Aladdin och lampan, del 1" (0:49) heavily treated solo piano. It's pretty. And still quite DUNGEN/ESTES-like. 12. "Aladdin och lampan, del 2" (1:12) flute and upright piano take the leads for this one--over bass, drums and acoustic guitar. Nice flute play. Strange fade out into 'radio background' while "del 1" returns.

13. "Achmed och Peri Banu" (3:10) broody, moody, and deeply emotional, this gorgeous song sounds like it could come out of some Greek tragedy film--except for the KOOP-like bass play. Incredible song! I feel like crying! (10/10)

14. "Andarnas Krig" (6:21) the only long song on the album, it opens with some Hendrix-like feeback & distortion strums of electric guitar. Alone. At 0:40 the rest of the band kicks in to create a jam that is truly reminiscent of the best psychedlia from the late 1960s and early 1970s (both CREAM and NEKTAR come to mind). The pace gradually picks up until, by the fourth minute, the speed is almost breakneck. Just when you wonder whether they can go any faster or if the guitar shredding (literally) can get more frenetic, everything starts to 'crash' and 'fall apart.' (What kind of animated film was this??!) But then the phoenix gathers up its ashes and begins to pull itself back together for one more sprint into frenzied chaos. Wow! Quite free for all; quite a jam. THE WHO at their most violent. Makes one wonder what the studio looked like after this song was over! Amazing! (9.5/10)

A masterpiece of progressive rock music and one film that I definitely want to see (if it has this soundtrack attached to it)!