MUSIC INSPIRED BY PINK FLOYD & HAWKWIND

This compilation can be treated as the band's best-of collection - 18 songs - mostly coming from the albums 'Beyond The Maybe Machine' (1996) and 'Inside The Gardens Of The Mind' (1997). It's scarely nothing known about MELTING EUPHORIA although they are often mentioned as an influential genre band. No doubt - this album is proving their reputation as excellent space rockers with gentle grooving songs, cosmic floating and suspense-packed in the majority.

It all starts with Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part I, originally a contribution to the compilation 'Schizoid Dimension - A Tribute To King Crimson' which was released in 1997 by Cleopatra/The Orchard. A nice interpretation especially for the guitar work - obviously differing to the rest of the songs from a stylistical point of view. But basically I don't know if such compilations make sense. Afterwards the whole 'Beyond The Maybe Machine' suite is presented in one go. Synthy elements are clearly dominating all over compared to the use of guitars. Beginning with Summer Starchild the songs are provided with mysterious female voice adds here and there. We have a rocking grooving basis at first caused by a quite funky bass and this is overlayed by twittering synths a lot. The trippy Srinagar belongs to the highlights - appearing with repetive bass/tribal drums and decent spacey guitar contributions.

Mind's Eyes should be mentioned, this time made up with obvious guitar presence and a more grooving fundament once more - although the trippy behaviour is to state all over there. Into The Liquid Mirror is full of ambient soundscapes where you can imagine a spaceship gliding through the orbit. Under Virgo's Sun has got a hallucinatory oriental note and Celestial Hysteria is another highlight - played very dynamically. You will detect one of the rare and fine guitar solos here. Anyhow - I must admit that this part of the compilation is sounding a bit unisono over the course of time. The next songs are coming from the follower 'Inside The Gardens Of The Mind' - probably the band's core production because more balanced, diversified, tension-filled. The guitar gets a prominent role in the whole, the synthesizer add-ons are restrained and this is all presented in a heavier way.

Daisychain Of Thoughts comes up with a tribal backbone, gripping as for the interaction between guitar and synthesizer. The songs are fading into each other here too. A synthesizer loop is dominating the next one Dreaming Waves Engulf My ... backed up by percussion and echoing guitars - excellent song! Amplified Ohm is presented groovy near to the Ozric Tentacles/Quantum Fantay style but also provided with a relaxed synthy part. To Shade My Mad Existence is initiated by way out deformed voice samples until the band decides to change to the groovy dynamic line after some minutes. The closing song Tabs Of Blue And Silver Sunshine is taken from their last production 'She Wants to Take Us Over The Edge of the World' but of no interest really.

This compilation is well done - I like the special grooving rocking attitude coupled with a floating, relaxed behaviour. MELTING EUPHORIA's music is unique. No song is crossing the ten minute mark where you have to treat their particular albums as one epic by all means. Although entitled as influenced by Hawkwind and Pink Floyd I can't find much similarities here. On the other hand - with reason you can ask which space rock band is not influenced by them? If you are a die-hard genre fan and like to listen to Quarkspace, Ozric Tentacles and similar it's worth it to check this out.