A MEDITATION MASS

This one-shot German act is really something. Yatha Sidhra's "A Meditation Mass" is an amazing lesson on building mystery and intensity through mere subtlety. The music is quite relaxing, yet the delicate interplay between flute and keyboard-guitar reveals a hint of spiritual passion that only comes forward in some specific moments. This music might appeal to those who love Jade Warrior, particularly their earlier albums. The Fichter brothers (bearing duties on keyboards-vibes-guitar and drums-percussion, respectively) sure managed to create a rich atmosphere under a strict Spartan guise. Main influences here are "Ummagumma"-era Pink Floyd, avant-garde jazz rock and Hindu folk, all of them mixed to create a sonic nucleus solidly framed in the bucolic side of German psychedelic experimentation. The flute fills the leading role in many passages of the album, which makes it very clear that the guitar phrases are mostly created to set clever counterpoints to the woodwind sounds and the keyboards are preferentially in charge of textures and ambiences. Part 1 begins with an ethereal synthesizer soundscape, which eventually gives way to an exotic tribal main section. The synthesizer remains as a provider of softly disturbing adornments while the percussion and electric 12-string guitar harmonies set a solid landscape. This 17+ minute delight finds a constant climax whenever the flute input gets at its most hypnotic. The final electric piano phrases end this track in delicate fashion. Part 2 finds the band getting a bit rougher without losing their introspective essence. In a little more than a 3-minute span the foursome displays a mixture of Floydian languid atmospheres and jazzy cadences. The bass lines that disappear during the fade-out reappear at the initial fade-in of Part 3. This time, keyboardist Rolf Fichter takes the lead guitar and things start to get increasingly Floydian. The gradually enhanced energy created by the band may remind the listener of Ash Ra Tempel and Amon Düül II during its most explosive passages. They're quite ecstatic, indeed, like the soundtrack to a mind that transcends itself momentarily in order to explore the realms of a reality beyond our world. The reprise of the initial motif seems to indicate the moment of the mind's return to the world. This is a definitive apex of the album. Part 4 closes down the album with a mesmerizing reprise of Part 1's main motif, only developed in a more constrained manner. "A Meditation Mass" is a hidden gem that deserves proper appreciation from avid lovers of experimental music worldwide.