Band : Lunar Dunes     

Title album : From Above

Record label : Self Release

Distribution :

Release date : March 2008

Review : CD

Here's one more exciting entry in the instrumental kraut/space rock category, championed by the likes of Secret Saucer, Oresund Space Collective, Sula Bassana and Hidria Spacefolk . UK's Lunar Dunes is one of the finest of the lot, and From Above is a 75 minutes worth of stunning works. The trio is from London, UK and so immediately I'm drawn to comparing them to Mr. Quimbeys Beard, Dead Flowers, Krell and Omnia Opera and that's a pretty good start. Most of the album easily sounds like it could have come out on late-80s/early-90s UK label like Delerium or Dead Ernest.

One of Lunar Dunes' strengths is a very versatile and strong fretless bass/drum rhythm section that keeps things groovin', sometimes even getting a bit into jazz fusion, while the guitars and keyboards survey the landscape. Most of the music is a mind expanding laid back-paced journey and the percussion often adds an ethnic element to the mix that sometimes travels the globe but remains firmly in space. “From above” and   “As below” have a more driving funkin' beat, which keeps me thinking of   Parliament but also brings Embryo to mind. Freaky synths, washing guitars and tablas on “Loophole” embellish things nicely. We feel some exotic influences, but it is not very pronounced. ”The todal gleeps” is the heavy Hawkrocker represented on the set.where the electric guitar reaches an unexpected threatening and aggressive sound. “When I was on horseback” creeps in with tampora sounds, upon which the main song slowly fades in. ”My lagan love” is the longest jam with amazing melodic weeping willow violin playing on this one and another favourite. Exceptionally intuitive guitar playing will leave you breathless on “Seaspray”, “Scissorbell” and “Yaman”. These folks manage to combine great instrumentation with interesting music that is rhythmically complex, but in a way that never takes center stage away from the compositions. Hami's drumming is impressive throughout, and although the jazzy style is present here, the overall impression is one of kraut space rock..

One of the year's best, last year that is.

95/100

Cosmicmasseur.