Band : Scarlet Utopia
Album Title : Adventures Under Black Light
Label : Nasoni
Distributor : Clearspot
Release Date : 2010
Review : CD

This band excel at both long groove-oriented kraut rock and mind-bending space rock workouts, and this debut album Adventures Under Black Light will appeal to fans of both sides of the band. It never really changes that much in tempo, rather settling into repetitive restrained Can-style rhythms.

Opens up with “Black sun”, 12 minutes of methodical repetitive drum beat with guitar riff loops which could sound like its all been done before but is given a spaced out edge due to the soothened vocals of Scarlet Rose O’ Silver in a Renate Knaup on acid style The guitar playing is at times both angular and spacey, which gives the music a somewhat surreal atmosphere. “Ngc 1365 spiral galaxy” put you into a nice mellow headspace, with its whooshing, liquid bass licks. “Omega space walk” is a solid piece of tripped out psychedelic space rock and really took me by surprise. There's just a wee bit of the stoner element from the guitar but it adds a welcome edge to the music and contrasts nicely with the flowing space vocals. A brain pounding mind trip. It makes the whole album for me. “Moonlight society” mixes the ferocity of Hawkwind with the kraut rock of Can, incredibly without particularly sounding like any of those bands.

If they bring on more songs like “Omega space walk” I might just be a committed fan.

85/100

Cosmicmasseur.