REVIEWS
This release from Krom Lek provides us with a huge array of neo-psychedelic festival style tracks. They play the old-school style of psychedelic space rock jamming in the vein of the eighties/nineties free festival bands. I have never seen this band live and really wish I could (presuming they are still playing the summer festival circuit). Out of most of the bands that are left in this genre, these still seem to be going strong. This music is top-notch and I am really surprised that I had not come across this band before.
Most of the album has that mystical and spiritual quality and theme of pagan music running through it. Think of the Nik Turner stuff from Hawkwind's Stonehenge '84 (This is Hawkwind - Do Not Panic) album, most of the later Gong free-form glissando jams and the religious fanaticism of Oroonies with the vocal style of Dr Brown and dip it all again in a bucketload of LSD and you have Krom Lek.
The music ranges from tranquil and blissful to frenetic and shamanic to appease the worm god Crom Cruach and the triple goddess. We just have to go through the portal to reach their world. Other tracks are like cosmic voyages into the unknown, others are just solid ska-beat/dub tracks for moshing to.
Krom Lek are psychedelic festival freaks of the highest calibre. No one dies forever in the Krom Lek. Its habitants shall live eternally.
- Oz Hardwick - Astro Zombie
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Last years debut by Krom Lek, "Inspirational Floatation Compilation", consisted of recordings from 1993-1995, and this new disc features all new tunes from this group of musicians from the NE of England. In my earlier review I described the band as playing trippy spacerock with hints of jazz, very much in the tradition of Gong and festie bands like Nukli and Omnia Opera; maybe even a bit of Ozric Tentacles in their lighter moments. While that description applies just as well to this new effort, I found the Gong and Ozrics influences to be stronger in spots, and the songs to be overall stronger and grabbed me even harder on my initial listens than their first release.
"Long Meg" kicks off the set and is a great tune with trippy raga rhythms and Ozrics-like guitar leads. "Indian Rubber Man" includes Eastern rhythms embellished by tablas, flute and sax. It's that classic festie style of raga psychedelia. The rhythms and cool psych guitar give it a stronger Ozrics sound but this is a far more laid back affair than the fire of the Ozrics. Very head boppin' and you'll want to dance but only if you like to do so when stoned.
"Gaia Mother" is a standout tune with trippy Indian percussion and horns, not unlike Spacious Mind. The bass and percussion are potent setting a firm base for the rest of the band and the chanting vocals. "Evolution" is a psychedelic Ska rhythmic tune tailor-made for flying into Jamaica on a paisley colored magic carpet. "Corruptaplod" is similar with sax-led Ska rhythms. Call it tripped out Reggae, or maybe even psychedelic Madness (remember them?), but with totally cosmic space synths. And "Outer Aura", "Top O' The Tor", and "Summer Sun" are among my favorites. All are great catchy songs with a toe tappin' rhythm and some feel-good wailing wah guitar on "Outer Aura".
In summary, Psychedelic Dot Krom is a must for fans of the festie bands and anyone into well crafted psychedelic music.
- Jerry Kranitz, Aural Innovations
This release from Krom Lek provides us with a huge array of neo-psychedelic festival style tracks. They play the old-school style of psychedelic space rock jamming in the vein of the eighties/nineties free festival bands. I have never seen this band live and really wish I could (presuming they are still playing the summer festival circuit). Out of most of the bands that are left in this genre, these still seem to be going strong. This music is top-notch and I am really surprised that I had not come across this band before.
Most of the album has that mystical and spiritual quality and theme of pagan music running through it. Think of the Nik Turner stuff from Hawkwind's Stonehenge '84 (This is Hawkwind - Do Not Panic) album, most of the later Gong free-form glissando jams and the religious fanaticism of Oroonies with the vocal style of Dr Brown and dip it all again in a bucketload of LSD and you have Krom Lek.
The music ranges from tranquil and blissful to frenetic and shamanic to appease the worm god Crom Cruach and the triple goddess. We just have to go through the portal to reach their world. Other tracks are like cosmic voyages into the unknown, others are just solid ska-beat/dub tracks for moshing to.
Krom Lek are psychedelic festival freaks of the highest calibre. No one dies forever in the Krom Lek. Its habitants shall live eternally.
- Oz Hardwick - Astro Zombie
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last years debut by Krom Lek, "Inspirational Floatation Compilation", consisted of recordings from 1993-1995, and this new disc features all new tunes from this group of musicians from the NE of England. In my earlier review I described the band as playing trippy spacerock with hints of jazz, very much in the tradition of Gong and festie bands like Nukli and Omnia Opera; maybe even a bit of Ozric Tentacles in their lighter moments. While that description applies just as well to this new effort, I found the Gong and Ozrics influences to be stronger in spots, and the songs to be overall stronger and grabbed me even harder on my initial listens than their first release.
"Long Meg" kicks off the set and is a great tune with trippy raga rhythms and Ozrics-like guitar leads. "Indian Rubber Man" includes Eastern rhythms embellished by tablas, flute and sax. It's that classic festie style of raga psychedelia. The rhythms and cool psych guitar give it a stronger Ozrics sound but this is a far more laid back affair than the fire of the Ozrics. Very head boppin' and you'll want to dance but only if you like to do so when stoned.
"Gaia Mother" is a standout tune with trippy Indian percussion and horns, not unlike Spacious Mind. The bass and percussion are potent setting a firm base for the rest of the band and the chanting vocals. "Evolution" is a psychedelic Ska rhythmic tune tailor-made for flying into Jamaica on a paisley colored magic carpet. "Corruptaplod" is similar with sax-led Ska rhythms. Call it tripped out Reggae, or maybe even psychedelic Madness (remember them?), but with totally cosmic space synths. And "Outer Aura", "Top O' The Tor", and "Summer Sun" are among my favorites. All are great catchy songs with a toe tappin' rhythm and some feel-good wailing wah guitar on "Outer Aura".
In summary, Psychedelic Dot Krom is a must for fans of the festie bands and anyone into well crafted psychedelic music.
- Jerry Kranitz, Aural Innovations