Compact Disc

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Valentines From Matahari

(Majora, 1998)

Reissue of this all-time classic first issued on LP-only in 1993, and the first of a series of CD reissues of Sun City Girls material on this label. Chronologically, this is the 8th Sun City Girls album, following the first 3 on Placebo, and the early Majora titles: Torch Of The Mystics, Dawn of the Devi, Live From the Planet Boomerang & Bright Surroundings Dark Beginnings. Majora never issued information as to the source of their material, but the albums were laboriously edited for home listening perfection and these few records documented this American band's apex in terms of inspiration, instrumental explosivity and third mind delirium. Mostly recorded live on earth (not necessarily in front of other humans), the material on Valentines... is mixed blazingly loud, up front and in your face, particularly notable for the special crystalline nature of Rick Bishop's guitar playing -- a melding of psychedelics, sharding post-Ginn scale extensions and Eastern-tinged luminosity. Alan Bishop's bass is in full accompanying force, pushing the improvisational zig zaggery element of the band to its core (although perhaps best known for his sparkling skills 'n manners of deception, manipulation & charm, Alan just might be the most significantly underrated bass player of the last 15 years!). Charles Gocher's clattering traps fill out the remaining spaces in the middle perfectly. The record starts with the deliriously powerful "Black Tent" and closes with the next-planet conversation piece, "Circus Haddam", by which time things have cracked up pretty goddamn far. A most significant record, back again. (Forced Exposure)