Review: Sounds of New Soma- Moebius Tunnel

Neo-Krautrock duo Sounds Of New Soma are back with their second album of ambient psychedelia and good it is too. The duo, made up of Tonzonen label boss Dirk Raupach along with Alex Djelassi, have adopted a slightly different approach to this album as from their first, 'Beyond The Acid Dream'; whilst the improvisational aspect is still there, it is combined with a more structured approach and has resulted in an album full of laid-back vibes, cosmic effects and kosmische goodness.

'Lysergdelfin' is a blissfully tripped out start to the album, full of lush swathes of synths and atmospheric spaciness. There is a real Tangerine Dream feel to it, which for this reviewer is always a good thing. While there maybe too much going on to class this as ambient, it certainly has a hazy, dreamy quality to soothe the soul. 'Kosmonautenglück' is just as chilled but adds distinct cosmic overtones. The rich synths are still the main players and the spacey drones add another layer, all making the track the ideal soundtrack for a gentle meander through the universe. The snatches of spoken word chatter complete the interplanetary allusion. 'Subraumverzerrung' sees programmed drums added to the mix, giving the track a more rigid structure than those preceeding. There are hushed vocals over the beat and the ever-present dreamy synths but overall still retains the tranquil stillness that permeates through the album. 'Stech / Apfel' is full of great drones that underpin some gentle, but deeply psychedelic, guitar and some chiming electronica resulting in a futuristic oriental feel. 'Morgengebet' starts with some oscillating synth and more spacey effects before a driving rhythm is set up, urging things forward in a very movie score manner. There is some more lovely psychedelic guitar work that compliments the overall feel beautifully. The CD and download come with the bonus track 'Neuland', another dreamy track that takes its cue from some of the very best of seventies electronica with a pulsing rhythm, washes of synths and flourishes of electronic effects. A fitting end to the album.

I foolishly missed out on Sounds Of New Soma's first album, 'Beyond The Acid Dream',something I intend to rectify very soon after listening to this album. 'Moebius Tunnel' is a great piece of work; beautifully, blissfully ambient in places, more upbeat and driving in others, but always unhurried and atmospheric. The mix of improvisation and structured approaches has paid dividends, meaning that at times the tracks are given space and time to roam but always within a set scope and structure. It has the feel of some of the electronica based kosmische greats but SONS have stamped their own identity on it. My first listen came after a particularly torrid shift at work, and this album really does have a soothing quality (not sure if this was the intention of the band but..)...a balm for the modern age! 'Moebius Tunnel' will be available on CD & vinyl from 29th March ; limited to 250 on 180g blue vinyl,and a special version, limited to 50, which includes 180g blue vinyl as well as 2 poster, polaroid photo & "other gimmicks". Physical formats will be available from the Tonzonen webstore here while the digital download (available now) can be found on the Sounds Of New Soma Bandcamp page here.