Review: Trail Records

Something a bit different this time around as I'm going to be looking at a label rather than a specific release. There are a couple of reasons for this; 1. There is so much good stuff on this label that to pick one is nigh on impossible, and 2. sometimes the labels themselves don't get the kudos they deserve.

Trail Records are a New York based label whose mission is to "produce and release the creative work of musicians & artists from different cultural backgrounds and traditions." The releases are via limited edition CDs - these are not mass production issues but for collectors and real music lovers. The breadth of the music is breathtaking in it's global scope, taking in music from China, Russia, US, Sweden and Turkey amongst other far flung places. Below are some thoughts on some of the releases, just to give you a taster of what's on offer.

Beyond-O-Matic - Relations At The Borders Between



San Francisco's Beyond-O-Matic were completely new to me, not even the name had registered on the radar...god only knows why - after listening to this 2013 release I've fallen in love (metaphorically of course) with Beyond-O-Matic's spacerock/psychedelic improved music. It has a seventies retro feel in the atmosphere it creates. This is not improv in the 20 minute guitar shredding way, but rather in detailed and sensitive song structure and vocalist Peter Fuhry's high pitched warble which becomes maddeningly addictive in a short amount of time. The songs are a combination of warm drones, rich swathes of synths (courtesy of synth wizard Kurt Stenzel, a man of whom I heard via his soundtrack to 'Jodorowsky’s Dune' - check it out, it's pretty damn cool) and reverberating guitar. The addition of the vocals gives the music an accessibility than is sometimes missing from improvised work, but they juxtapose with the music nicely. This album has been on rotation in the car for about a week now...fantastic stuff.



Zhaoze- Intoxicatingly Lost



Zhaoze are a band from China who play a bewitching mix of post-rock and traditional Chinese music. 'Intoxicatingly Lost' is their first official western release. I've gotta say, never has an album's title been so apposite - the music is exquisite! The form and structure of post-rock has become a bit tired in recent years but Zhaoze raise it to a level where so many will fail to reach. The addition of traditional Chinese instruments gives proceedings a lush, ethnic vibe and a richness that beguiles and mesmerises. A beautiful, hypnotic album that I urge all and sundry to check out.



Ole Lukkoye - Dyatly



Ole Lukkoye hail from Russia and produce some of the most hypnotising, ethnic based psychedelia going. The songs are all highly percussive and utilise a range of instruments, from the mainstream (guitar and keyboards) to the exotic (djembe, jambi, ngoa, and darabouka) and also one of the only bands I know to use a bassoon!. Add to the mix the vocals of Ness Yanushkovskaya which are based around improvised middle eastern chants, and the result is a heady mix of psychedelia, space rock, raga and tribal improv that is vibrant, inspiring and deeply trippy.



Polska Radio One - Cosmos Inside



Polska Radio One are a band who should need no introduction (their 'Early Broadcasts' was reviewed on these pages almost exactly a year ago.) 'Cosmos Inside' is an album steeped in seventies krautrock, early Floyd, sixties psych and a good dose of acid/spacerock jams. An album of infinite variety and was one of THE standout releases of 2014. A worthy addition to any labels roster.



The above are just a small taster of the riches available Trail Records. The label's roster provides a new and fresh perspective on the psych scene...music that is drenched in indigenous charm and reflects the variety and scope of 'head' music that is available if one just searchs and keeps a broad mind. The physical products themselves are nicely put together, but it is the music contained therein that is the jewel in Trail's crown....rich, diverse, lush and inspirational. I have no hesitation in saying that, from here on in, Trail's releases are gonna be pretty much essential purchases. Check them out on their website here and prepare to open your mind to a world of psych goodness.