Background
A psychedelic rock group from Bergen, Norway formed in 2012 by Øystein Braut, Njål Clementsen, Anders Bjelland and Øyvind Hegg-Lunde.
Tag Archives: space rock
ALBUM REVIEW: MOTORPSYCHO – HERE BE MONSTERS
“Nothing new under the sun” could be the concluding mantra for every single new album review in 2016. BUT that should not be the guiding principle. It’s not a question of “new” anymore but simply a case of how the artist assembles the work from disparate influential elements to create a “new” original piece of art.
Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: MOTORPSYCHO – HERE BE MONSTERS
THE BOXING LESSON
THE BOXING LESSON Muerta EP (New Fortune)
If that shot of Saturn juxtaposed with an Egyptian pyramid doesn’t give the game away, then surely the title of the opening track – Dark Side of the Moog – will provide you with sufficient clues what The Boxing Lesson are about. Call it psychedelic blues or space rock if you will, there’s no escaping the strong influence of Pink Floyd on the four tracks that make up the Muerta EP.
Of course, it’s a little more than that. There’s a bit of the influence of Ennio Morricone’s epic soundtracks, the Ventures’ surf guitar instrumentals, the soaring textural soundscapes of The Verve and the post-rock sweep of Explosions in the Sky thrown into the mix as well. Which certainly makes The Boxing Lesson an intriguing proposition, whether they decide to utilize vocals or not.
Ultimately, this 4-track EP runs a substantial 23 minutes making it more akin to a mini-album. There’s enough raw magick here to suggest that the band’s upcoming full-length (due in 2012) will be one to watch out for.
BUY Muerta EP AT AMAZON
JENIFEREVER
JENIFEREVER Spring Tides (Monotreme)
Precious and fey. This Swedish band evokes early 90s shoegaze without the multiple guitar pedals. The quartet’s fragile, atmospheric music is probably best described as chamber emo.
The pulse on Spring Tides is brought to shore at very low ebb, barely audible and only slightly dynamic on the odd tracks. The arrangements and instrumentation are all rather precise, designed to create a subtle mood, for rainy train rides in the cool Nordic countryside, most likely (not something I’ve experienced myself, it must be said).
The downside is that it can all get rather miserable and precious (that word, again) and might need to catch one in a wistful frame of mind in order to fully appreciate. Not only that but the whole approach tends to sacrifice the melodic quotient and the lack of any change of pace can induce boredom (if ever so slightly, but still a risk).
Focus on the stellar guitar effects and Jeniferever’s Spring Tides will be the perfect soundtrack for those melancholy moments that pop up now and then.
Check out Jeniferever’s Myspace page.