Ashtray Navigations - Three Rockets Thicken

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4...according to our Business Lady on Fri 02 Sep, 2011.

Ashtray Navigations (a.k.a Leeds's very own pony-tailed improv superstar Phil Todd) returns with another slice of astral fun courtesy of the Trensmat label. This rare 7" outing features three new cuts, all of the (awesomely) cosmic variety. The A-side 'Monkey Music/Throw Money At The Monkey' explores Todd's current interest in the ultra cosmic synth and guitar workouts of Emeralds and the like. This is like high energy New Age music that combines the intensity of arpeggiated synth at all out volumes with slow burning eastern-infused wah jams. Flip it and you get 'Dinshan P. Ghadali' that again flirts with eastern guitar wig-outs but this time introduces a Carpenter-esque '80s synth drone. This is followed by 'Rocket Dust Slipping Out Of Your Mouth Some Afternoon' that indulges in some impressive guitar fuzz theatrics and cosmic white noise. This one's got a bit of Ferraro/Sun Araw about it and is surprisingly righteous. Definitely Todd at his most upbeat and adventurous, this 7" contains some of his best material I've heard. Go Phil!

Packing 3 tracks onto their first piece of vinyl for Trensmat, the ultra-prolific Ashtray Navigations bring 20 years of recording experience to the table for you, the discerning listener.

A-side 'Monkey Music/Throw Money At The Monkeys' marries gentle melodic guitar twanging to intense trebly arpeggios and ascending/descending sweeps of synth. An effect at once calming and unnerving, the ride lasts for almost six minutes, giving ample time to get lost before snapping back to reality long enough to turn the record over.

'Dinshan P Ghadali' the shorter of the two tracks on the B, is a seemingly momentary snapshot where melancholic pads and fretwork intertwine beneath a slow electronic pulse. 'Rocket Dust Slipping Out Of Your Mouth Some Afternoon' begins with a clean analogue synth line that is soon accompanied by multiple layers of soaring guitars and white noise - all of which is held together for a time with sparse electronic percussion before the layers are eventually peeled back to a serene finale...and the rocket dust settles.

Of course we wouldn't just leave you hanging like that - on the sleeve is a URL to take you to an exclusive digital extra piece, 'War Is Like A Cake'. This near 20-minute blowout features soothing ambient waves throughout, though it does contrast with the relative calm of the vinyl tracks - the noise war begins 55 seconds in and is served slice by slice for much of the remaining duration.

VERY limited edition 7" in full colour wraparound picture sleeve (+ 3 downloads).

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