Expo '70 - Journey Through Astral Projection

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5...according to our Phil on Mon 30 Jan, 2012.

Expo 70 has been releasing Kosmische style drone for knocking on a decade now. That's ages... seriously that's a long time. 'Journey Through Astral Projection' was recorded at the same time as 'Where Does Your Mind Go?' with the able bodied help of Matt Hill (Umberto) on bass and drum machine. Justin Wright locks into his groove with guitar, realiistic moog and crumar (an Italian vintage synth from the 60's). This sounds sweet! I was expecting some blissed out drones but instead we have a more moogy proggy krauty affair. On the opener the drum machine is very much like Suicide with it's pulsing fuzzyness and it's swathed in widdly guitar. Nice! 'Seven Serpants' has a more churchy disturbed vibe to it with a wonky sounding organ and that mixed in with a 70's Italian horror vibe. 'Growing Mushrooms of Potency' is a psychedelic sounding hotch potch of organs, moog frequencies and a bontempi style beat. It's fucking good! The whole CD is actually. It's a lot more interesting and varied than his other albums I've heard and overall it's his most cosmic and psychedelic. So if you fancy 52 minutes of psychedelic funtime then get on the magic bus. Strong work indeed!!

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Journey Through Astral Projection is the new Expo 70 studio album that follows the breakthrough album Where Does Your Mind Go? (Immune 011, Nov 2010) and was again recorded at Black Dirt Studios by Jason Meaghe

Justin Wright’s Expo 70 project has been pushing experimental, drone and Kosmiche Musik to new realms for nearly a decade now. Constant touring and a string of critically acclaimed albums released on labels such as Kill Shaman, Beta-lactam Ring, Peasant Magik, Aguirre, and Wright’s own Sonic Meditations label have clearly brought Expo 70’s name to the forefront of modern drone and Kosmiche Musik. In the Fall of 2010 Immune released the epic double LP Where Does Your Mind Go? to critical acclaim and Expo 70 toured the country for two months in support. Immune is now proud to present the follow-up album Journey Through Astral Projection, further cementing the fact that Wright’s work captures a true spirit of free thinking and creates tranquil moods and vast landscapes in audio fidelity.

Journey Through Astral Projection features four long form tracks recorded at Black Dirt Studios by Jason Meagher during the same sessions that captured 2010’s breakthrough release Where Does Your Mind Go? (Immune 011, Nov 2010). The album again features Justin Wright on guitar, Realistic Moog and Crumar and then collaborator Matt Hill (Umberto) on bass, analog drum machine, Crumar and Korg. The album’s four tracks continue the explorations started on Where Does Your Mind Go? dropping you back into the same brooding and moody realms with pulsing analog drum rhythms and looped guitar notes furthering the previous album’s playful krautrock tendencies. By the second track the gates open into a bed of dense organ tones and heavy guitar dirges, resembling a more meditative Terry Riley jamming with Sunn O))). Having been culled from the same sessions as Where Does Your Mind Go?, Journey Through Astral Projection should be viewed as a companion album, but also an album fit to stand on it’s own ground.

Praise for Expo 70 & Where Does Your Mind Go? :
“Each track is a perfect balance between textured drone and evolving melodic themes. This poise brings an austere economy to the compositions. Everything has a purpose, nothing is merely gesture…Expo 70 are on their way to becoming part of the Kosmiche pantheon.” – The Wire