Review: Ritual Chants - Psychemagik
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We all know Danny McLewin and Tom Coveney like to dig, but we also know that the love of digging extends to sharing these lost nuggets as well.
Psychemagik long players have stretched back to 2012 with Magik Cyrkles, Sunrise and Sunset Parts 1 & 2 which dropped in 2015 on Leng and all have been a voyage of discovery for the listener, and convinced us to trust our pilots to open our ears to long forgotten treasures that rightly deserve renewed focus and attention. The latest offering from the duo ‘Ritual Chants’ releasing on Eskimo and compiled by Danny takes the form of three individual themes, all carefully programmed and sequenced under the titles of ‘Beach’, ‘Love’ and ‘Dance’ which cleverly educate the listener with – and I quote – “A respectful nod to the past and the future”. 
‘Beach’ is indeed a fitting one-word-fits-all title for the first act. One that invokes many an associated feeling… A thought provoking meander, watching nature at its finest, a lazy Sunday morning soundtrack or lounging at Salinas, you get my point. From ‘Water Sports’ by Man Parrish, a beautifully serene and soothing synth poem, which cuddles the listener, through to the outstanding Kurt Demmler penned ‘Karat’ by Auf Den Meeren, the selection is flawless.
Act 2 or ‘Love’ as it’s titled, draws out more emotive highs and lows for me personally. The selection starts with Rhodas ‘El Sueño De Hyparco’ from the wonderful ‘Ambientes Hormonales’ and sashays through the electro-infused dark boogie of Zru Vogues’ ‘Do The Zru’ past the Caribbean funk pop (if there is such a genre) of ‘New World’ by Adrian Gurvitz to the mid 80’s ‘Habibi’ by French Arabic rockers Carte De Sejour. ‘Love’ really is a wondrous array of riff-laden, disco-fused funk, pop, soul and electronica from across the globe. ‘Dance’ is the final chapter of the ‘Ritual Chants’ lesson and as the release notes state, “opens the door to the thick of the night” and boy does it deliver, with a plethora of additional unknown dance floor polishers such as ‘Love and Happiness’ by Mansour Sallas and Ennio Morricone’s disco infused hybrid cut ‘Dance On’ the final course of this latest Psychemagik feast leaves you feeling perfectly sated but drives the listener to search for more.
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Personally I think FACT mag summed up Psychemagik’s skills perfectly when they observed their “ear for mind-expanding dance floor mysticism” and who am I to disagree.
'Ritual Chants’ as with all their previous compilations and, indeed, their original compositions provides a refreshing filter through which to listen and learn about music, I can’t recommend 'Ritual Chants' enough.
Expected to be in stores on 18th November I highly recommend getting your pre-orders in early as this will fly out.
Michael Prestage
'Ritual Chants’ as with all their previous compilations and, indeed, their original compositions provides a refreshing filter through which to listen and learn about music, I can’t recommend 'Ritual Chants' enough.
Expected to be in stores on 18th November I highly recommend getting your pre-orders in early as this will fly out.
Michael Prestage
