Welsh band SENDELICA have released a steady stream of productions since their debut album “Spaceman Bubblegum And Other Weird Tales From The Mercury Mind” saw the light of day in 2007, on a number of different labels in different countries too. “The Kaleidoscopic Kat and It’s Autoscopic Ego” is their most recent studio production, and was digitally released in the summer of 2013. A CD edition was ready at just about the same time, and a vinyl edition appeared a few months later.
It would appear that this is a production where Sendelica does give their nods to some of the artists they enjoy and that possibly might be referenced as creative inspirations. I’m fairly certain that I should be able to decode a few more than I have done. Some of the tracks are fairly self explaining in terms of where the references go though: Set the Controls for the Heart of the Buddha, 21st Century Autoscopic Ego Man and It’s the Neu!! Kosmiche Disko is a trio of tracks that doesn’t really need any detailed information as far what songs and artists are referenced I think.
From what I can understand these aren’t cover versions in any usual manner however, but more like constructions where fleeting instances of the artist and song referenced makes occasional appearances. With the possibility that quite a lot of the material are variations on the referenced source material just as much as inspired by it and made and performed in the same spirit. Be that as it may be, the important bit is that this isn’t, at least as I experience this production and these songs, even close to being an album with three or more cover versions of well known material. Homages and material that acknowledge the influential nature of certain bands and specific compositions indeed, but done in a tasteful and creative manner.
As for the music itself in a more specific manner, Sendelica continue doing what they do best. Instrumental psychedelic rock is the name of the game here, with vintage fuzz guitars complete with distortions, effects and reverbs, with psych-dripping soloing aplenty, backed by a steady and secure rhythm section and with plenty of keyboards supplying melodic textures, effects and cosmic details, with Mellotron washes and saxophone soloing further enriching the arrangements. Their latest production is for me one fairly similar to their previous ones on some levels too: Their excursions tend to be pleasant rather than truly engaging to my mind, material that will hit right home with a certain crowd where I’m one of the guys placed in the outer perimeter. Still, Sendelica tend to have a few creations at hand that also gives me a slight case of goosebumps, in a positive meaning of the word, and on this disc Something in a Grain of Sand and Set the Controls for the Heart of the Buddha are the items I’d highlight from a strictly personal point of view. The former a cyclic affair with a compelling synth motif at the start and finish, briefly taken over by the bass guitar in the midsection, the latter referencing Pink Floyd’s classic and sporting a fine bass and drums foundation with smooth, gliding keyboard textures on top and, unless I’m much mistaken, both plucked delicate guitar details and treated fuzz textures by way of the same instrument. With a few more bells and whistles applied to both of these items obviously, but with the details described as some of the more dominant aspects of these tracks.
All in all a fine album that will come across as a pleasant overall experience to a good deal of people. And for a select crowd this production will be a real treat, presumably those who tend to have a soft spot for instrumental psychedelic rock of the kind that employs fuzz guitars and cosmic inspired effects- Furthermore I’d guess that many krautrock fans would describe “The Kaleidoscopic Kat and it’s Autoscopic Ego” as a production well worth spending some time and money on too.
My rating: 62/100
