It's a Freakout!

Despite being released a few months ago, nothing much has been said about Richard Norris' awesome solo EP, The Time & Space Machine Volume 1, out there in blogland.

An ex-member of The Grid and one half of psyche-kraut edit gurus Beyond the Wizards Sleeve, Norris deserves some attention. So, in an attempt to remedy this, here's a post full of hyperbole and glittering adjectives presented as a token of our love for the man and his music.

Personally this record still has me really excited. It's the kind of music that makes you feel 10-feet tall; makes you bound instead of walk down the street.

Its sound is not far from his work with Erol Alkan as BTWS. Eight psyched-out, neck-snapping groovers that will give the trainspotters brain-strain trying to figure out where that organ, riff, drum break or vocal comes from - we know we did.

Spliced and diced from all over, Mr Norris - like we Turbans - clearly loves huge propulsive percussion and knows exactly where to find it. Driving Kraut/motorik, heavy funk breaks and epic prog drums are employed to devastating effect. Bring in the fuzzed-out guitars, big chubby-chunk baselines, some suitably lysergic lyrics and you've got yourself a freak-out, baby.

Zeitghost sounds like an early Krautrock jam. The post-psychedelic experimental stuff, when bands first started tinkering with electronics in basements in Cologne, while still keeping things funky. Listen out for The Flying Lizards' Money sample too - at least that's what it sounds like to us. Lesson One on the other hand, hits you like a double-dipped blotter of Haight-Ashbury acid-rock. There isn't a great deal to say here, those drums speak for themselves. Unbelievable.

A quick check of the Phonica website tells us it's still in stock, so go buy it immediately.

The Time & Space Machine - Zeitghost

The Time & Space Machine - Lesson One