One year after the release of ‘Negore‘ from Odd Okoddo, Leipzig-based record label Altin Village & Mine pivot their radar towards the far reaches of the subconscious with ‘Cosmic Astral‘, the latest expedition from psychotherapist and multi-instrumentalist Memory Pearl.
Known for his collaborations with dream-pop group Alvvays and the kaleidoscopic explorations of Absolutely Free, the Toronto-based producer unfurls his second full-length under the Memory Pearl moniker, weaving a hypnotic nexus of nine tracks that fuse jazz, reverb-drenched guitars and downtempo.
At its heart, ‘Cosmic Astral‘ draws from a lost relic of ‘70s psychotherapeutic practice, an esoteric music program designed for LSD-assisted therapy. Reinterpreting the cosmic grandeur of Richard Strauss’ original scores via MIDI conversion, Memory Pearl warps the past into the future. He enlists a luminous ensemble of collaborators including Sam Prekop, Joseph Shabason, Moritz Fasbender, Alec O’Hanley, Bram Gielen, and Brandon Valdivia.
‘Music Travel V’ dives deep into post-Balearic oblivion. A slow-motion implosion of forgotten utopias, the track layers primordial synth textures straight from the golden age of 8-bit dreams, celestial drum programming, sci-fi guitar hallucinations and brass motifs that glimmer like the last transmissions of a dying star. A soundtrack to the grand disappearance of memory dissolving into the infinite hum of the cosmos.
‘Cosmic-Astral’ is scheduled for release on 31st January via Altin Village & Mine. Order a copy from Bandcamp.
TRACKLIST
1. Prelude
2. Relaxation Induction
3. Music Travel I
4. Astral Travel
5. Music Travel II
6. Music Travel III
7. Music Travel IV
8. Music Travel V
9. Postlude