STRANGE VIBRATIONS – Out Of My Mind – review – spacerock

STRANGE VIBRATIONS – Out Of My Mind – review
Astral Magic

Well, I finally got to listen to this. After a month of arguing with elasticStage, who facilitated the physical release of this album.

I paid for a CD, I received a CD, I played a CD. The first seven tracks skipped before it gave up on Track 8. We have consumer laws in the UK so I contacted their ‘customer support’. “What make and model of CD player do you have?” “Send us a video of the CD skipping?” “Return the CD to us so quality control can check it.” Why the fuck would I make this up? Are you fucking mental? That was a one star job on Trustpilot.

But eventually a replacement CD arrived. I let it sit for 48 hours so it wouldn’t be tainted by the elasticStage experience. And I’m glad I did. Because if electronic space rock drone is your thing, and it should be, then Strange Vibrations should definitely be on your list.

Apparently, this solo project was started in 2020 by ex-Dark Sun bass/Moog player Santtu Laakso. Another plague related hingy, I assume. Fair play to the lad. He’s done a bang up job.

He’s had a smidgeon of assistance here with Shane Beck doing some spoken word and some guitar from Jonathan Segel (whose middle name I really want to be Livingstone) but it’s Herra Laakso who takes care of the vocals, synthesizers, bass, beats, and samples, as well as writing all the material. He’s been banging out hunnerds of releases over the last few years and if you like trippy, synthesiser heavy space rock then you want to be getting your ears shaped by the likes of ‘The First Communion’, ‘Inner Light’ and, especially, ‘Krauttt’, which is utterly delightful. I’m glad it’s the longest tune here. It’s exactly the sort of thing you’d want an amped up kosmiche version of Church of Hawkwind played by the Beach Boys to sound like.

Of course, with me now boycotting those elasticStage fuckers I probably won’t come this way again. But if you do the downloady thing then get yourself of to Bandcamp sharpish.

He is on the internet, over here.