MAGNUS MARTIN – Everything is Singing to me – review – Hawkwind fella does solo stuff

MAGNUS MARTIN – Everything is Singing to me* – review
independent

I know what you want to know. Does it sound like his day job in Hawkwind? Um, not really. Well, is it space rock? Um, not really.

Granted, ‘Storm Brewing’ does sound a bit like modern day Hawkwind, but then it does have 4/5th of the current Hawkwind line-up on it. What else was it supposed to sound like? Magnus Martin?

Annoyingly, this record starts with the one song I really dislike. The title track. I’m not paranoid but am completely convinced that this is something musicians have been doing over the past couple of years solely with the intention to piss me off. Cut it out, musicians!

It’s sort of a concept album, split in two. The first half is ‘Everything’, and the second half is ‘Ceyx and Alycone’. I was knee deep in a book about Greek mythology, a couple of weeks before this arrived, which further convinces me that musicians are out to get me. Otherwise, I would have struggled a but. Something to do with thunderbolts and birds? Which in Greek mythology doesn’t really narrow it down. Anyway, kingfishers.

It’s also my favourite half of the album. There’s lots of ambience, some toying on the edge of a torch song, is that triphoppy, yes, some space rock, and it’s all rather delightful. Mood pieces. And Moog pieces, given the appearance of Thighpaulsandra. ‘Shipwreck’ and ‘Metaschimatismos’ are absolutely fabulous. The former, presumably, about Zeus having a hissy fit, is ridiculously atmospheric. The latter, where the gods turn them into birds, is a moody synth piece with Thighpaulsandra doing his thing, and Dave Brock contributing warbletone. He probably recorded that during his last visit to the Specsavers audiologist.

It’s enjoyable, diverse and experimental, with the ‘Ceyx and Alycone’ suite, an absolute standout.

It’s available on the internet from the place where Magnus Martin sells his things on the internet.

• don’t come after me, grammar freaks, that’s how it is on the record.

This is a video he made for a song that is on this record.