Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon discuss psychedelics (and many other things)
TED: Rick Doblin on the future of psychedelics-assisted psychotherapy
Melody A.M.
Röyksopp
Svein Berge and Torbjörn Brundtland are from Norway. Their name is a pun on the mushroom called puffball. They come from Tromsø, in the North, a town of about 75’000 people warmed by the gulf stream. Röyksopp debuted in 1998 and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. «Nordic Chill’n’Groove with surprisingly beautiful, relaxed tracks that invite you to dream and linger, partly comparable to their last Lemongrass, cool enough to relax, deep enough to get under your skin. Strictly speaking one of the most atmospheric groove releases of the last six months! Extra gear for all light-eyed cloud walkers, time thieves and acrobats of life!» (Veit Staufer of Zürich’s RecRec Store) In 2009, Melody A.M. was named the best Norwegian album of the decade by Norway’s largest newspaper.
Wall of Sound, 2001
Africa Speaks: Yo Me Lo Merezco
Carlos Santana, ft. Buika
«The state of the world is so infected with fear and separation and disharmony, I know for a fact that the frequency of this music from Africa gives people hope, courage, and joy. The ingredients and the nutrients from everything that comes from African music makes people dance and rejoice like a revival.» (Carlos Santana) Afrika speaks is Santana’s twenty-fifth studio album played by an eight piece band, including his wife, Cindy Blackman Santana, on drums. Produced in Malibu in a matter of ten days, many tracks were recorded in one take to yield a unique fusion of rock, Latin and jazz. This project had been simmering ever since 1988, when Carlos starting buying all the great African music he could get his hands on when traveling in Europe. Featuring the Spanish vocalist Buika whose heavenly lead vocals cast a magical spell throughout the album.
Concord Records, June 2019
Little Fishes
The Clayton Lennon Delirium
Pretty trippy! The Delirium is made up of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool and guitarist/vocalist Sean Lennon. Formed in 2015, their music is inspired by psychedelic rock. «Over the course of six weeks, they wrote and recorded a total of ten songs with both of them sharing various vocal and instrumental responsibilities, going beyond their core instruments of bass and guitar, culminating in the release of their first studio album. The album debuted in the Top 10 of three «Billboard» charts: Top Vinyl Albums, Top Tastemakers Albums, and Top Alternative Albums.» (Wikipedia) Little Fishes is the opening track from the Claypool Lennon Delirium’s second LP, South of Reality, released last February. Self-taught animator Micah Buzan is inspired by psychedelic, electronic, and acoustic music. He has worked with The Flaming Lips (with whom Claypool/Lennon are currently touring the US) and provides free animation tutorials on YouTube.
Prawn Song Records, July 2019
Dream Shanti. Music in Our Dreams: Miles Meets the Mahatma
Jeff Coffins
«The genesis of this album was a jam session held between Coffin and virtuosic indian classical musicians Subrata Bhattacharya and Indrajit Banerjee in Coffin’s home studio in Nashville, TN. The musicians each brought in original compositions and taught the pieces to the others by ear. Coffin asked Bela Fleck, the Flecktones percussionist Roy “Futureman” Wooten and New Orleans-born pianist Chris Walters to join the ensemble in recording the final product. “I’ve been making music with both these guys for over 20 years and know they are adaptable and super open to challenging themselves.” Coffin said of Wooten and Walters. Together with Coffin’s Dave Matthews Band co-stars, friend Jordan Perlson on percussion, and wife Ryoko Suzuki providing harmonium, this album is bursting at the seams with raw, genuine talent.»
Ear Up Records, July 2019
Beats of Zion: Elevation
Rocky Dawuni
«Between me and you we shall rise above it all.» Rocky Dawuni is a Ghanaian singer, songwriter and record producer who performs Afro Root, a mixture of Reggae, Afrobeat, Highlife and soul music. Often called the African Bob Marley, Grammy nominated Dawuni currently lives between Ghana and Los Angeles. The musician and activist who is known to straddle the boundaries between Africa, the Caribbean and the U.S. to create sounds that unite generations and cultures works to foster global peace. (Wikipedia) With an easy-going charisma and reputation as a dedicated champion of social causes, Dawuni’s infectious grooves and dance-inducing anthems have consistently excited fans across the globe. A galvanizing performer, Dawuni has shared the stage with Stevie Wonder, Peter Gabriel, Bono, Jason Mraz, Janelle Monae and John Legend, among many others.
Aquarian Record, Juli 2019