Black Sun Ensemble - Black Sun Ensemble Vol. 1 vinyl lp (due to size and weight, this price for the USA only. Outside of the USA, the price will be adjusted as needed)
SKU
18-Lion 193LP
Critically acclaimed, very early, psychedelic, desert rock band from Tucson, Arizona, who released this in 1985. This is a limited hand-numbered reissue of their debut album. 500 hand-numbered copies on black vinyl. Comes with an 8 page booklet.
"It is difficult to think of a band that has ever produced psychedelic music that sounded even remotely like the original Black Sun's"—Byron Coley
"ABSOLUTELY stunning psych LP, first released in limited edition in 1985 on Pyknotic label. Stunning fuzzy guitar, Eastern tunes, chanting, some horns here and there.... absolutely spacey psychedelic music." —Mutant Sounds
"Documenting the first incarnation of the Black Sun Ensemble and the only album with the group as a trio, the music hovers like buzzards in the desert over the dehydrated body of psychedelic rock, encircling their prey, waiting to feed on the corpse and draw new strength. A resulting mergence of melodic acoustic/Latin folk, Middle Eastern, raga, acid rock, and woolly feedback is given propulsion by a steady backbeat of rock bass and drums. "Ruby Eyes of China" leads off the reissue (slight variations in the sequence exist between the original and the reissue) with upbeat confidence, adorned with incessant acoustic strumming and laced with ecstatic electric guitar soloing. "Heart of the Sky," the original opening track and for my money the most glorious song on here, is laid out like a gently colored mosaic. It's an ecstatic piece, in which methodically chiming acoustic guitar coalesces with slow burning electric melodies. A solemn peace envelops the mind, like peering out at the warm glow of the morning sun, heavy lidded, after a peyote-soaked night in the sweatlodge which invoked Shamanic visions and healing revelations. "A Chunk of Mandolin Love" flashes muted light from scintillating acoustic fractals, illuminating lysergic splashes of acid leads; "Blue Thunder," subtitled "Improvisation in the key of A," spits out triumphant licks which slice through a nice euphoric haze. It just doesn't let up! Solo electric guitar pyrotechnics ("Ice Breaker"), Arabian scorched landscapes ("Golden Rays"), iridescent ragas on just electric or acoustic guitar and hand drums ("Emerald Eye," "Mandolin Winds"), and solo acoustic guitar rapture ("Mayan Dance") are all spices used in a tremendously savory trans-global stew."—Chris Scofield, fakeJazz website