Lunar Dunes – Galaxsea

From Sam....
Gawd!! I hope the walls don’t cave in on us THIS SUNDAY, Strangers!!
Sunday, May 13 will be the loudest Stay Strange yet!! Frank Melendez and Riververb! Also on the bill is the equally loud Actuary from Los Angeles. Plus a rare performance by artist Gerritt Wittmer.
SUNDAY, MAY 13-
RIVERVERB/ACTUARY/GERRITT WITTMER
THE KAVA GALLERY - 2804 KETTNER BLVD - 7PM - $5.00 - ALL AGES SHOW!
Riververb is always in a constant change, and I hear that the latest incarnation is the best so far! Judge for yourself! it’s some heavy stuff! Face morphing grinder sludge. Last time Riververb played, no slayed, the smoke turned black from monolithic chunks of acid-noise.
Actuary shake the shit loose! Los Angeles breeds some sick stuff and this by no means drops the ball. Not only are this tunes in your face, it’s in your skull too! Mean ass nitro venom. Gory!!
Gerritt Wittmer is an artist in the darkest sense possible. I’m not sure what he’ll be doing at this month’s Stay Strange, but if it’s anything like his performance at LUFF, it’s going to be scary!!!

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Lunar Dunes – Galaxsea (4 Zero Records) Keith Boyd 7.14.11

Every so often you come across a release that delights the senses as a unified whole and leaves you refreshed like a cool drink in the shade. This lightness, which is in no way lightweight, comes through (for example) on discs like Stereolab’s Emperor Tomato Ketchup. You might also find it on any number of releases of Martin Denny or Esquivel. Lunar Dunes shares in the same sensuous ease, and their new disc Galaxsea, just as the name implies, is a grand underwater adventure into outer space.

Lunar Dunes is composed of former band members from Transglobal Underground and Cornershop. Like these bands, Lunar Dunes mixes pop/jazz sensibilities with Eastern and Middle Eastern flourishes. This, however, only tells part of the story. Coming on like a crazy dream in which Damo Suzuki fronts a Martin Denny orchestra, the album purrs and seduces the listener into a euphoric and breezy chill. This is an inky blue summer evening of a record. Swells of intoxicating and intuitive Funk sway like kelp strands on the tide. As stated before, Galaxsea is more of a total listen than a collection of discrete songs. The production and playing are fantastically layered; yet retain a distinct crispness and warmth of tone. Despite the fact that the album was a largely improvisational affair, there are threads of a sonic narrative woven in every track. One of these threads is the beamed-in-from-the-deck-of-the-Enterprise vocal from lead singer, Krupa. Her intergalactic coos and melody runs add lift-off to tracks such as Moon Bathing. Swirling throughout the album, and taking at various times center stage, are three distinct sonic fingerprints; Acid-Jazz tinged Funk, Eastern/Middle Eastern accents and, for lack of a better phrase, Space-Age Lounge grooves. At a glance this might seem improbable but in the very capable hands of Lunar Dunes it comes off as natural, freak-blessed, head-bobbing goodness.

Galaxsea is the soundtrack to your next daydream. Both retro-futuristic and of the dance-floor nightclub now, it’s a rich and rewarding listen. 4 Zero Records seems to have a knack for finding exceptional and unique bands. In an era of uber-niche specialization they’ve chosen to place a value on quality content rather than genre. This results in rewarding gem of a listening experience. Dive right into Galaxsea. The water’s fine.