Transmalinnia is the debut full length CD debut from The Lumerians, a new-ish group from Oakland, California who recall both the late 60s UK psych scene as well as the Krautrock masters. The rhythms are pure Krautrock motorik, straight from the Can and Neu! school. The dreamy vocals recall Barrett era Floyd, or perhaps more to the point, the early 90s neo psych of Sun Dial. But the real highlight is the fuzzy 1960s vintage organ, which has this most wonderful thick and wedgy sound. As the music wears on, the albums goes deeper into the vortex. Pounding drums, celestial voices and the overall air of the original early 70s Kosmiche movement is upon us. The only thing missing is the cosmic blues guitar jamming of a Manuel Gottsching or Ax Genrich. Certainly the closest a modern American band has come to creating the original aura, energy and atmosphere of 1971 Germany. It avoids most of the hipster trappings, though not all of them. It is a bit too self-conscious to be authentic (not sure how one can avoid that 40 years later), but I'm very happy with this sincere effort and look forward to exploring more from the band. If you all are looking for a similar sound, then allow me to recommend Cranium Pie from England, a band that perhaps owes more to '69 Floyd than '67 Floyd meets '72 Can, but you get the idea.
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I wrote the above 10 years ago after hearing it for the first time. Last night's listen confirmed my initial thoughts. This is a good one if looking for a modern interpretation of the Krautrock sound.
Ownership: CD: 2011 Knitting Factory. Simple digi-pak with recording details. Purchased new not long after release.
12/2/12 (new entry); 8/13/22
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