Hy Maya - The Mysticism of Sound & Cosmic Language. 1972 USA (archival)

Here's an interesting archival release. Cleveland based Hy Maya were the forefathers to a one Pere Ubu. Though the comparisons stop there, except one can state each band were experimental in their own way. But Hy Maya is not something you hear often in America. This title came to me as a recommendation based on my observations and review of the Belgian band Kosmose. And really those guys who steered me here were absolutely correct to do so. The Mysticism of Sound & Cosmic Language is unhinged psychedelic creativity. And like Kosmose, it's a very difficult listen. Albums like this need to be put on in the background and just let 'er go. Maybe for a long car ride in the desert, or background to the daily chores. Forget songwriting and melodies. I cannot think of another band from the USA like this - maybe Moolah, though that certainly was more geared toward an album experience. These recordings, because of their archival nature, weren't meant to be released. It was a point in time. I suspect the USA had much more bands like this that remain undiscovered - we think all the way back to the great Beat of the Earth in 1966, yet another fair comparison. We tend to associate this kind of unabashed experimentalism with the Germans, and that's where one should put their listening compass when taking on this long 90 minute set. Whew! A good pickup for those inclined to these sort of sounds.

CD: 2017 Smog Veil

The CD is filled to the brim with historical information. Exactly the right way to do an archival release such as this. The sound is surprisingly good as well. There's also a 2LP set, that appears to have the same track listing.