Black Sun Ensemble - Sky Pilot. 1999 USA

The 22+ minute title track is the only composition here that is representative of the name Sky Pilot, and that which was recorded in 1999. It's a fine piece, somewhat rambling, but still with that distinct desert neo-psych sound that Black Sun Ensemble are famous for. There's an enormous amount of clarinet on this piece, and that's an instrument I consider entirely unpsychedelic, and somewhat ruins the mood. Gives it a middle eastern restaurant buffet feel - with belly dancers roaming about. Overall it's good, but inessential. Apparently main man Jesus Acedo was on the mend at this point, and this was where his mind was at the time.

The next track, the 4 minute 'Staying Power' is apparently a single released in 1994, though I cannot find physical evidence such a thing exists. The style here hearkens back to their late 80s Lambent Flame days. Sort of an indie psych sound, one that I'm not too fond of.

So at this point, I'm figuring this one is going straight to the sell bin. All that's left is about 46 minutes of "bonus tracks". Well, that's weird from the get, but let's see what we have here.

Oh.... wow. If you ever wanted to hear the mid 80s Black Sun Ensemble "go for it", then here's your album. The deal here is this album was slated for release in 1994 as Psycho Master El, and the band name at this point was Black Sun Legion. Apparently this was one of those "the devil made me do it" albums, and Jesus Acedo - who was completely off his rocker by this point - destroyed all evidence of the recording as he was seeking enlightenment and atonement. Or he thought he did. It was released officially, but according to later notes, it wasn't properly mixed (and the vocals were removed if I understand correctly). So 5 years later, 12 of the 15 songs appear here, but this time they have the appropriate sound. I haven't heard the Black Sun Legion CD, so I cannot say myself.

What we have here is 12 seriously molten instrumental psychedelic tracks, that feature Acedo's distinct desert styled electric guitar, but this time with a ferocious violent intensity. With track names like 'Dangerous Pussy', 'Lord of the Fleas', and 'Children Look Like Burnt Paper' (whoa, that's f'ed up right there), you know Acedo is in a special place, deep - deep - in a Mexican cave and way O'd on mescaline.

For those calling this prog, you made a wrong turn in the hallway. This is modern psychedelia of the highest order. Start with track 3 and enjoy the ride...

Personal collection
CD: 1999 Camera Obscura (Australia)

Complete with full liner notes, which helped me piece the story above together.

The Black Sun Ensemble - s/t. 1985 USA

1985 is not the year one starts with in seek of psychedelia. In fact, the music of that era could be considered the polar opposite of such. It is in this environment that Jesus Acedo launches the Black Sun Ensemble in isolated Tucson Arizona, predicting the rise of the neo psych movement by a few years - one that continues to this day in one form or another. For those that have seen Ken Russell's Altered States movie, then The Black Sun Ensemble is the perfect soundtrack that never was. A mescaline trip to the caves of the Mexican desert by way of Libya and Morocco. As good as it gets for the limited palette the band offers, and a beacon of light in an otherwise sterile era of progressive/psychedelic music.

Personal collection
CD: 2001 Camera Obscura (Australia)

Important to note that the CD is not a straight reissue of the LP, nor is it to be related to the 1988 LP on Reckless that shares similar themes and music. What I wrote for Discogs: "Liner notes state: "The music of this album is not exactly what was presented on the original LP. Its mix feels far clearer and two of the LP's tracks ("Cobracalia" and "Red Ocean") have been lost and are replaced here by previously unreleased contemporaries ("Emerald Eye 2" and ""Bleeding Heart")"" I'll need to investigate the original LP at some point.