OCTOPUS SYNG – Smoke Green Mirror (2023, LP Pigeon Cult)

RELEASE INFO:

Label: Pigeon Cult

Format: LP, Album, Limited Edition, Black Vinyl (includes a four-page insert with lyrics and info), 200 copies

Release Date: 1 Sep 2023

Octopus Syng are/is back with their/his 7^th album. Octopus Syng is a Finnish psychedelic-folk retro band originally started as a solo project by Jaire Pätäri around 2000. In March 2023 Jaire announced on the band’s Facebook page that Octopus Syng is a one-man band once again. The new album is called “Smoke Green Mirror” and is released through Pigeon Cult, a new-born label, this album is its first catalog number and I believe that the lack of a record company led Jaire to create/form his own label, and I applaud that! Anyway, being a one-man band again hasn’t stopped Jaire from having a few musicians to help/contribute to the album. These musicians are Maisa Tikka (backing band), Ida Öhman and Janne Honkasalo (backing vocals), Antti Sauli and Mikael Jurmu (bass), Jukka Toivanen (drums), Joni Seppänen (guitar), Iiro Tulkki (harmonium), Santtu Laakso (backing vocals, synthesizer). Jaire Pätäri is on guitar, bass, drums, Vocals, percussion, organ, and synthesizer, and also he wrote the music and lyrics and mixed/produced the album. Here’s a review of Octopus Syng’s previous album “Victorian Wonders” released in 2018 by Mega Dodo Records.

“Smoke Green Mirror” contains 11 tracks in total, 6 of them are spread on the 1^st side and the rest 5 on the 2^nd one… The album takes off with “Constant Music”, by the very first second the listener faces Octopus Syng’s familiar and unique atmosphere, there’s a magical mysterious ultra psychic folkie soundscape, a quite creepy futuristic and experimental environment thanks to the dream-alike synth atmos created by guest – quite familiar to TimeMaZine readers – Santtu Laakso (of Dark Sun and Astral Magic fame), an opening track that certainly penetrates listener’s body, and mind too! All of a sudden, the music becomes mellower on “You’re My Magic Girl”, more ‘friendly’ and Psych-flirting emerging a soft kind of Folkie feel with a strong poppy innocence… “Drop Out” is a cold kind of ‘naked’ Psych-Folk tune with Syd’s presence all over while “Stars Above You” is a fantastic piece of Neo-Psych and Baroque-flirting epical music! “Queen Of Blue Shadows” is another cool pop-psych gem that blends early Barrett, baroque, folk, and Psych, of course… “Once We Were Almost Innocent” is a faster and kind of heavier tune, a splendid instro that simultaneously flirts with surf, garage, and even classical! A remarkable ending for ending side ‘A’… Side ‘B’ starts with “How About Your Day Today?”, a cool psych-folkish tune with lots amounts of some 80s neo-dark romance, emerging a nostalgic feel though… “I Miss You Valerie” is a soft balladesque pop-psych track also penned with a weird neo-romantic touch, spacey effects towards the end make the track lose its initial ‘mentality’ and become a Spacey-Poppy anthem! Such a transformation! The next one is called “Gamelian Music With Three Empty Beer Cans And Other Household Items” and as the title implies this is an experimental piece of Gamelan music – The traditional ensemble music of Java and Bali in Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussive instruments… The next one is the 3^rd personal highlight (sorry I forgot to mention the other 2, it’s the opener “Constant Music” and “Stars Aboe You”), it is called “My Foggy Hours”, a piece of controlled-improvised experimental synth-based Spacey music that is dressed with dark ‘psychotic’ vocals, turned into an eerie Psych-Folk cinematic tune! The album comes to an end with the second track that Santtu makes an appearance, “Starlight” is a wonderful balladesque tune that flirts with Psych, using Santtu’s dreamy synth atmospheric soundscapes, ending under a colorful feedback of electric guitars… So, Jaire/Octopus Syng made another ‘standard’ album, the quality of the songs is guaranteed, so what are you waiting for, go and add this lovely piece of wax to your Psych-Folk collection… TimeLord Michalis

Tracklist