| Blanga was originally released in 2005 on Lexicon Devil. Milwaukee space/psych-rock veterans F/i saw original member Richard Franecki (Vocokesh) return to the fold and the results are here to behold. With a string of highly-praised reissues from the band under Lexicon's belts, ranging from the years 1983-1991, they figured it was high time to release some of their contemporary recordings. Also returning are Brian Wensing, Grant Richter with Rick Hake and John Frankovic. Most of all, Blanga (apparently an in-joke within the group and something to do with Amon Düül and Hawkwind) rips out some of the most awe-inspiring, trance-inducing and speaker-destroying psychedelic space-rock of the last 25 years. All the crucial pieces are in place: the metronomic drum beats, the Eno/Hawkwindesque synth swirls and, most of all, the overwhelming cloud of fuzzbox guitar distortion coating the proceedings. You get a mere 5 songs in 47 minutes; from the raga-drone of "An Extremely Lovely Girl Dreams of Blanga" to the stunning blips 'n' whirls of the keyboard/sitar track, "Blanga's Love Song," right on through to the closer, "Grandfather Blanga and His Band Light It Up," a Flipper-y dirge with one foot on Earth, one on Mars. |
