| God bless the freaks! In this increasingly homogenized | | | | inheriting the Earth? The meek are not only not |
| world any appearance of the mutant tendency is a | | | | inheriting the Earth, they're being priced out of it and |
| cause for celebration. Think of it this way, the impulse | | | | taxed for it.It's into this stale slipstream that the nuts in |
| towards rebellion and originality were traditionally the | | | | Cloudland Canyon release their great new album, |
| purview of artists and mystics. Artists inherited the | | | | "Requiems Der Natur 2002-2004" (Tee Pee Records). |
| previous generation's themes and modes with the | | | | This album is the cure for what ails ya! The tracks |
| implicit mission of rejecting and reinventing them. | | | | feature hypnotic synth washes and odd repetitive |
| Mystics have always used the singular and visionary | | | | snippets of water, wind and animals. The odd blend of |
| of the inner as a method to change the uniform and | | | | motorik, Kraut-Rock inspired madness and the warm |
| stale outer. Both of these models have been usurped. | | | | organic and churning field recording samples give this |
| In the mind's eye of the public art has been reduced to | | | | album its' engrossing tension and charm. Sonically there |
| pretty picture making. As for religion, when did Jesus | | | | are splashes and dashes of such noisy luminaries as |
| become a Republican?What roles do art and religion | | | | Ash Ra Tempel, This Heat and Can. Repetitive loops |
| play in this world? As far as I can see, art has | | | | of ruffled and crinkled warblings fold in on themselves |
| become subservient to decoration. Musical expression | | | | with a fierce single-mindedness. Hushed and strangled |
| has been reduced down to that lowest of common | | | | mantras swell, congeal and finally sputter out into their |
| denominators; the talent contest. While I'm sure that | | | | constituent parts.This is one of those sound worlds it is |
| many find solace in their chosen faith, where is its' | | | | best to experience as a unit. Although it is separated |
| dissenting voice? Nowadays we get religious | | | | into songs the strength of this release lies in its totality. |
| justifications and approval for everything from this | | | | So if you're aching to bust out of the gray world and |
| brutal war to funeral hazing of dead soldiers who | | | | spend a little creative time in a technicolor hysteria, |
| MAY have been gay. What ever happened to love | | | | check out Cloudland Canyon. Their music is a naked |
| thine enemy? What ever happened to the meek | | | | freak-out by moonlight in an electric forest. |