Shpongle
Museum of Consciousness

Release Date: 2013 | Tracklist

Psybient masters Shpongle have yet again succeeded in producing a wonderfully varied and cerebral journey. With four years separating their last album from their latest, hopes were all high for a change in pace, and Posford, Ram and co have blown away the competition yet again. Consistency is apparently a strong point for Shpongle, as they have practically gone an entire career without a less-than-fantastic release. This latest venture into the realm of sonic hallucinations only solidifies the duo’s mastery of their craft.


Firstly, it is important to address the fact that this release has yet a different theme underlying the music. There is less of an emphasis on ethnically authentic instrumentation, and more of a focus on a very aqueous and electronically driven atmosphere. Abigail Gorton (also known as “Hari Om”), along with Michele Adamson, who are both known from past Shpongle tracks such as “Dorset Perception” and “Around The World In A Tea Haze”, use their vocal talents on several tracks throughout this release, and an emphasis on string instruments is also evident in several other tracks such as “The Epiphany of Mrs. Kugla” and “How The Jellyfish Jumped Up The Mountain”. More prominent than anything however, is the use of many electronic sounds, frequencies, and blips in the style of trance and acid-techno. Nods to past releases from the group in the form of similar instrumentation and genre-hopping are not uncommon either.


Shpongle has always been known for being perfectly capable of producing extremely danceable music, despite the huge variety of musical influences and styles, and this album is no exception. It could even be argued that the dance-ability is higher than that of the last effort put forth by the band. Tracks such as “Brain in a Fishtank” make it incredibly difficult to stay in your seat, as the constantly intensifying pace and outstanding rhythm section constantly urges you to move in some way or form. The trip factor has certainly not been reduced either, and individuals listening under the influence of psychedelics will most likely be completely blown out of their mental grasp on reality. Simon Posford has always displayed a very keen ear for cerebrally twisted sounds, all the way back to his days as Hallucinogen, and he certainly doesn’t hold back in this instance, consistently incorporating distorted, pitch-altered voices and very watery, high-pitched drips and splashes.


Overall, this is a penultimate case of a group creating a perfect balance between past influences and a progressive nature. The result is a highly focused and imaginative effort that serves as a continuation as well as a recapitulation. Standout tracks such as “How the Jellyfish Jumped up the Mountain” and “Future Adventures in Shpongleland” showcase a grand scale of electronic-based sonic environments and newly introduced themes, whereas others like “Brain in a Fishtank” and “Aquatic Garden of Extra-Celestial Delights” serve as both flashbacks to early directions and as climactic, high-intensity thrill rides of atmospheric beauty. This is a deserved contender for album of the year in my humble opinion, and should be granted attention by anyone, almost regardless of their music taste.

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3.6 great

Rank: #0 for 2013