Saturnia - The Glitter Odd -2001 Cranium CRM 006
Track List : Chrysalis, Bliss, Still Life, A Trick Of The Light, Azimuth/Menadel, Organo, Borealis, The Glitter Odd.
Saturnia are from Portugal and the band comprises of Luis Simões and Francisco Rebelo. This album is a strange but pleasant experience with a nice surprise in store for the listener in the shape of an interesting take on Digital Recording.
Self-confessed vinyl junkie and Audiophile Luis Simões came up with the wonderful concept of making a CD sound like a piece of vinyl.....yes, you did read that right!! The album opens with the sound of a tone arm gently dropping onto a 'record' complete with authentic crackle. Throughout the album between tracks is an authentic vinyl crackle and the CD ends with the
'tone arm' running off at the end, lifting from the 'record' and returning to to its rest...how cool is that? The packaging too is very cool, the CD looks like a mini vinyl record, underneath which you will find a slipmat and on the left of the turntable is a tone arm which shows through the closed case like clear record deck lid!!!. The front cover artwork is of Luis Simões 28" Paiste Symphonic Gong.
The treat does not stop here as musically there is a fantastic array of instruments played here by the talented duo:
Gibson Explorer, National Lap Steel, Epiphone and Les Paul Guitars, Electric and acoustic sitars, nº1 Electronics Theremin, Paiste 28" Symphonic Gong, Jazz Bass, Chimes, Castanets Phase Shifter, Digital Pitch Shifter, a host of guitar effects such as Whammy, Cry-baby and Wha-Wha, Organs, Synthesisers, Vintage Keys and a host of computer effects.
Saturnia's roots lie in 1960's psychedelia and Progressive Rock and also with modern dance music and this strange marriage of genres forms the basis for The Glitter Odd. On paper you would most likely dismiss this concept as being 'unlikely to succeed' but in truth its the exact opposite. The opening track 'Chrysalis' is Piper At The Gates Of Dawn/Saucerful Of Secrets Floyd, meets 90's dance beats and sets the scene for a wonderfully ambient and relaxed album from this extremely versatile band.
The Glitter Odd is a very clever blend of classic British Psychedelia, spacey ambient vibes and 70's prog flavoured organ that grows on you with each and every playing with the tempo shifting lazily between 'horizontal 4 O'clock in the morning waves of blissed out chill sounds' (A Trick Of The Light) to funky Farfisa dub beats laced with Theremin (Organo) and back again.
In case you are wondering, the wonderfully trippy title track is my personal favourite (no surprise there!!).
This refreshingly different album will appeal to fans of organ led 70's Prog, Ozric Tentacles, Nodens Ictus and early Floyd.
Pooters psychedelic shack 08/2001 pooter
