causa sui: euporie tide

Since they formed in 2004, Danish instrumental four-piece Causa Sui has become a much-revered act on the fertile European psych scene. The soil planted in festivals like Roadburn, Roskilde, Burg Herzberg, has been harvested with praise by Uncut, Julian Cope, and Mojo, as well as growing a dedicated fanbase -- paying top Euros for a first edition vinyl of any of the band's seven past LPs. Many psych and stoner-rock bands aim for the perfect imitation of that vintage heavy psych sound circa 1970, but Causa Sui have forged their own distinct path. Causa Sui draws on a larger pool than the usual derived exploration of Sabbath riffs and clichéd Krautrock jamming. Collaborations include members of Tortoise and Chicago Underground Collective (under the name Chicago Odense Ensemble) and Sunburned Hand Of The Man (released as Pewt'r Sessions,) and the band always adds untraditional flavors, past and present, into their seething experimental sound. Causa Sui has been described as "the sound of a giant wave rolling up through the last four decades of rock," which is truer than ever for their most ambitious album to date, Euporie Tide. Yes, the heavy riffs are certainly here, but it's apparent that it does not tread the waters of retro rock. There's a different depth here. Whereas previous albums were brewed with spontaneity, and flickers of complete improv, Euporie Tide was meticulously perfected over years of work. Opening track "Homage" pays tribute to the early/mid-1990s American grunge and stoner-rock bands the band grew up with. From that point of departure, Causa Sui goes on to weave a rich and complex textile, with threads coming from early 1970s electric jazz, post-rock, exotica, heavy rock, raga, and all kinds of psychedelia. Whether the band goes for straight-up rock or ventures into freeform territory, there's always that certain warmth and atmosphere present, which is so characteristic for Causa Sui. When one reaches the multigenre-influenced grooves on the album's D-side, it's obvious that the band has arrived at something that is very relevant in the present day. The album was recorded and produced by Jonas Munk, crafting a sound that is simultaneously naturalistic in approach, yet strangely detailed. The album was mastered in a way as to maintain the full dynamic range of the recordings.