psychemagik: ritual chants

Ritual Chants is a stellar earthbound and outer space odyssey spanning three discs, respectfully embellishing Psychemagik's taste and passion for the wonderful, the sublime and very often unusual. Ritual Chants skillfully shows insights into applying retro finds into a contemporary setting, much of the material acquired via world tours and capturing the excitement of finding and sharing lost jewels. Compiled by Danny McLewin, the renowned record digger of the duo, the three discs are carefully programmed and sequenced into three themes: Love, Beach and Dance, all of which tenderly demonstrate curious ears with a respectful nod to the past and the future via such touchstones as the pre-new age emanations of "Water Sports" by Man Parrish, a beautiful tranquil and cascading synth poem which soothes and pulses, and the sublime and haunting "God's Garden" by John J. Francis. Along with the two mentioned tracks, Love features the Gallic seduction of "L'Amour Joue Au Violon" by Jeanette, a real string-swept lost masterpiece reminiscent of Melody Nelson-era Serge Gainsbourg. On Beach, the booming drum machine mechanics of "Hangin' Out In Space" by Tony Wilson is a galactic deep-fried boogie which will have even robots shaking their metal-ware into the long wee hours, as will the hypnotic Arabic infused brew made by Golden Hands on "Take Me Back". The semi discordant funk of Zru Vogue's "Do the Zru", reminiscent of a later era Can, finds its place on Beach as well. Dance opens with phenomenal and unknown cuts such as "Love And Happiness" by Mansour Sallama and Ennio Morricone's disco-infused hybrid cut "Dance On" adding magic and mysticism, and high quality floor polishers such as Pop-Corn Makers's "Nothing", a sweaty gyrating slice of European sleaze. Psychemagik are a duo as infamous for their production technique as their DJ skills, their prolific edits laced with subtle studio production re-interpreting vintage gems and giving them a contemporary bounce. Love features: The Rias Orchestra, John J. Francis, Chac Mool, Kraan, G.R.C. Five, Free Fantasy, Wavemaker, Bobby Lyle, Babla & Kanchan, FG's Romance, Etienne Vermoessen & Guido Delo, Musyl & Joseppa and Karat. Beach features: El Sueño De Hyparco, Minako Yoshida, Adrian Gurvitz, Hitomi Tohyama, Chagrin D'Amour, Amini, Electric Machine, Jean Guy Ruff, J.M. Black and Danny Boy. Dance features: La P'tite Fred, The Right Combination, Sharpio, Grant Santino, Dionne, Will To Power, Raoul Denis Jr, Dan Lacksman and Family Four.