Various Artists

To celebrate Rocket Recordings unlikely survival as a record label for 15 years, we have decided to put a little comp of new music together for you. For the uninitiated the Bristol/London based Rocket Recordings has been releasing psych infused outsider music since it’s unlikely inception in 1998. Crystallized, is a double LP of exclusive music from an eclectic mix of bands. Some are well established Rocket bands, some are good friends of Rocket and some of the bands you may not of heard of yet. The reason we have included a raft of new and fairly unknown bands is that we see this as a release that is not only celebrating the last 15 years but also celebrating the first steps of the next 15 years! The compilation opens with the analogue drones from Rocket’s Teeth of the Sea, who drop their trademark sound for an exploration in controlled noise. Following this perfect first track we have the (self proclaimed) ‘Aggro beat’ of Blood Sport, a relatively new band from Sheffield that to our ears sound like This Heat meets Blurt meets Hookworms. They have recorded a ‘live in the studio’ version of one of the stand out tracks from their recently released debut album.

Then comes another relatively new band, London’s Vision Fortune, who deliver a stunning but very different take on their repetitive drone pop. Side B starts with a looped, industrial, psych track from Salford’s kosmiche ravers Gnod. Following them is a track of high octane motorik from the relatively unknown Swedish band Uran. Staying in Sweden, we have the mighty Hills. They deliver a perfect slice of fuzz driven, commune psych rock! Side B finishes with a track that was meant to come out as a Rocket 7” back in 2001! Rollbars was a short lived project by Bristolian Latch Manghat that also featured the odd ‘Head’ or two. The mighty $hit & $hine dominates side C with an uncompromising track that sounds like The Necks covered by the Buttholes. Then friend and collaborator of Rocket - Cherrystones presents a minimal psych groove that calls to mind early Achim Reichel. Side D opens with our fave Italian band, The Lay Llamas – their track is a looping, spacey, afro, kraut groove that sounds very unique but strangely familiar. Following that is Goat who have recorded a short studio jam, which adds a hint of Cologne to their Swedish voodoo psych. Finally we have Anthroprophh, which is the new band featuring Paul Allen from The Heads, backed up with The fellow Bristolian’s The Big Naturals. Together they create a full on repetitive, psych-noise monster that climaxes in a wall of heavy fuzz...the perfect way to end this heady compilation!

Mastered by James Plotkin and artwork by the visual genius that is Luke Insect, this is a perfect glimpse into Rockets past, present and future.

Tracklist:

01/ Teeth Of The Sea - Run Red 02/ Blood Sport  - Dry Water (Redux)  03/ Vision Fortune  - Forgot How To Swim 04/ Gnod  - Holy Empire 05/ Uran  - Emp 06/ Hills  - National Drone 07/ Rollbars  - Short Fuse 08/ $Hit & $Hine  - Please Don’t Share 09/ Cherrystones - Cats Cradle 10/ The Lay Llamas  - African Spacecraft (2092 Ad: Lift-Off, Journey And Landing)  11/ Goat - Goat Jam 12/ Anthroprophh – Anthropomorphism