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Intelligent and truly innovative psychedelic music from Australia.

Released January 15, 2018. Purchase from: https://bmssrecords.bandcamp.com/album/unknownium 1. Unknownium 07:15 2. Squareish Sawtooth 06:58 3. Absent Presence 06:31 4. Greasy Roller 07:01 5. Four Sided Triangle 08:06 6. Blackholes 07:46 7. Someone Elses Memories 06:34 8. Randomness of Thought 07:10 My interest was piqued a few weeks ago when the top-quality psy DJ Boom Shankar (who's always impressed me when I've seen him live) announced that Psilocybian and one half of Lunar Dawn had completed a full-length LP to be released on his label BMSS Records. Yesterday's release by the duo who've adopted the name Unknownium was an instant purchase without even listening to a sample. I'm not inclined to do a track by track review. I've only had three full listens and not sure that's my style anyway. But this is a gem. I'd describe it as sitting loosely in the "morning full-on" genre, but what makes it stand out is how it carefully straddles the known patterns that make this style enjoyable and popular while bringing something fresh to the table. In today's world where a lot of music is released that falls under the very broad umbrella of "full on" and "morning full on" that are WAY TOO REPETITIVE AND LACKING UNIQUE SOUNDS, this stands out very quickly. It's a timeless style that is still a lot of fun for the dancefloor and even good for the mind when done well, but I've more or less given up on hunting new releases given how hard it is to find gems amongst the magnitude of shit that gets released. I know I probably miss some good stuff but I chase up tunes I hear at parties and trust a few labels to check them frequently, but I leave it at that rather than surf through rubbish frequently. This release does not fall in to that trap at all. The production is sharp, which is no surprise with Psilocybian involved, but it's the song-writing that stands out here. Words fail me in describing how these tracks progress. They tend to unfold fairly quickly, only one track cracks the 8min mark, but each stands out with a different approach to sequencing and flow. The 303 sound is prominent throughout but to varying degrees from track-to-track, which aligns with the fact that each track has a unique atmosphere. As much as I absolutely love the full power acid attack in tracks like "Squareish Sawtooth" I am glad it's just a supplement on other tracks to keep things interesting. An 8-track LP in this style with something like 8 different vibes is a rarity. The tracks are largely written in F or E minor, but span a very wide range of tempos from 125 - 148 bpm (!) so can find homes in a variety of DJ sets. My first listen had me a bit disappointed the goa influence from Lunar Dawn (and indeed Psilo's own dalliances with goa vibes) wasn't more prominent. I must have been tired or something because it's shone through more in my subsequent listens, something about each repeat listen has the music overpowering the bassline more each time. The tracks "Four Sided Triangle" and the more pumping 147bpm "Blackholes" lead the way in melodic goa vibes. But I think at this stage my pick of the album is "Someone Elses Memories". A unique and twisted track, suitably mixing headcase vibes, psychedelic layers and dancefloor sensibilities. I've only listened on headphones so far - while they are decent quality cans I am looking forward to putting this through my mixer and proper speakers some time tomorrow to hear the full soundscape a bit differently. If you're a goa purist with a genuine, wide-reaching disdain for the chunky basslines of modern psy this isn't for you. But if you have any kind of open mind and an interest in full on or goa this is well worth your time exploring. Best 8 euro I've spent in ages.