The Sun Or The Moon - Cosmic (2021)

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The Sun Or The Moon - Cosmic (2021)

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Although ‘The Sun or the Moon’ band (not to be confused with the UK punk band of the same similar name) have their feet planted well within an idiom that could be likened to that of a space-rock. Their sound is without a doubt far more wide-ranging than such a generalised title as ‘Space Rock affords, that is if their album ‘Cosmic’ is anything to go by. In a sense, the band themselves have recognised this fact by wittily bolting on the additional ‘Lounge Music’ moniker to their overall description.
The band, comprising of four extremely talented musicians from Frankfurt (in the Rhine-Main region in Germany), have created their own uniqueness of style with a variation of Space Rock the backbone of which is a series of powerful and complex bass riffs. Such fretboard movability creating a turbocharged droning however, whilst the music expels the sensations of space travel in terms of speed and direction it also acts as a solid platform allowing the other instruments to climb on board with their own exquisite contributions. Deft piano and spooky organ incursions with jagged guitar adding multitudes of melodic adornments and sound effects all so shrewdly assimilated into the final mix
From a music perspective, the album is literally packed with multitudes of entrancing, combinations of shuffling drum and bass lines that are so totally encaptivating that they draw you firmly into a tranquil inner hypnotic state. There seems to be, in parts, a definite nod towards the ‘Dub’ fraternity in the assembly of the driving and repetitious bass lines. There is certainly a clear melodious intent built into the structural make-up with nice flurries of piano and other keyboard interventions. Particularly interesting is the ‘Steely Dan’ flavoured ‘Twisted Kamasutra’ with its rasps of treated guitar, bossa nova beat and incredible bass lines and pretty cool vocals too. Another factor to be applauded is the range of musical diversity that has been injected into the project over the entire six tracks by these four adventurous and creative musicians.
In the ‘Tonzonen Records’ press release it is mentioned that they formed together in 2019 to achieve their harmonious ideals as inspired by 70s Kraut and Psychedelic Rock, this dream, as such, has been more than exceeded with such harmonic excursions expanding seamlessly into other musical inspirational territories.
Summary: A group of extraordinarily talented musicians melding together their various skills and in the process creating a classic album for the future, superb musicianship, wonderful compositions and interesting arrangements giving a special modern twist to ‘Space Rock’ with everything between monotonous Kraut, relaxed Psychedelic electronic, ambient and overflowing Acid Rock chucked in the mix

by Geoff Penn, progplanet.com