MOON DUO - Mazes

Moon Duo is the project of that psychedelic head Ripley Johnson and his partner Sanae Yamada, hatched in San Francisco in 2009. For anyone still unfamiliar with Ripley Johnson's name, suffice it to say he's the "pack leader" of Wooden Shjips. And for those who don't know Wooden Shjips – which is no good thing – they're one of the best space-acid-mushroom bands to come out of Frisco in recent years.

In 2010, Moon Duo released their first 4-track maxi "Escape", along with an untold number of tracks scattered across various compilations and EPs. As soon as the record starts spinning, a landscape takes shape through drum loops, the shadowy hypnotism of the guitars, swirling sonic vortexes, and a voice that seems to rise straight out of some subterranean subconscious. Just listen to "Motorcycle, I Love You" to get the idea.

Well, here we are talking about their true debut album, "Mazes", and given the meaning of the title and with "Escape" still ringing in our ears, you'd expect a similarly hypnotic, shadowy journey, albeit with that psychedelic delicacy that can cast light even on the darkest of nights. But after the first few seconds… boom!

Ripley and Sanae have cooked up something far better suited to the season. "Seer" and "Mazes", which open the dance, are two luminous, sun-kissed gems. The ingredients haven't changed: still at the controls, Sanae lays down that sonic carpet on which the guitars and voice settle so gently. What changes above all is the color of the result: an energetic, radiant album ("Run Around") brimming with melodies that always seem to have been hidden inside us ("When You Cut"), and flashes of metallic rides among coyotes and cacti ("Fallout") that smell of summer. Finally, "In The Sun" and "Goners" dust off the spiralling atmospheres of "Escape": a sonic tunnel that makes you trip out like space dust.

"Mazes" is definitely a maze to get lost in this summer. No need for a car, no need for gas. Just a pair of dark sunglasses, and the landscape will start moving on its own.

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22/04/2011