Rancho Relaxo – White Light Fever
Wrong Way is a new independent record label specialising in psychedelia, shoegaze, spacerock, leftfield and krautrock emerging from the depths of Cornwall. This will be the labels first release and emerges into the world on 5th February 2016.
Founded in 2003, Norway’s Rancho Relaxo are known for their talent to create compelling, absorbing sound that seduce from the beginning. For fans of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Spacemen 3, The Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine, you won’t go far wrong with this album, their seventh LP.
The 15 track offering is one of the longest albums to grace the market in some time and opens with ‘Strange Vibrations’, an enchanting number which ensnares with its clever use of drone and melody. When the vocals of guitarist Inge Kjetil Malmedal come into play it’s easy to realise we’ve hit upon something enjoyable. Moving swiftly yet ever so casually into ‘Who Married Jane Fonda’ which swirls and swooshes along with the best shoegaze can offer. The additional female vocals emphasise the overall theme and adds a heavy My Bloody Valentine vibe to the fray whilst keeping its own originality.
‘Stars’ offers a romantic edge with laden alluring lyrics and repetitive riffs that mutate gracefully before we move into ‘Who Says’; a track which almost teases at surf rock influences without pushing itself too far. This is a very simple, yet very effective track. ‘What You Want’ adds an acoustic guitar sound and continues with the bouncy surf rock elements.
A complete change of tact comes next with ‘I’m Crying’ which presents full organ sound and a heavy drum beat; throw in an electric guitar and some lyrics and you have quite a heady cocktail of sound – all executed to perfection. Probably the best track on the album, purely due to the overriding intensity which simmers throughout. Another fantastic track follows straight after in the form of ‘It’s All a Dream’, one of the shorter tracks with its blast at neo-psychedelia’s finest offering a sensational riff that captivates. ‘If You Want To’ continues the high energy theme and ‘Dead Space’ is a full frontal noise assault.
‘Clean Eyes’ mellows things out to begin with before pounding into full scale glory for six and a half fantastic minutes. The album develops and grows as it progresses and by the time we reach ‘Desert Talk’, we are back to dreamy shoegaze with an intriguing element of motorik drumming, prevalent within krautrock. The lengthy ‘Fake Human’ is the next to captivate with its repetition and jangle. The album is tied off with ‘Now It’s Dark’ and ‘White Light’, two tracks which compliment as they contrast, the first being short and snappy, the second an eight-minute instrumental piece which wouldn’t be out of place on the soundtrack for 2001: A Space Odyssey.
With Rancho Relaxo describing their music as “Neo-Psychedelic Zendom”, their highly versatile and distinctive sound paints as it breathes influences. The amalgamation of whirring guitar riffs, psychedelic clouds, reverb-drenched colours and drone-laden injections contrasts with addictive melodies that allows the listener to savour different palettes within the same record. Listening to this LP is like taking a walk through the history of psychedelia with all the various elements passed along the road.
White Light Fever will be released on 180 gram double vinyl and can be ordered here
Release Date 05/02/2016 (Wrong Way Records)
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Lover of all things psych and shoegaze and the mind behind Astral Elevator; constantly seeking new musical experiences in a world full of noise.
