Group Mind レコード& CD

Review: Lore Of The Land is a debut release from Order of the 12 and it was recorded under the castle in Lewes in East Sussex. It features the legendary Richard Norris on keyboards, drums and production and drawing on all his considerable know-how next to Rachel Thomas on vocals and Stuart Carter on guitars. The record pulls from Sussex folk music as well as plenty of hints of a love and respect for psych-folk acts such as Trees or Mellow Candle. It's a beautiful 10-track body of work that sounds both steeped in ancient mystery and full of fresh modern invention.

Review: Former Grid member and now ambient superstar Richard Norris delivers two new oracular divinations for his very own Group Mind label, the imprint formed in and after the COVID-19 lockdowns to help mindfully assuage the creeping anxieties of the age. A six-track 12" limited to just 30 copies - numbered and signed by the artist himself (move quick, hares) - these six tracks segue between dub and deep listening, fronting the bass and keeping percussive elements spread and panned. Best on the obverse is the A3, 'Mystery Dub', whose endlessly delayed stabs and cutoff conga samples well convey a vacuum-of-space vibe. The B-side moves into snake-charming dancehall territory, the punning, chordophonic 'Rockers Sci Fi' and the vocal blissout 'Stronger Together' being the ethereal highlights.