Algarnas Tradgard - Delayed (Reissue) (1974/2001)

ÄLGARNAS TRÄDGÅRD are a seminal, 6-piece Swedish combo who made one album in 1972, a cult classic and masterpiece of psychedelia that could have come straight out of the 'Kraut' school of Space Rock. After the release of their album, they kept on playing live for a while, even recording a full album's worth of new material in 1973-74. But it wasn't until 2001 that this material was mixed and released, on a cd entitled "Delayed".

Their 1972 classic, "Framtiden ar ett Svavande Skepp, Forankrat I Forntiden", is a veritable testimony to the halcyon days of hippiedom - a time when grown men, like children playing with forbidden colours, were popping hallucinogenic bonbons and experimenting with psychedelic sounds in their quest for mind-expanding adventures and altered states of consciousness. However, ÄLGARNAS TRÄDGÅRD's music never lapses into drugged-out silliness or aimless noodling. It ranges from earnest, to Medieval, to completely creepy - a sort of 'RIO meets folk'. They concoct some earthly (and unearthly) sounds using a combination of traditional, modern rock instruments and ethnic/archaic ones, the result being a spectacular blend of slow-smoking psychedelia with a strong vernacular Swedish folk bent. Their guitar-based, trance-like music is reminiscent of ASH RA TEMPEL; it also shares GONG's organic mayhem and the hypnotic qualities of early TANGERINE DREAM. If you can imagine a Nordic version of AMON DÜÜL II or ASH RA TEMPEL, you'll have a pretty good idea of what they sound like. The 2001 cd "Delayed", which makes heavier use of drums and guitars, is yet another marvellously atmospheric and creative mixture of prog and psychedelia.

Highly recommended for Krautrock aficionados as well as for fans of CAN and PINK FLOYD, circa "Ummagumma".