Status: Single
Country: UK
Signup Date: 7/14/2006
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Thursday, May 14, 2009
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Current mood:  blissful
Category: Music
The first one.......
SENDELICA – THE GIRL FROM THE FUTURE WHO LIT UP THE SKY WITH GOLDEN WORDS For their latest release, Sendelica moved over to America, hooked with drummer Geoff Chase, electronics wizard Vizzie , and recorded the basic tracks at Brown University, Providence, Rhodes Island. This change of scene has done the band the world of good, as there is a vitality and creative spark crackling throughout this album. After the heavy Hawkwind dynamics of “Standing on the Edge”, its energy levels allowing the band to blow cobwebs from hair, the musicians become more serious as the twelve minute “Manhole of the Universe” allows guitarist Pete Bingham to travel the lengths of his fretboard with abandon, proving once again what a fine player he is, his solos becoming more masterful with each release, the words tasteful and restraint becoming part of his repertoire as he searches for that perfect run. Of course, the understated yet precise bass playing of Glenda Pescado, are equally important to the sound, whilst the solid drumming and atmospherics provided by the new musicians should not be overlooked, the freewheeling music spiralling to the stars with twinkling ease. As the song melts into a mesmerising, bliss-filled middle section, I begin to realise that this is how I always wanted the Porcupine Tree to sound, although they chose a different path after their very early tapes and good luck to them. Seemingly bathed in sunshine, “Hazelnut”, begins in extremely lazy fashion the sounds washing over you with warmth and grace before finally taking off with an extended wah-soaked solo that glides above summer meadows finally descending by a sun-lit river. There is no time to rest however, as the funky opening riff of “Dark Disko” gets your feet a-tappin’, the rest of the band getting into the groove dancing through the sacred grove until a mean and dirty guitar explodes out of the speaker lifting the track into another dimension. Beautifully produced, the title track arrives in waves of sonic bliss, the sounds melting into your head with mellow sweetness. This is music to lie back and enjoy, late-night or on sunny days, the whole track a delicious star-flecked dream. Breaking the mood with a heavy space-rock riff “Glory Bee” allows the band to rock out a little and make some righteous noise, the song finally spiralling downwards to become “Several Species of Furry Humans Gathered Together in a Cave Grooving Like Groovy Picts”, a familiar title that hold several clues the nature of the piece, a Floydian workout that slowly builds into a screaming wall of psychedelic noise, ending this rather magnificent album in style. This is definitely the finest thing the band have released, imaginative, crisp, free flowing and with a warm production, I heartily recommend it to all lovers of space/psychedelic rock music. (Simon Lewis) Ptolmaic Terrascope
http://www.terrascope.co.uk/Reviews/Reviews_May09.htm#SendelicaAND THE REST.............Sendelica: The Girl From The Future Who Lit Up The Sky With Golden Worlds
The instrumental outfit from Wales Sendelica returns with a fabulous collection of seven face melting jams on their brand new offering for RAIG called The Girl From The Future Who Lit Up The Sky With Golden Worlds. For this new disc the two principal members, Pete Bingham (guitars, electronics) and Glenda Pescado (bass) have enlisted two Boston area musicians Geoff Chase (drums) and Ed Guild (electronics) to join them on their lengthy, astral excursions.
Kicking off with a brief snippet of sampled, ethic tinged female vocals "Standing On The Edge" quickly shifts into overdrive as Bingham slashes out a mammoth swath of thick power chords, as bursts of psychedelic sounding electronics swirl around his extended solos. His guitar lets out an extended run of feedback at the tail end of the track before seamlessly segueing directly into the metallic, twelve minute crunch of "Manhole Of The Universe". Bingham tears off solo after solo until the half way point of the song, at which point it settles down into more of a mellower, deeply hypnotic groove, reminiscent of early Pink Floyd. The final minutes of this barnburner find Pete cranking up the volume once again as Pescado and Chase hold down the bombastic bottom end.
Sendelica are a band that isn't afraid to stretch out musically, and more importantly they're willing to take whatever time they need to let their compositions flow and build gradually, and this is a big reason why their music works so well. Sometimes bands that play this particular brand of psych / stoner rock, often lose the plot somewhere along the way and their jam sessions end up sounding like noodling sessions devoid of any kind of direction. The Girl From The Future Who Lit Up The Sky With Golden Worlds (this is quite a mouthful isn't it?) sounds remarkably cohesive, like the purpose of each one of these seven tracks was to make up one, extended multi-faceted composition. It's also a great way to keep you firmly engaged and in one place for the better part of an hour.
The title track is probably the most laid back and atmospheric song on this disc as delicate, distant vocal samples of children playing serve as a backdrop for some dreamy guitar and electronic textures. "Glory Bee" sees them returning to the muscular jams as Bingham pours on the layered, fuzzy distortion. The album concludes with their most ambitious number, "Several Species Of Furry Humans Gathered Together In A Cave Grooving Like Groovy Picts". The title is an obvious play on Pink Floyd's avant-garde composition "Several Species of Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave and Grooving With A Pict". This is pretty much where the resemblance ends though, as the PF piece was largely built around a variety of weird, experimental sounds. Sendelica's track is a driving, epic tour de force propelled by a repetitive, murky bass line, layer upon layer of psychedelic guitar fuzz, and some brilliant free jazz sax excursions courtesy of guest musician Lee Relfe.
Sendelica have truly outdone themselves this time around with The Girl From The Future Who Lit Up The Sky With Golden Worlds. I have to say that as good as their last album Spaceman Bubblegum And Other Weird Tales From The Mercury Mind was (that was a four star album in my review) that this album is definitely executed to perfection. The music is absolutely compelling from beginning to end, as they shift gears from heavy all out guitar oriented jams to spacey, introspective, ambient passages, with relative ease. Take an hour for yourself and plug yourself directly into this masterpiece immediately. We're only at the halfway point of the year but Sendelica have definitely delivered a serious top ten contender for this writer's 'best of 2009' list.
Track Listing
1) Standing On The Edge
2) Manhole Of The Universe
3) Hazelnut
4) Dark Disko
5) The Girl From The Future
6) Glory Bee
7) Several Species Of Furry Humans Gathered Together In A Cave Grooving Like Groovy Picts
Added: June 7th 2009
Reviewer: Ryan Sparks
Score: *****
Related Link: R.A.I.G.
Hits: 79
Language: english
http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=7884
Sendelica: The Girl from The future that Lit Up the sky with Golden Worlds (Raig Records)
Recorded in Rhode Island, USA, overdubbed in their Welsh base of operations and released on a Russian label, Sendelicas instrumental Spacerock is exceedingly well travelled even before it blasts off into a mind-bending Psycedelic head-trip. Built around the insistent guitar and bass of mainstays Pete Bingham and former Wystic Manker (house band of the free festivals' Tibetan Ukranian Mountain Troupe travelling circus) Glenda Pescado, Sendelica have already earned themselves a reputation for inventively constructed, elongated riffs sprinkled with electronic effects.
'It's a NEU! Thing', declared a track from one of their earlier offerings (the equally quirkily named Spaceman Bubblegum and Other Weird Tales From the Mercury Mind), acknowledging their dues to Krautrock. They also pull in a touch of Pink floyd here, something of The Orb there, and yet are certainly not averse to a bit of experimental noise.
Often excitingly fee-form, witness the deliberately ragged conglomeration of' ' Humans Gathered Together In a cave Grooving Like Picts', they're also as tight as hell when they need to be. From the basic rythmn comes the extended groove, It's Sendelicas ability to interpret and elaborate on that groove that marks them out.
Ian Abrahams R2 (Rock n Reel) July/August Issue
SENDELICA – girl from the future who lit up the sky with golden worlds
(CD, r.a.i.g.)
Stoner rock is all about riffage, and a little dope and psychedelia, all of which – in the best case - combines to a burning mix of nostalgia, long hair and fuzz. Ever since we at Cracked declared the “Death of Stoner Rock” a few years back, the genre has brought up a nice record every once in a while, that made us eat our words. The Tunnel, Beta Satan, Hermano or All the islands come to mind, but that is already stretching the definition of Stoner Rock pretty far. Barely able to spout “the exception that underlines the rule” because maybe it is all about us not caring anymore, therefore listening to less Stoner Rock, which again results in a bigger flash of nostalgia and therefore friendlier judgement. Who can tell? Fortunately, this is not about music journalism or any kind of objective writing, but merely catering to our own needs, tastes and obsessions. Therefore we don’t care and neither should you.
Music is more important matters anyway. Sendelica stand out from the crowd. Not only because they are the first band on RAIG not from the east/north that I remember top20of my mind. Not only because they have great record titles (see above) and likewise great songtitles (“Manhole of the universe” or “Dark Disko”). Especially I think in this one they describes themselves very well: “Several species of furry humans gathered together in a cave grooving like groov picts”. But mostly because they play instrumental stoner rock without getting boring. Which in itself is a feat of epic notoriety. They throw in a slowly rumbling track or two of psychedelia with rambling saxophone and spherical sounds of swooshing waves in between, but at least two thirds of the tracks on here pay praise to the almighty riff.
Right from the beginning they make it clear that the eternal bass riff going do-do-do-dee-do do-do do-dee-do is at centre of focus here. They add a lot of psychedelia and the best of Jimi Hendrix’ sensitive side into what otherwise could be guitar noodling, if it didn’t fit so well. It is like bananas and choclate – you need to know how to mix them to make them taste really well, even if the two basic products just squished together is also good enough at times. Sendelica offer a right nice banana split coup, if you catch my drift. Hm, I am getting a special taste here.
Back from the kitchen, not finding any bananas or chocolates and having stilled the appetite with a handful of crackers and a glass of water, I start to think about Black Sabbath and John Coltrane, because there is some of both in Sendelica. This is probably taking it way too far, but I am hungry and the crackers didn’t do any good. (At first I was thinking about the sex-side of stoner rock, what with all the pictures and paintings of sexy sixties girls, but I guess that is about it. Limpness is a curse, but smoking pot all day doesn’t help the male stamina, they say.) Tommi Iommi was the master of the clean cut, heavy riff, that you listened to and knew, this is the only way to play it. Sharp and straight and to the core of the evil heart. Coltrane on the other hand was the master of liberty, taking any route at any time and still being able to let his music float freely, yet provides a stable basis. Most of the time he was so far away, only Elvin Jones was able to follow. That is quite true, but saying that Sendelica is somewhere between those two poles and contains some of both is a bland truism, because that is true for 99.5 percent of all bands on this earth. But you get a picture of how far the mind is able to stray with a dose of Sendelica in it.
Maybe, with all the prog- and fusion craze about the happen in a short while – with some of the best of that on the same label - and the new retro of long songstructures and meandering dynamics in songs, stoner rock will also have its own small revival and Sendelica is able to light up the sky with a few golden bass riffs as well.
Momochrome
http://www.monochrom.at/cracked/reviews/Rev%20sendelica.htm
|  | | | | Sendelica: Girl From The Future Who Lit Up The Sky With Golden Worlds | RAIG (R039)
 Recorded mostly in the USA with the aid of local musicians, Girl From The Future Who Lit Up The Sky With Golden Worlds is to my understanding the second official CD release by Sendelica from Wales, but there are also several limited CD-R releases out by the band. The new album is the best that I have heard so far and will for sure please many friends of psychedelic rock. The band is also influenced by dub and electronic music. The almost completely instrumental music is largely jam-based, but especially on this album there seems to be a few more composed numbers as well.
The album starts off with the heavy and slow instrumental ”Standing On The Edge” that reminds me a bit of Acid Mothers Temple minus the cacophonic guitar torture. Another quite slowly moving track is the nicely jamming, 12-minute long ”Manhole of The Universe” that has plenty of great guitar soloing and also some manipulated human voice. “Hazelnut” is a peaceful and beautiful instrumental that also includes some AMT styled space sounds. The track starts to rock harder towards the end. The somehow Steve Hillage styled “Dark Disco” comes next and then it’s time for the pretty cosmic and hallucinatory ambient piece called ”The Girl From The Future”. The hypnotic, pretty heavy “Glory Bee” rocks in a spacey way again and the album’s last, long track called ”Several Species Of Furry Humans Gathered Together In A Cave Grooving Like Groovy Picts” is a floating and psychedelic jam that borrows the “Iron Man” riff and includes also for example saxophone and occasionally gets quite cacophonic. This is altogether a really nice album that you should get if you like free-form, jam spirited psychedelic and spacey rock! 100 copies of the CD come with a DVD but unfortunately my copy doesn’t so I can’t say more about that.
www.myspace.com/sendelicapsyche | 14.08.09 by Dj Astro
Psychotropic Zone, Finland
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The Welsh language is known to have some really long words. Maybe this explains why Sendelica from Wales are into long album titles. After Spaceman Bubblegum And Other Weird Tales From The Mercury Mind from 2007, the quartet is back with The Girl From The Future Who Lit Up The Sky With Golden Worlds, an album that doesn’t essentially change their recipe. Starting with the three minute short Standing On The Edge, you might get the impression that Sendelica are into classical psyche rock, but the following Manhole Of The Universe displays for twelve whole minutes that improvisation is still the main force behind their music. Inspired by very early Pink Floyd and Hawkwind, the band conjures a freewheeling psychedelic sound which is based on the typical power trio instrumentation of guitar, bass and drums, and then spice it up with a whole lot of electronics that add a wobbling atmosphere with the aim to abduct their audience into an acid drenched multicoloured wonderland. Strangely enough, this works better towards the end of the album. The short opener is followed by three long-tracks that are all nice to listen to, but somehow lack direction. The three last songs jack up the quality level incredibly. The Girl From The Future is an introspective five minute stroll, followed by the concise rocker Glory Bee with a mighty power riff that carries the song over the finish line. The album ends with the epically titled Several Species Of Furry Humans Gathered Together In A Cave Grooving Like Groovy Picts, a fourteen minute psychedelic journey that starts out quietly enough, builds up momentum and erupts eventually into a kaleidoscopic crescendo. Especially the featured saxophone adds another, jazzier dimension to the mix. Fans of improvised psychedelic rock with a definite penchant for jam sessions should check out The Girl From The Future…, although everyone into Seventies revivalism might get something out of this obscure Welsh band signed on a Russian label. A limited edition comes with Sendelica’s cyber-trash documentary SleepWalker Fever that shows the band from a more experimental side.
http://www.disagreement.net/
Sendelica "The Girl from the Future Who Lit Up the Sky With Golden Worlds" (RAIG R039)
 Как-то раз один музыкальный журналист сказал мне, что альбомы с длинными названиями плохо продаются. На самом деле это конечно всего лишь стереотип, так как я могу сразу же назвать несколько примеров, опровергающих данный тезис. Но что совершенно точно, так это то, что такие названия безусловно привлекают внимание. По крайней мере мое. Сразу хочется узнать, а что же за музыка скрывается за ним. После прослушивания этого альбома мне сразу стало понятно, что определенная часть аудитории совершенно точно вряд ли поймет, о чем это вообще и зачем. А другая часть, особенно та, которая пишет в разных журналах, скорее всего не заметит самого главного в силу своей слабой музыкальной эрудиции. А на мой взгляд главная фишка альбома в том, что он построен на аллюзиях и цитатах из старого тяжелого спэйс и психодел рока. Причем построен настолько умело, что не возникает ощущения плагиата. А это дорогого стоит. Тем более очевидно, что это сделано абсолютно намеренно, скорее как дань уважения. К этому альбому совершенно точно не надо подходить излишне серьезно (к музыке вообще не надо так подходить, если только это не академический опус), иначе можно упустить множество приколов и забавных моментов, причем зачастую в сочетании названия трэка и музыки. Я не буду совсем подробно останавливаться на перечеслении всех цитат, но отмечу особо понравившиеся.
"Time We Left This World Today" хочется напеть с первых же риффов первого трэка, название которого идентично названию другого трэка группы Хоквинд - "Standing on the Edge". Второй трэк называется "Manhole of the Universe", знатоки творчества Hawkwind сразу поймут на что это намек, но музыка тут уже скорее опирается на Black Sabbath, чем на Хоквинд. Третий трэк начинается как классическая спэйс рок ода с "чистыми" гитарами и мягкими синтезаторными пассажами, который постепенно переходит к аллюзиям на Пинк Флойд и через блюзовую психоделию возвращается к раннему Хоквинд. Четвертый трэк "Dark Disco" начинается с вариации основного риффа одного из хитов Хоквинд "Psychedelic Warlords" и представляет собой некое попурри. Далее можно услышать отголоски различных других музыкальных импровизаций этой группы (послушайте и отгадайте каких). Но при этом все это сделано настолько аккуратно, что в общем-то слушается как свое цельное произведение, чем по сути и является. Одна из лучших композиций на альбоме. Пятый трэк представляет собой эмбиэнтное полотно из гитар и синтезаторов, очень приятная музыка. Шестая композиция "Glory Bee" начинается тоже с довольно известных в спэйс роке риффов, а продолжается характерными гитарными лидами и запилами, не буду раскрывать, откуда цитаты я тут слышу, но трэк явно удался. Последний трэк с очень длинным названием, в котором группа откровенно прикалывается над композицией известной английской группы, являет собой эпик построенный на риффах Блэк Саббат, но с абсолютно психоделической атмосферой и неторопливой эмбиэнтно-tribal структурой. К концу появляется классическая безумная саксофонная импровизация в стиле Ника Тернера, которая венчает трэк и альбом.
Что меня очень радует в этом альбоме - это отсутствие самолюбования, так присущего многим инструментальным группам, а также то, что композиции никогда не уходят в бесконечные бесструктурные психоделические импровизации. Все сделано ровно настолько, чтобы создать нужную атмосферу и возможно немного ностальгии
http://ac-2012.livejournal.com
 Sendelica - "The Girl From the Future Who Lit Up the Sky With Golden Worlds"
(R.A.I.G. R-039 2009)
From Aural Innovations July 2009 update Recorded in the U.S. and Wales, on a Russian label, Sendelica is at times standard but still pretty cool space-rock, sometimes with a heavy/stoney vibe, at others with a more dreamy sound, always quite spacious. The intro-cut, "Standing On the Edge", sounds like Monster Magnet playing Hawkwind or Sabbath. "Manhole Of the Universe" rambles on for about 12 minutes, starting out like a kind of slow bluesy boogie, the lead guitar going off with some tasty wah-pickery, some other effect going "woooooooo"... then later segueing into a more mellow segment with clean guitar and spaced out keys backing things up. Pretty nice. Then it launches back into the heavy part again. I'm liking "Hazelnut"... the opening guitar melody is kind of a mellow Hendrix-y style, a very soulful space-rock ballad. The pleasant bleeps, blurps and whooshes of the synth are low in the mix. The guitars: not so much! As by now they've kicked in to full flange/wah mode to close out what's become a quite exhilarating jam. "Dark Disco"... they keep switching directions with this jam. Well, about as fast as a stoned-out psyche band of this nature is able... it almost sounds like a medley. Some of the riffs are pretty familiar. A decent tune, but a bit plodding. The five-minute title-track is a beautiful dream of serenity, a gorgeous sound of shimmery keys and weepy guitars, think maybe Spacious Mind at their utmost melodious spaciousness. "Glory Bee" - the riffs are pretty recycled, but the guitar sound is such a cosmic heavy grunginess that they pull it off. The closing piece jams for 14 minutes on the "Iron Man" riff, but it's spiced up with plenty of space debris in the form of hand-percussives, flute, sax and various freaky whoosh-fx. I was tempted to say that this was over-extended, but listening again realize that they really did need to build this long to reach the intense crescendo that's achieved... or maybe it's the climax itself that's too long. Too, they could have used a less familiar riff than the ever-lurking Sabbath standard. Aw, fuck it - this is an orgasmically noisy space-rock trip, so let it ride! For more information you can visit the Sendelica web site at: http://www.myspace.com/sendelicapsyche
 This is the second space/psych-rock release from this Welsh group. This time they went to the USA to record it with the help of musicians there. The album sounds like one continuous track, fuzzy sounding, spaced out and stoned; a real good trip for those seeking it. It may be hard to tell apart the different tracks but in overall, this is pleasant to listen to and certainly relaxing. While I was a bit afraid of hearing too much of jams and perhaps boring music (to my ears that is), I was actually pleasantly surprised, that while bearing the marks of their previous release, this one does a good job at keeping things interesting, groovy and entertaining, while not abandoning the stoner and psychedelic elements of the music. A track like Hazelnut for instance starts in a mellow fashion and builds up slowly in a repetitive manner and what can be termed, a “standard” psychedelic rock fashion with a fuzzy and crunchy sound. There is nothing too innovative about it and nothing too impressive, though it’s fun to listen to. But nothing that makes me want in particular to come back to listen to, unless I’m in the mood. Since variation in the music and in songs is something I appreciate, I also feared not to find it here. But in their own way, they do incorporate it into their music. The lengthy Manhole of the Universe for instance, presents a multi-part structure ranging from heavy stoned repetition to a nice and short melodic part to a laid back and slow ethereal section well suited to day dream to. There is also variation in the form of a breakout from their usual mold and style. Such is the case with the disco-theme in Dark Disko and the slow and more pensive track The Girl From The Future. A track like Glory Bee also presents a more direct and simplistic rock approach, with a nice blurred sounding guitar paving the way with cool effects enveloping it, creating a vast wall of sound and a warm hazy feeling. My “issue” with Sendelica in the end is that I’m not sure I can tell apart their albums from each other, apart from the standout tracks that break the form of their style and that is exactly my point. A band can choose to stick with whatever they like and that’s great. If going for a generic psychedelic/stoner/space rock sound is enough for them, and people like it, that’s great. I enjoy listening to it, but this is not enough an “ear-grabber” for me to make me want to come back to these albums. If it’s a psych-rock album I want to listen to, I have other options. What I personally would love to hear Sendelica do is take the roots of their sound, their psych/stoner foundation and twist it, make a sound of their own, make something memorable, and not just another album that reminds me of the former. And the way to go, can start with two of the tracks present here on this album: Dark Disko and Manhole of the Universe. The former presents a new approach, a new way to exhibit their sound. The latter shows them taking their current sound and introducing an added complexity parameter into it, thus making it more interesting and intriguing to listen to. These two are good starting point to build on. One can think of other ways to formulate their sound differently or present it in another appealing manner. These two can be expanded more and developed further to reach a fresh style for them. That is if they’re interested. But I hear in this release that they are already progressing in this sense. That they are in fact looking for new ways to express themselves and to create more varied and unique style of music. Creativity will determine if I’ll like their next album or not.
(Sonic Frontiers)
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By Faust
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Tuesday, October 28, 2008
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Current mood: blissful
SENDELICA REVIEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD…….Sendelica: Spaceman Bubblegum And Other Weird Tales From The Mercury MindThe disc starts off with the languidly mellow, mood setting sounds of "Sunfazed" which after four minutes segues into the muscular and driving force that is "Spaceman Bubblegum 2, a track which features a heaping serving of Bingham's inventive and torrid guitar work. "It's a Neu! Thing" like its title suggests, is an indirect tribute to the legendary Kraut rockers, featuring an airtight rhythmic workout between Pescado and Fields underneath a plethora of electronic sounds and triggered effects. "Siren-The Second Coming" starts of with a groove reminiscent of "Sunfazed" before Bingham's inspired soloing once again takes center stage for well over five minutes. By this point just over thirty minutes have elapsed, which gives the listener a pretty good idea of what Sendelica are all about, that is until they totally blow your mind with the absolute guitar tour de force on "Indrid Cold". Check out the crazy solo's Bingham tosses out on this twelve minute epic, not to mention Pescado's thick and rubbery bass lines and the busy work of Fields behind the kit. This is hands down the best track on the disc. "Mr. Floyd Walker", originally released on an earlier EP, is a minimal ambient piece of music which sounds a bit out of place compared to the frenetic pace of the first five tracks. Likewise the albums final number "Dawn Of The Dub Revisited", a song of the band's first album, is another gentle, floating and radiating track. I actually liked that they included these two tracks at the end, even though they didn't necessarily fit in completely with the rest of the disc. There you have it, another magical release and certainly one worthy of your attention, from the folks over at the Russian label R.A.I.G. If these guys keep finding talent like Sendelica, Vespero and Ahkmed they're certainly going to turn more than a few heads in the international music scene. Track Listing
1) Sunfazed
2) Spaceman Bubblegum 2
3) It's a Neu! Thing
4) Siren –The Second Coming
5) Indrid Cold
6) Mr. Floyd Walker
7) Dawn Of The Dub Revisited
Added: November 22nd 2007
Reviewer: Ryan Sparks
SEA OF TRANQUILITY, USA STARS **** http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=5903 **************************************************************************************** SENDELICA – SPACEMAN BUBBLEGUM AND OTHER WEIRD TALES FROM THE MERCURY MIND(CD from RAIG Hailing from Wales and released on a Russian label, Sendelica are a classic three-piece band, centred on the guitar prowess of Pete Bingham. Filled with electronic effects, opening track "Sunfazed" reveals itself to be a lazy slice of space rock grooving, the guitar flowing wonderfully above the rhythm section (Glenda Pescado-Bass, Paul Fields-Drums), creating a dream laden atmosphere that remains for the rest of the album. Merging beautifully with the opener "Spaceman Bubblegum2" sees the band pick up the pace, strap themselves in and head off for inner space, the music drawing comparison with Sundial, or The Spacious Mind, the guitar doing it's best to disintegrate you mind. Completely instrumental, it is a credit to the band that they manage to hold the listeners interest for the duration of the record, creating different moods and textures, whilst allowing the album to flow as if one long piece. Third track "It's A Neu Thing", is a good example of this inventiveness, the effects being applied to bass and drums, as well as the guitar, giving the song a very psychedelic feel, with the drums sounding particularly weird. Soon, however, the band push the song into overdrive, swooping and diving and sounding very much like early Hawkwind, as they fly through the universe, grinning with joy. Opening in a mellower state of mind "Siren The Second Coming", is warm and cerebral, the band using its looseness as a strength, reminiscent of those early Bevis pieces, enjoyment evident in every note. Possibly my favourite track is the magnificent "Indrid Cold", twelve minutes of guitar heaven, Pete Bingham laying the universe to waste as he romps across the fretboard, a solid and inspired rhythm section providing a perfect platform for the sonic wizardry that soars overhead. Here everything comes together, the song demonstrating everything that is good about the band, playful, spacey and able to rock out with the best of them. As we approach the end of the album, the band find the stillness at the heart of the universe, slowing things down on the elegant "Mr Floyd Walker", awash with drifting ambience and light, before "Dawn Of The Dub Revisited" allows us to finally touch down, filled with bliss, smiling and enchanted. (Simon Lewis-PTOLEMAIC TERRASCOPE). www.myspace.com/raigmusic) *************************************************************** Welsh psyche/space rockers Sendelica storm the asteroid belt with this blazing follow-up to their inaugural disc earlier this year, Entering the Rainbow Light. Pete Bingham (guitar, electronics), Glenda Pescado (bass) and Paul Fields (drums), along with producer Colin Awen ..boards, unleash a full metal jacket of psychedelic madness on the seven tracks that comprise Spaceman Bubblegum. The group's arsenal of sound is quite impressive: the hypnotic pulse of Can, the impressionistic atmospherics of Pink Floyd, the motorized proto-punk of Neu, the space patrolling guitar pyrotechnics of Hendrix and the otherworldly ambiences of The Orb. All of this and more pervades virtually every track on Spaceman Bubblegum. "Sunfazed," the album's opening cut, melds early psychedelic Floyd with a mesmeric ostinato guitar/bass pattern that slowly spirals out into the ether before rocketing straight into "Spaceman Bubblegum 2," a soaring track with some mind warping lead guitar that recalls the glory days of Manuel Gottsching in the original incarnation of Ash Ra Tempel. "It's a Neu! Thing," while well-intentioned in its unabashed homage to Rother and Dinger, is simply too repetitive and much too long to sustain interest. The group never quite breaks away from the rhythmic inertia that propels the song. But the cosmic jamming of "Siren" and "Indrid Cold" more than makes up for this temporary faux pas. Both tracks burn and smoke with the fires of a star going supernova. Bingham's acid guitar attack is especially coruscating, leading the way through the dustlanes of some imaginary nebula at the heart of the galaxy. The album's finale "Dawn of the Dub revisited" is pretty much what you'd expect and is, consequently, a minor letdown. But even here, the insistent bass line and swarms of synthesizer pads are enough to justify its inclusion. Their excesses aren't yet fully tamed, but the enthusiasm and commitment is there. From Aural Innovations 38 (Jan 2008) USA ******************************************************************************************SENDELICA/GRANT Et album fylt med psykedelisk galskap, og en verdig oppfølger til debuten ” Entering The Rainbow Light”. Syv spor med psykedelia-dub-rock hvor proto-punk attityden til Neu forenes med Can sine hypnotiserende rytmer og ytterlige friskes opp av tidlige Pink Floydliknende atmosfæriske landskap, the Orb sin ambiens og tidlige Black Sabbath riffing. I sum en ganske fyldig og fascinerende musikalsk cocktail som bandet fra Cardigan i den sørlige delen av Wales forretter på skiva med det lange navnet. Totalt instrumental er albumet, og for å holde på lytteren kreves det oppfinnsomhet og interessante musikalske lerreter i en jevn strøm. Denne sårt tiltrengte kreativiteten finner vi for eksempel på ”It..s A Neu Thing”. Bass, trommer og gitarer skaper en psykedelisk ramme i åpningen, og spesielt trommingen er herlig sprøtt legert. Ganske fort blir eventuelle fartssperrer effektivt fjernet, og låten slingrer i vei som et løpsk romskip. Ut i verdensrommet bærer det i et modus som ikke er fjernt fra tidlige Hawkwind, og hele tiden fylt med spilleglede og pur lykke. Selve skiva er spilt inn på bare en dag etter hva vi kan forstå, og det er kanskje en viktig årsak til den er blitt såpass varm, sjarmerende og tilgjengelig. Det fryktede kaos uteblir, og v iser at tross løse rammer har Sendlica god kontroll som viser at de er dyktige musikere. I sentrum er ofte Pete Bingham sine gitarer, og ypperlig understøttet, og diverse meget vel anrettede elektroniske krumspring som skaper variasjon og dynamikk. 12 minutter lange ”Indrid Cold” er et himmelrike for alle gitarelskere! En svært leken låt full av finesse, og med både heftig rock og spacerock. Mot slutten av albumet får vi den sofistikert ”Mr. Floyd Walker” som roer ned stemningen med sine slentrende ambiente legering. Det synes som om Sendelica har en tilnærmet utømmelig kilde av ideer som de smidig porsjonerer ut i de enkelte låtene. Det kan også virke som de tre musikerne har et solid eierskap til de nevnte, og derved klarer å sette de ut i praksis på en optimal måte. Dette speiler seg ved at alle syv låtene sitter svært godt, og er alt annet enn navlebeskuende friforms musikk. Tvert imot så leverer bandet en grådig bra plate som er både heftig og begeistret (Merlin Prog-Norway) And for those not up on their Norwegian… An album filled with Psychedelic madness, and a worthy sequel to the debut album "Entering The Rainbow Light". Seven tracks of psykedelia-dub-rock where the proto-punk Attityd of Neu and the Can hypnotize their rhythms and additional fresh out of the early Pink Floyd Similar atmospheric landscape, the Orb's Ambien and early Black Sabbath riffing. Overall a very rich and fascinating musical cocktail that band from Cardigan in the southern part of Wales starters on CD with the long name. Overall the album is instrumental, and to keep the listener requires ingenuity and interesting musical canvas in a steady stream. This much-needed creativity, we find, for example, on "It.. s A Neu Thing ". Bass, drums and guitars to create a Psychedelic frame in the opening, and particularly Drumming is wonderful crazy alloy. Pretty soon, any trading blocks effectively removed, and the track wobble in the way that a wild spaceship. Out in space carries it in a mode that is not shielded from the early Hawk Wind, and all the time filled with the joy of playing, and pure h appiness. The CD is recorded on only one day after what we can understand, and it is perhaps an important reason for it has been so warm, charming and accessible. It feared chaos uteblir, and shows that despite solving frameworks have Sendlica control showing that they are talented musicians. In the center is often Pete Bingham their guitars, and excellent supported, diverse and very well serve electronic twists that create variation and dynamics. 12 minute long "Indrid Cold" is a heaven-rich for all guitar lovers! A very playful song is full of finesse, and with the fiery rock and space rock. Towards the end of the album we get the sophisticated "Mr. Floyd Walker "calm down as the mood with its gently ambiente alloy It seems that Sendelica have a virtually inexhaustible sources of the source of ideas as they smooth porsjonerer out in the individual songs. It may also seem that the three musicians have a strong ownership of the above, and thus able to put those into practice in an optimal manner. This is reflected by the fact that all seven songs are very good, and anything but navlebeskuende friforms music. On the contrary as the band delivers a greedy good disc that is both vigorous and enthusiastic.
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WAKEFIELD - SLEEPWALKER FEVER
(DVD) DVD as a medium is not one that comes our way that often, but judging by this, it is a format that well serves the Terrascopic mind.
The relaxing and ambient, "Sleepwalker Fever" is a gently psychedelic ramble through our world, images of cityscapes and landscapes juxtaposed, with the glorious space rock of Sendelica adding a tranquil layer to the visuals. Treated, coloured, slowed down and speeded up, the visuals blend with the sound in unison creating a world of pure relaxation, the listener/viewer allowed o settle back and enjoy the journey. Just let the experience wash over you, the perfect way to soothe those frazzled nerve endings. An ambient treat without ever becoming new age bollox, the music is rich and rewarding with some fine saxophone playing stealing the show.
Fans of visual art are well served by these releases, offering the perfect blend of image and sound to the discerning purchaser. (Simon Lewis Ptolmaic Terrascope)
**************************************************************************
SENDELICA are an instrumental trio from Wales comprised of PETE BINGHAM (Guitars and Electronics), GLENDA PASCADO (Bass) and PAUL FIELDS (Drums) that create lengthy, improvisational compositions with a psychedelic flavour. A measure of their amazing, and almost telepathic musical connection, is the fact that most of their second full length album was recorded in one day! SENDELICA have already had comparisons to the music of top bands such as Pink Floyd, Ash Ra Temple, The Bevis Frond, Hawkwind, Sundial and The Spacious Mind, and they deserve thier place in such high company. However, they still manage to retain the originality that has made them so many fans across the world !!!!!!!!!!! It is impossible not to be completely blown away by the sheer power of the music they create, and they manage to hold the listeners full attention for the entire duration of the longest of their masterpieces. With SENDELICA'S fanbase growing in rapid numbers, they band have produced the soundtrack for Sleepwalker Fever and have recently returned from a very sucessful tour of the USA. The future for SENDELICA looks very bright, and deservedly so. Every single person I talk to about the band shares the same excitement at the mere mention of the bands name, and I'm sure you'll agree with us, the fans of SENDELICA.MELLO JELLO SHOW, RADIO KESGARVE, UK ***************************************************************************************** SENDELICA
Spaceman Bubblegum and Other Weird Tales From the Mercury Mind
Released: 3rd September 2007
Label: R.A.I.G RECORDS (MOSCOW) Welsh psyche rockers probably want to win an award for longest album title of the year. After releasing an EP and a longplayer on a small label, they are now back with their second album on the Russian psychedelic prog label RAIG, making them probably also the first Western European band on their roster. Recorded in just one day, Spaceman Bubbleman hasn't become the mess you could have expected. Drawing from their live experiences, Sendelica start the album off with the short and moody Sunfazed before they add some stead with the longer Spaceman Bubblegum 2 that has some nice rocking guitars. The following 12 minute epic It's A Neu! Thing owes its name to the German kraut rock legend, although the bass line reminds me of Hawkwind's Silver Machine. Two further long songs elaborate on that tasty impro sound, combining elements of psychedelia, Seventies hard rock and the occasional dub elements. The CD ends with two songs that were previously released on the EP and the debut album. Strangely these tracks are more introspective and mellower, lacking the rock power of the first three quarters of an hour. If this is meant as a chill out after the no-holds-barred psyche rock session before, it definitely works. It seems as if Sendelica always have a couple of ideas for every song, around which they create agile improvisations that work all the time, proving that these are musicians that understand each other's ideas and who are used to playing together. I often have my problems with free-form music, because all too often, it ends up in self-indulgent navel gazing, but the Welsh three-piece Sendelica are a welcome exception, making Spaceman Bubblegum an interesting addition for fans of Hawkwind, Gong and Seventies psyche and kraut rock generally. Disagreement, Luxembourg http://www.disagreement.net/reviews/sendelica_spacemanbubblegum.html ************************************************************************ SENDELICA – Spaceman Bubblegum and Other Weird Tales From The Mercury Mind (RAIG) – Welsh band signed to a Russian label, is that a first? We're talking well played, well produced imaginative instrumental guitar based psych/space rock with a healthy retro blues/prog rock flavour.ORGAN MAGAZINE, LONDON, UK ************************************************************************ SENDELICA – Spaceman Bubblegum and Other Weird Tales From The Mercury MindMore psych-out rock from the south of Wales courtesy of Sendelica with their second album fantastically entitled 'Spaceman Bubblegum and Other Weird Tales From the Mercury Mind' For some people the seventies was a decade that occurred over thirty years ago, but not so for Sendelica as the pulsating sounds of Floyd et al are alive and well in the South Wales valleys.
Sendelica make no bones about being obsessed with a certain era of music and they wear their musical passions on their sleeves for all to see. This sound driven epic kicks off with 'Sunfazed', a guitar driven sound-scape that instantly transports you to a world of swirling colures and non stop freaky dancing that only girls in mini skirt can undertake. The entire experience is one of boho living with multi coloured bean bags all filled with Charley Croker's bevy of international beauties just waiting for a corrupting influence to come along. The fact that the album has been released by a Russian record label and is available in Eastern Europe just adds that fantastic edge of cold war 70's intrigue to the already overflowing pie of retro heaven.
Sendelica produce a sound that simply isn't the style of the moment but thankfully it has heart and tones of it, something else that really isn't in vogue today. For all those that struggle in imagining such music then you need to go and rent a copy of the 70's classic film More, sit back and bathe in the sounds. If anybody was alive today that had the balls to make such a movie they could safely turn to Sendelica to produce just such a space opera sound as would be required. This album is very much for those who can appreciate an entire sonic ineconcept and don't require a re-assuring hit single every three minutes. Strongly recommended for those sharp enough to appreciate it.
Review by: Aled Jones GLASSWERK, UK
http://www.glasswerk.co.uk/index2.php?db=wales&page=reviews,review&id=5688 ************************************************************************** Sendelica
Spaceman Bubblegum And Other Weird Tales From The Mercury Mind (2007, R.A.I.G., R026)
CD Audio ïñèõîäåëèê, ïðîã-ðîê / íîâèíêà! SENDELICA – èíñòðóìåíòàëüíîå ðîê-òðèî èç Êàðäèãàíà (Óýëüñ, Âåëèêîáðèòàíèÿ) â ñîñòàâå: Pete Bingham (ãèòàðà, ýëåêòðîíèêà), Glenda Pescado (áàñ) è Paul Fields (áàðàáàíû). Ãðóïïà ñôîðìèðîâàëàñü â 2006 ãîäó, õîòÿ Bingham (ó÷àñòíèê ãðóïïû KALD) è Pescadohttp://www.cisfordogrecords.co.uk/ – çàñëóæåííûå âåòåðàíû áðèòàíñêîãî ïñèõîäåëè÷åñêîãî äâèæåíèÿ. Ñâîþ ìóçûêó ìóçûêàíòû õàðàêòåðèçóþò êàê «ñïëàâ âèíòàæíîé ïñèõîäåëèè, êëàññè÷åñêîãî ðèôô-ðîêà è ýëåêòðîííîãî äàá-ýìáèåíòà». Äåáþòíûé ïîëíîôîðìàòíûé àëüáîì Entering The Rainbow Light áûë çàïèñàí â ÿíâàðå 2007 ãîäà ñ âîêàëèñòêîé Sarah E: áûëî îòïå÷àòàíî íåñêîëüêî äåñÿòêîâ ýêçåìïëÿðîâ ëþáèòåëüñêîãî CDR-èçäàíèÿ. Spaceman Bubblegum And Other Weird Tales From The Mercury Mind çàïèñûâàëñÿ âåñíîé 2007 ãîäà è ãîòîâèëñÿ ñïåöèàëüíî äëÿ èçäàíèÿ íà RAIG. Àëüáîì ïîëíîñòüþ èíñòðóìåíòàëüíûé. Ñòèëèñòè÷åñêè ðàñïîëàãàåòñÿ íà ñòûêå ïñèõîäåëèê-ñïýéñ-ðîêà, ïðîã-ðîêà è ýêñïåðèìåíòàëà AVANT, RUSSIA *****************************************
Last tonight I went to a really good gig courtesy of the Lampy SU Ents department. They've been in the habit of doing live-music nights every week, with local bands showcasing their stuff. Its good, i got to see Laying Jade again in Michaelmas Term, and other bands like Cantaloup, The Mighty FUOD. I kind of wish that the gigs would be out in the main entertainments' arena; The eXtension so i could dance, but then again i'm a bit of dancybunny so i'd always feel like that whatever the music was, It was a really balmy, hot evening; everyone sitting out by the campus river infront of the Students Union getting pleasingly merry while Sendelica sound checked. They were really good, they ran through a few jams i think just for us listening punters (before the crowd of pub-goers got in at half nine or so). Smiling faces, hot sunshine and the smell of cigarettes over the river. As the evening descending we drifted indoors in ones and two's, the Stage Manager and future Ents officer chatting away amiably with us punters, bar staff, musicians. Settling in the cosy SU it became apparent that having bands here in the smaller bar is kind of nice, close and personal; the crowd has got to be involved with the band that way. Billed as similar to 'an early Pink Floyd' this four-piece band presented an excellent and personally a long missed journey into psychedilia. An older band, the sorts you can tell spend a lot of their time on the festival circuits they were musically tight and at home during the soundcheck and responding to the needs of the amps and the space. Its always good when you get to see a band during soundcheck - understandably a lot of bands don't like general audience bods bopping around, but i think you get to know the band a little bit better. At one point the bassist (an impressively tall man seeming to have walked out of a 70's Rock and Roll band) and the guitarist blistered their way into an improvised solo for a good five minutes, just for the fun of it. Just as i and a friend were settling into the expected groove - as if by magic - up popped a Sax player! When they sorted out his output levels the sax started providing some punchier emphasis to the lead lines and background ambience to the melody lines. Marvelous.Their main set was perhaps five or six tunes, one a psych'version of a Black Sabbath number; one a very chilled out dub with accompanying samples excellently mixed into their live music. No lyrics, they weren't needed at all. I noticed a few of the students really digging it, a girl closing her eyes and swaying out to the soundscape, some far-off meditative looks on other faces as the spirit of greenfields and bright summersky incense wafted through some doorway back to a simpler time. This is what a gig should be like i thought, young people laughing and others trancing out and acting weird and personal and mellow. Well worth seeing again. ******************************************** Sendelica: Spaceman Bubblegum and Other Weird Tales from the Mercury Mind RAIG (R026) Sendelica on psykedeelistä rockia soittava bändi Walesista. Yhtyeen ytimen muodostavat Pete Bingham (kitara ja elektroniikka), Glenda Pescado (basso, ex-Nik Turner's Allstars) ja Paul Fields (rummut). Tämä on heidän toinen levynsä, jos ei lasketa mukaan kesällä julkaistua CD-R:ää joka sisältää soundtrackin ilmeisesti pian ilmestyvästä elokuvasta. Spaceman Bubblegum… sisältää seitsemän kappaletta, joista viisi on nauhoitettu tämän vuoden helmikuussa yhden päivän aikana. Näihin on kyllä jälkikäteen lisätty syntetisaattoria. Kaksi viimeistä biisiä on julkaistu aikaisemmin edellisillä julkaisuilla.. Kappaleet tuntuvat olevan melko pitkälti improvisaatioon perustuvia. Musiikki on tällä levyllä täysin instrumentaalista.
Levyn aloittaa rauhallinen ja tunnelmallinen "Sunfazed". Kappaleessa on mukavan leppoisaa menoa kitaralla, bassolla ja rummuille sekä pientä psyke-efektiä. "Spaceman Bubblebum 2" on kunnon psyke/happorockjamia á la Bevis Frond tai Sun Dial, ja sehän minulle hyvin sopii! Oikein hyvä esitys. Lähes 13-minuuttinen "It's a NEU! Thing" on voimakasta, mielestäni kyllä enemmän varhaisen Hawkwindin tapaista rokkausta. Kappale toimii todella hyvin kahden soinnun junnutuksena, mutta on ehkä turhan pitkä. Sisältää kyllä kunnon sekoilua! "Siren the Second Coming" alkaa rauhallisesti kitaranäppäilyllä. Komppi tulee mukaan kahden ja puolen minuutin kuluttua, ja kitara muuttuu raskaammaksi. Sitten tulee hyvä sooloa ja jammailevampaa menoa, kuulostaa hyvältä. Mukaan tulee myös hieman koskettimia. "Inrid Cold" sisältää aluksi aika rivakkaa kitaranrämpyttelyä ja tomien paukutusta. Sitten junnataan vähän aikaa yhdessä äänessä, ja tulee tauko. Sitten seuraa delaykitaraa ja tomeja. Kivaa jamia tässäkin kappaleessa. Loppu on aika ambienttia. "Mr. Floyd Walker" (josta tulee hieman mieleen Pink Floyd) ja "Dawn of the Dub Revisited" ovat kummatkin upeita, psykedeelisiä ja rauhallisesti soljuvia ambientteoksia, jotka lopettavat levyn hienolla tavalla. Tämä on hyvä levy, kannattaa tutustua! Iceland!! *************************************************************************** Pink Floyd. The Orb. Spaceman 3, Hawkwind. Neu, Tangerine Dream ... Just a few of our favorite space rock bands. We've got another to add to the list and that would be the Welsh group Sendelica, whose music recalls the aforementioned bands. They just released an instrumental CD called "Spaceman Bubblegum And Other Weird Tales From The Mercury Mind," and the songs range from just a couple of minutes to epic length. There's a range, also, in mood from warm and mellow to full-blown psychedelic soundscapes, and a little dub tossed in to boot. A very pleasant and stimulating head trip. They are on their first US tour and they're playing P.A.'s Lounge April 24 with Transparent, Axemonkee and Church of Flying Dreams. Tickets: $7. Starts at 9. JIM SULLIVAN, BOSTON GLOBE *************************************************************************** Sendelica – Spaceman Bubblegum And Other Weird Tales From The Mercury Mind
RAIG Records (2007)
(7 Stücke, 58:01 Minuten Spielzeit)Aus Wales stammt das Trio Pete Bingham (Gitarren, Elektronische Gerätschaften), Glenda Pescado (Bass) und Paul Fields (Schlagzeug), das unter dem Namen Sendelica psychedelischen Spacerock macht. Mit ihrem zweiten Longplayer „Spaceman Bubblegum And Other Weird Tales From The Mercury Mind", der im September 2007 erschienen ist, konnten sie einen Vertrag beim russischen Label RAIG, das spezialisiert auf psychedelische Musik ist, ergattern.
Und so wechselt die CD immer zwischen den spacigen, psychedelischen und streckenweise auch krautigen Stilen hin und her. Sehr angenehme, direkt ins Ohr gehende Passagen, wie in „Siren The Second Coming" wechseln sich mit rockigen Stücken „Indrid Cold" (klingt wie Rock aus den 70'ern) und spacigen „Mr. Floyd Walker" oder auch schrägen Klängen wie in „It's A Neu! Thing" ab. „Spaceman Bubblegum …" ist eine Scheibe für den geneigten Spacerock- und Psychedelic-Rock-Fan, die damit voll auf ihre Kosten kommen. Bei der Musik von Sendelica, bei der es auch recht hypnotisch zugeht, treten unweigerlich Gefühle und Erinnerungen aus den 60'ern und 70'ern zu Tage. Aufgrund der direkt ineinander laufenden Tracks wirkt die ganze CD sehr kompakt, wie ein einziges Stück. Mein Tipp: Eine Hörprobe gibt es auf der Myspace-Seite www.myspace.com/sendelicapsyche. Stephan Schelle, Mai 2008 http://www.musikzirkus-magazin.de/dateien/Pages/CD_Kritiken/cd-listen/cdkritik_s.htm *********************************************************************** A trio from Wales, Sendelica delivers spacey rock elements that at times conjure up Pink Floyd and also plays psychedelic and heavier styled music with some electronic effects resulting in a final sound that takes the listener to other worlds.
Their music is cool, "breezy" and serves as a good chill-out serving. The album has a groovy mood, and when it veers into the heavier parts (such as in "Spaceman Bubblegum 2") it serves as a good dosage of "freakout" to let your mind loose and sounds like either a late 60's psych band or some krautrock band jamming. Repetitiveness is quite abundant throughout the tracks, and at times I feel as if surrounded by walls of sounds, as if on a psychedelic acid trip.
Essentially this recording sounds to me like a collection of long jams that have a pre-conceived theme around which they develop and direct the music to whatever point it is they want to get to. And to me it sounds very well done. Jams may sound misleading, so let's say, instrumental mind-altering musical substance; long, pieces of dirty sounding excursions (in a good way) with no partitioning between lead and great rhythm.
The tracks flow very well from one to the next, continuing in the same spirit with a new melody or riff yet bringing a new vibe with each tune.
The music here is well played and most important highly fun to listen to. I can't help but get carried away and get sucked into the music as I listen to this.
Great album for tripping… Progressive Ears Reviews Die gut einstündige CD wurde von den drei Musikern in einer Session an nur einem Tag in einem mobilen Studio aufgenommen. Das hat aber keinen negativen Einfluss auf die Qualität des Materials. Psychedelische, spacige Gitarren sowie weite Synthieflächen bilden den Nährboden, auf dem die Musik von Sendelica ruht. So auch im Opener „Sunfazed". Sehr monoton und psychedelisch geht es in „Spaceman Bubblegum 2" zu. Auch recht schräg sägende Gitarren tun ihr Übriges dazu. Das erinnert streckenweise an die psychedelischen Acts Ende der 60'er bzw. Anfang der 70'er. Ein Flair einer Jammsession weht dabei durch den Raum. „It's A Neu! Thing" klingt streckenweise recht abgedreht. Da sind dann elektronische Klänge zu hören, die mich an ein fliegendes, wirres Insekt erinnern. Recommenced. Sendelica are an instrumental trio from Wales, comprised of Pete Bingham (guitars and electronics), Glenda Pescado (bass) and Paul Fields (drums), that specialize in creating lengthy, improvisational compositions with a significantly noticeable psychedelic flavor. The majority of the music performed on their second full length album, Spaceman Bubblegum And Other Weird Tales From The Mercury Mind was recorded in a single day session, with the final two tracks having been previously released elsewhere.
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Friday, January 04, 2008
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Current mood:  adventurous
Category: Music
Our New Year has started off in the same vein as the last one finished with our first 2008 review out this week... another good positive review from the USA again...
From Aural Innovations 38 (Jan 2008)
Welsh psyche/space rockers Sendelica storm the asteroid belt with this blazing follow-up to their inaugural disc earlier this year, Entering the Rainbow Light. Pete Bingham (guitar, electronics), Glenda Pescado (bass) and Paul Fields (drums), along with producer Colin Awen on keyboards, unleash a full metal jacket of psychedelic madness on the seven tracks that comprise Spaceman Bubblegum. The group's arsenal of sound is quite impressive: the hypnotic pulse of Can, the impressionistic atmospherics of Pink Floyd, the motorized proto-punk of Neu, the space patrolling guitar pyrotechnics of Hendrix and the otherworldly ambiences of The Orb. All of this and more pervades virtually every track on Spaceman Bubblegum. "Sunfazed," the album's opening cut, melds early psychedelic Floyd with a mesmeric ostinato guitar/bass pattern that slowly spirals out into the ether before rocketing straight into "Spaceman Bubblegum 2," a soaring track with some mind warping lead guitar that recalls the glory days of Manuel Gottsching in the original incarnation of Ash Ra Tempel. "It's a Neu! Thing," while well-intentioned in its unabashed homage to Rother and Dinger, is simply too repetitive and much too long to sustain interest. The group never quite breaks away from the rhythmic inertia that propels the song. But the cosmic jamming of "Siren" and "Indrid Cold" more than makes up for this temporary faux pas. Both tracks burn and smoke with the fires of a star going supernova. Bingham's acid guitar attack is especially coruscating, leading the way through the dustlanes of some imaginary nebula at the heart of the galaxy. The album's finale "Dawn of the Dub revisited" is pretty much what you'd expect and is, consequently, a minor letdown. But even here, the insistent bass line and swarms of synthesizer pads are enough to justify its inclusion. Their excesses aren't yet fully tamed, but the enthusiasm and commitment is there.
Check the band's web sites at: http://www.myspace.com/sendelicapsyche
Check out the record label site at: http://www.raig.ru
Reviewed by Charles Van de Kree
 | Currently listening:
Fish Rising
By Steve Hillage
Release date: 13 February, 2007 |
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Saturday, November 24, 2007
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Current mood:  energetic
Category: Music
Sendelica: Spaceman Bubblegum And Other Weird Tales From The Mercury Mind
Sendelica are an instrumental trio from Wales, comprised of Pete Bingham (guitars and electronics), Glenda Pescado (bass) and Paul Fields (drums), that specialize in creating lengthy, improvisational compositions with a significantly noticeable psychedelic flavor. The majority of the music performed on their second full length album, Spaceman Bubblegum And Other Weird Tales From The Mercury Mind was recorded in a single day session, with the final two tracks having been previously released elsewhere.
The disc starts off with the languidly mellow, mood setting sounds of "Sunfazed" which after four minutes segues into the muscular and driving force that is "Spaceman Bubblegum 2, a track which features a heaping serving of Bingham's inventive and torrid guitar work. "It's a Neu! Thing" like its title suggests, is an indirect tribute to the legendary Kraut rockers, featuring an airtight rhythmic workout between Pescado and Fields underneath a plethora of electronic sounds and triggered effects. "Siren-The Second Coming" starts of with a groove reminiscent of "Sunfazed" before Bingham's inspired soloing once again takes center stage for well over five minutes. By this point just over thirty minutes have elapsed, which gives the listener a pretty good idea of what Sendelica are all about, that is until they totally blow your mind with the absolute guitar tour de force on "Indrid Cold". Check out the crazy solo's Bingham tosses out on this twelve minute epic, not to mention Pescado's thick and rubbery bass lines and the busy work of Fields behind the kit. This is hands down the best track on the disc. "Mr. Floyd Walker", originally released on an earlier EP, is a minimal ambient piece of music which sounds a bit out of place compared to the frenetic pace of the first five tracks. Likewise the albums final number "Dawn Of The Dub Revisited", a song of the band's first album, is another gentle, floating and radiating track. I actually liked that they included these two tracks at the end, even though they didn't necessarily fit in completely with the rest of the disc.
There you have it, another magical release and certainly one worthy of your attention, from the folks over at the Russian label R.A.I.G. If these guys keep finding talent like Sendelica, Vespero and Ahkmed they're certainly going to turn more than a few heads in the international music scene.
Track Listing
1) Sunfazed
2) Spaceman Bubblegum 2
3) It's a Neu! Thing
4) Siren –The Second Coming
5) Indrid Cold
6) Mr. Floyd Walker
7) Dawn Of The Dub Revisited
Added: November 22nd 2007
Reviewer: Ryan Sparks
SEA OF TRANQUILITY, USA
STARS ****
http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=5903
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Wednesday, October 24, 2007
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Current mood:  ecstatic
Category: Music
Sendelica: Spaceman Bubblegum and Other Weird Tales from the Mercury Mind
RAIG (R026)
Sendelica is a band from Wales playing psychedelic rock. The core of the band is formed by Pete Bingham (guitar and electronics), Glenda Pescado (bass, ex-Nik Turner's Allstars) and Paul Fields (drums). This is their second album, if you don't count the CD-R from last summer that included the soundtrack to a soon-to-be-released film. Spaceman Bubblegum… includes seven tracks five of which were recorded in just one day this February. Some synthesiser was added later on, though. The two last cuts have been released before on the band's previous releases. These tracks seem to be pretty much improvisation based. The music on this album is totally instrumental.
The album starts of with a peaceful and moody "Sunfazed". The track includes nice, relaxed going with guitar, bass and drums plus little psych effects. "Spaceman Bubblegum 2" is real good psych/acid rock jamming á la Bevis Frond or Sun Dial and I'm all up for that! A very strong performance. The almost 13-minute-long "It's a NEU! Thing" is powerful rocking that to me sounds more like early Hawkwind. This number works really well as a two chord blast, but is perhaps a bit too long. It does have some serious freaking out, though! "Siren the Second Coming" starts of peacefully with pizzicato guitar. The comp joins in after about two and a half minutes and the guitar gets heavier. Then some great soloing and more jamming stuff follows which sounds good. There is also a bit of keyboards. "Inrid Cold" has at first energetic rhythm guitar and tom-toms. Then they go on in one chord for a while, and there's a break. After that we'll get some delay guitar and more tom-toms. There some nice jamming on this one too. The rest is rather ambient-like. "Mr. Floyd Walker" (that reminds me a bit of Pink Floyd) and "Dawn of the Dub Revisited" are both excellent, psychedelic and peacefully floating ambient pieces and end the album in a marvellous way. This is a good album so check it out!
12.10.07 by Dj Astro, FINLAND
http://www.unimeri.com/PsychotropicZone/reviews.en.php?subac
 | Currently listening:
Mantra of Love
By Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O.
Release date: 11 May, 2004 |
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Saturday, October 06, 2007
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Current mood: creative
Category: Music
PURCHASE OUR NEW ALBUM 'Spaceman Bubblegum and Other Weird Tales From the Mercury Mind' AVAILABLE NOW FOR £10.00 INC POST/PACK TO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.
SEND CHEQUES/PO/ IMO MADE PAYABLE TO PETER BINGHAM.
TO:- PETER BINGHAM, PARC HOUSE, PARC TEIFI, CARDIGAN, SA43 1EW, WALES, UK. WE ALSO ACCEPT PAYPAL. SEND PAYPAL PAYMENT TO THIS PAYPAL ACCOUNT........ KALDPETER@AOL.COM.........
REVIEWS
SENDELICA – SPACEMAN BUBBLEGUM AND OTHER WEIRD TALES FROM THE MERCURY MIND(CD from RAIG www.myspace.com/raigmusic)
Hailing from Wales and released on a Russian label, Sendelica are a classic three-piece band, centred on the guitar prowess of Pete Bingham. Filled with electronic effects, opening track "Sunfazed" reveals itself to be a lazy slice of space rock grooving, the guitar flowing wonderfully above the rhythm section (Glenda Pescado-Bass, Paul Fields-Drums), creating a dream laden atmosphere that remains for the rest of the album. Merging beautifully with the opener "Spaceman Bubblegum2" sees the band pick up the pace, strap themselves in and head off for inner space, the music drawing comparison with Sundial, or The Spacious Mind, the guitar doing it's best to disintegrate you mind.
Completely instrumental, it is a credit to the band that they manage to hold the listeners interest for the duration of the record, creating different moods and textures, whilst allowing the album to flow as if one long piece. Third track "It's A Neu Thing", is a good example of this inventiveness, the effects being applied to bass and drums, as well as the guitar, giving the song a very psychedelic feel, with the drums sounding particularly weird. Soon, however, the band push the song into overdrive, swooping and diving and sounding very much like early Hawkwind, as they fly through the universe, grinning with joy. Opening in a mellower state of mind "Siren The Second Coming", is warm and cerebral, the band using its looseness as a strength, reminiscent of those early Bevis pieces, enjoyment evident in every note.
Possibly my favourite track is the magnificent "Indrid Cold", twelve minutes of guitar heaven, Pete Bingham laying the universe to waste as he romps across the fretboard, a solid and inspired rhythm section providing a perfect platform for the sonic wizardry that soars overhead. Here everything comes together, the song demonstrating everything that is good about the band, playful, spacey and able to rock out with the best of them.
As we approach the end of the album, the band find the stillness at the heart of the universe, slowing things down on the elegant "Mr Floyd Walker", awash with drifting ambience and light, before "Dawn Of The Dub Revisited" allows us to finally touch down, filled with bliss, smiling and enchanted. (Simon Lewis-PTOLEMAIC TERRASCOPE).
http://www.terrascope.co.uk/Reviews/Reviews_October07.htm
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SENDELICA
Spaceman Bubblegum and Other Weird Tales From the Mercury Mind
Released: 3rd September 2007
Label: R.A.I.G RECORDS (MOSCOW)
Welsh psyche rockers probably want to win an award for longest album title of the year. After releasing an EP and a longplayer on a small label, they are now back with their second album on the Russian psychedelic prog label RAIG, making them probably also the first Western European band on their roster.
Recorded in just one day, Spaceman Bubbleman hasn't become the mess you could have expected. Drawing from their live experiences, Sendelica start the album off with the short and moody Sunfazed before they add some stead with the longer Spaceman Bubblegum 2 that has some nice rocking guitars. The following 12 minute epic It's A Neu! Thing owes its name to the German kraut rock legend, although the bass line reminds me of Hawkwind's Silver Machine. Two further long songs elaborate on that tasty impro sound, combining elements of psychedelia, Seventies hard rock and the occasional dub elements.
The CD ends with two songs that were previously released on the EP and the debut album. Strangely these tracks are more introspective and mellower, lacking the rock power of the first three quarters of an hour. If this is meant as a chill out after the no-holds-barred psyche rock session before, it definitely works.
It seems as if Sendelica always have a couple of ideas for every song, around which they create agile improvisations that work all the time, proving that these are musicians that understand each other's ideas and who are used to playing together. I often have my problems with free-form music, because all too often, it ends up in self-indulgent navel gazing, but the Welsh three-piece Sendelica are a welcome exception, making Spaceman Bubblegum an interesting addition for fans of Hawkwind, Gong and Seventies psyche and kraut rock generally.
Disagreement, Luxembourg
http://www.disagreement.net/reviews/sendelica_spacemanbubblegum.html
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SENDELICA – Spaceman Bubblegum and Other Weird Tales From The Mercury Mind (RAIG) – Welsh band signed to a Russian label, is that a first? We're talking well played, well produced imaginative instrumental guitar based psych/space rock with a healthy retro blues/prog rock flavour.
Recommenced.
ORGAN MAGAZINE, LONDON, UK
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More psych-out rock from the south of Wales courtesy of Sendelica with their second album fantastically entitled 'Spaceman Bubblegum and Other Weird Tales From the Mercury Mind' For some people the seventies was a decade that occurred over thirty years ago, but not so for Sendelica as the pulsating sounds of Floyd et al are alive and well in the South Wales valleys.
Sendelica make no bones about being obsessed with a certain era of music and they wear their musical passions on their sleeves for all to see. This sound driven epic kicks off with 'Sunfazed', a guitar driven sound-scape that instantly transports you to a world of swirling colures and non stop freaky dancing that only girls in mini skirt can undertake. The entire experience is one of boho living with multi coloured bean bags all filled with Charley Croker's bevy of international beauties just waiting for a corrupting influence to come along. The fact that the album has been released by a Russian record label and is available in Eastern Europe just adds that fantastic edge of cold war 70's intrigue to the already overflowing pie of retro heaven.
Sendelica produce a sound that simply isn't the style of the moment but thankfully it has heart and tones of it, something else that really isn't in vogue today. For all those that struggle in imagining such music then you need to go and rent a copy of the 70's classic film More, sit back and bathe in the sounds. If anybody was alive today that had the balls to make such a movie they could safely turn to Sendelica to produce just such a space opera sound as would be required. This album is very much for those who can appreciate an entire sonic concept and don't require a re-assuring hit single every three minutes. Strongly recommended for those sharp enough to appreciate it.
Review by: Aled Jones GLASSWERK, UK
http://www.glasswerk.co.uk/index2.php?db=wales&page=reviews,review&id=5688
Sendelica
Spaceman Bubblegum And Other Weird Tales From The Mercury Mind (2007, R.A.I.G., R026)
CD Audio ïñèõîäåëèê, ïðîã-ðîê / íîâèíêà!
SENDELICA – èíñòðóìåíòàëüíîå ðîê-òðèî èç Êàðäèãàíà (Óýëüñ, Âåëèêîáðèòàíèÿ) â ñîñòàâå: Pete Bingham (ãèòàðà, ýëåêòðîíèêà), Glenda Pescado (áàñ) è Paul Fields (áàðàáàíû). Ãðóïïà ñôîðìèðîâàëàñü â 2006 ãîäó, õîòÿ Bingham (ó÷àñòíèê ãðóïïû KALD) è Pescadohttp://www.cisfordogrecords.co.uk/ – çàñëóæåííûå âåòåðàíû áðèòàíñêîãî ïñèõîäåëè÷åñêîãî äâèæåíèÿ. Ñâîþ ìóçûêó ìóçûêàíòû õàðàêòåðèçóþò êàê «ñïëàâ âèíòàæíîé ïñèõîäåëèè, êëàññè÷åñêîãî ðèôô-ðîêà è ýëåêòðîííîãî äàá-ýìáèåíòà». Äåáþòíûé ïîëíîôîðìàòíûé àëüáîì Entering The Rainbow Light áûë çàïèñàí â ÿíâàðå 2007 ãîäà ñ âîêàëèñòêîé Sarah E: áûëî îòïå÷àòàíî íåñêîëüêî äåñÿòêîâ ýêçåìïëÿðîâ ëþáèòåëüñêîãî CDR-èçäàíèÿ. Spaceman Bubblegum And Other Weird Tales From The Mercury Mind çàïèñûâàëñÿ âåñíîé 2007 ãîäà è ãîòîâèëñÿ ñïåöèàëüíî äëÿ èçäàíèÿ íà RAIG. Àëüáîì ïîëíîñòüþ èíñòðóìåíòàëüíûé. Ñòèëèñòè÷åñêè ðàñïîëàãàåòñÿ íà ñòûêå ïñèõîäåëèê-ñïýéñ-ðîêà, ïðîã-ðîêà è ýêñïåðèìåíòàëà
AVANT, RUSSIA
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Sunday, September 09, 2007
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Current mood:  grateful
Category: Music
Greetings to all and sunder,
Just some updates in answer to all you lovely peoples questions....
Our ambient album Sleepwalker Fever is now out on sale on Tidy Like records, please do not order from us. Go direct to their site where you can order it online Available from Tidy Like Records
http://www.tidylikerecords.com
£5.00 + Post/Pack
Our new full on psyche album 'Spaceman Bubblegum and Other Weird tales From the Mercury Mind' was released in Russia and Eastern Europe on August 28th on RAIG records. We will have copies in this country for you to order direcvt from us later this month.... please be patient... it's worth the wait :)
We just saw some footage from our SleepWalker Fever 'Art' movie that we are working on with film maker Grant Wakefield.... looking ace... well trippy...
We've got a 5 minute clip up online... check it out
go to: www.pmwcreative.org/blank.html
...scroll down to the a 5min Sendelica vid. sequence
then download... should only take 4/5 minutes
We'd love to hear what you think... so let us know here on the blog or comment us
Take care...
Cheers
Sendelica
 | Currently listening:
Pink Moon
By Nick Drake
Release date: 06 May, 2003 |
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Thursday, July 19, 2007
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Current mood: ecstatic
Category: Music
Hi Everyone...
Surely the first Welsh band to sign to a Russian label.
Sendelica came to the attention of RAIG through their self released debut album 'Entering The Rainbow Light' late last year. This led to Sendelica inking a contract with the Moscow-based psyche specialists and their first release on RAIG Records hits the streets on August 28th. The album is entitled 'Spaceman Bubblegum and Other Weird Tales from the Mercury Mind' (Cat RAIG CD026) and features, among others, live psyche rocker favourites Indrid Cold, Spaceman Bubblegum 2 and Siren-The Second Coming.
The band have also been busy working with film maker Grant Wakefield on a multi media project called 'SleepWalker Fever' that will be released as a DVD early next year. The music in this features a much more chilled take on psychedelic rock, very dubby, resplendent with brooding atmospherics and intricate arrangements and features guests Lee Relfe (sax) and Bertie (trumpet). We are pleased to announce that there is going to be a very limited audio CD release of these tracks on Tidy like Records. It will be a very limited edition release housed in a stickered tin. Release date is August 4th
Check out the bands new labels at:-
www.myspace.com/raigmusic
www.myspace.com/tidylikerecords
More details soon.............................
Taster tracks from the new albums up on page now.....
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Monday, June 25, 2007
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Current mood: excited
Category: Life
THE GREAT BANANA HOAX
When I was about fifteen/sixteen their was this great rumour going around school that you could get stoned on banana skins!!. Now the idea of free high was obviously every adolescents dream, bananas in packed lunches had never been so popular, parents rejoicing in the new healthy eating craze sweeping the area!!. At lunch times we would sneak to someones house and dry them in ovens, inevitably burning them to a charred husk, leaving at least one unfortunate teenager with the unenviable task of explaining to his mother why the house smelt of acrid banana smoke!!. After a bit of trial and error a banana skin was eventually reduced to a non-burnt husk that was ground up in a pestle and mortar and was deemed suitable for smoking. So armed with some rizlas and Old Holborn tobacco a few joints were rolled and ready for testing.......guess what............. nothing.... no buzz, no pink elephants, no openings doors of perception.... zilch!!
It was indeed a great banana hoax.
Still we all had a good laugh and that memory has always stayed with me. I have often wondered though where this idea had originally originated and it has, I know, frequently resurfaced as urban legend and even Man, the welsh rockers, sang in praise of the great banana.
I'd often read that the whole saga had initially erupted amongst the US hippies in the 60's and recently I read John S. Simon's book 'The Sign Of the Fool'. This book is John's memoirs from living in Haight-Ashbury between 1965-68 and gives an account of his own personal involvement in the Great Banana Hoax.
John had been running a 'mission' or food kitchen in HA and one day had been approached by a man claiming to be from the LA Free Press, the man had given him a 'baggie' containing a dry dark brown powder and invited him to roll and smoke a joint with the mystery powder. After John had sampled the wares and got quite stoned, the 'Mad Inventor' explained to John that soon America would be buzzing with the words 'Should Bananas be Legal'!!. He explained to John how the product was made, which actually involved using the soft pulp just inside the skin, not the skin itself. The mad alchemist wanted John to produce the drug in his large kitchens and offered John $25.00 for every pound of powder he could produce and he would also provide the bananas. The deal was done and John set up his 'factory'. To 'launch' this cool new drug a planned 'Banana Smoke-In' was arranged to be held in the local HA park with the event to be given maximum publicity with the media and leaflets distributed at many gigs and head shops. At 3pm on the appointed day six pounds of banana powder were given out free to the well attended event with tv news crews eagerly filming the event and local police watching but unable to act. Of course what happened was that everyone, seeing the Polices diminished power, was also spliifing up marijuana and everyone was so stoned that pretty soon no one knew what they were smoking anymore but they were all without doubt stoned!!
Within the week 'Banana Man' was running ads in the country's underground press 'Get your Banana powder here... Only $5.00 for an ounce of happiness. Send your money to......'
John quickly realised that the initial bag that he had been given had quite simply been cut with good quality dope.... but it took a good six months before the cat was out the bag and word had spread...... In that time, the still anonymous, Banana Man became very rich!!!
 | Currently listening:
Neverneverland
By Pink Fairies
Release date: 15 July, 2002 |
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Wednesday, May 23, 2007
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Current mood: mischievous
Category: Life
We've all heard classic friend of a friend tales which we know are way beyond believe but I often come across ones that I just can't make my mind up about...... so please help me out here.... Ring of Truth or False....... let me know your thoughts, your knowledge and your reasoning
1: THE OUT OF PLACE SCUBA DIVER
Firefighters in New Zealand were puzzled to find the charred body of a man amongst the smouldering debris of a recent forest fire. Quite why he was wearing a full scuba-diving outfit in the middle of a forest fire thirty miles inland from the nearest water was indeed a mystery. However once the man was identified and it had been determined where he had been diving it did not take too long for investigators to piece together their answer.
It turned out that firefighters had used helicopters equipped with huge scoops to collect water from the Tasman Sea 32 miles away, which they dumped from a safe height on to the ragging forest fire. A very unlucky scuba-diver, happily swimming with schools of fish must have been very surprised to be suddenly scooped from the ocean, taken to the heavens and then released to plummet to a fiery death.
Now I've come across this tale several times.... what's everyone thoughts. True??
2) THE UGANDAN APE CLOWNS
Probably the most bizarre story I have ever read!!. Allegedly a Ugandan game warden had come across a drowsy wild ape/gorilla that was partially dressed in a clowns outfit complete with full clown make up!!. Over the next few weeks five more partially clown-clothed apes were found in the wild!. A game warden official gave a statement that they believed someone was darting the animals and while they were unconscious dressing them up as clowns complete with a make over. However they had no idea who was doing it or more importantly why!!
I came across this in the Fortean Times many years ago........ My mind boggles!!
3) THE MYSTERIOUS AUSTRALIAN PRIEST
A bride and groom from Perth, Australia, were most surprised when the priest marrying them began to insult them and act very strangely indeed. The priest called the groom "a stupid oaf with the intelligence of a baboon" before comparing the bride to a kangaroo's arse. In front of the stunned congregation, the priest then broke int a rendition of Madonna's 'Like A Virgin before turning round, lifting up his cassock and mooning at the stunned couple. The priest then smiled at the couple and wished them good luck and hoped they would have lots of furry little children!! and then ran off
I absolutely love this one and really hope it was true. I originally saw this in the Daily Mirror (so it must be true!!) and then came across it later with a added bit saying that the best man had hired a phony priest as a priest-o-gram
 | Currently listening:
Tigermilk
By Belle & Sebastian
Release date: 13 July, 1999 |
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