"Massively heavy three-way collaborative session from Ashtray Navigations, Bill Kouligas aka Family Battlesnake and Christelle Gualdi aka Stellar Om Source, a member of Way Of The Cross. Although the ‘official’ release comes in an edition of 260 copies, all VT copies are from the first limited edition of only 40 copies, all with different covers from the ’standard’ edition. Dense electronic ritual in the tradition of Taj Mahal Travellers, MEV, Hermann Nitsch et al cut with a classic UK drone feel, there are long, gorgeous passages where static tones are illuminated with brief glimpses of melodic keyboard and rustling low-level crunch before dissolving in luminous bows of tamboura song and fluttering overtone. A fantastic set, miles deeper and much more densely populated than your average ‘drone’ outing. "
David Keenan, Volcanic Tongue
"There was a time when I heard a lot of Ashtray Navigations, and I could be classified 'a fan', but then at one point not much seems to be released and I lost my interest a bit. I still hear the old stuff with lots of joy though. Maybe things were just really quiet, I don't know, but receiving a new LP, which I think was always the format for his music, filled with lots of excitement, and I am not at all disappointed. It seems to be - the cover is not entirely a work of detailed information - a collaboration with one Family Battle Snake and Stellar Om Source, both of whom I don't think ever heard. Even this is supposed to be a collaboration, its not Ashtray Navigations 'plus', but rather 'times three'. I imagine three guys, three guitars, lots and lots effect boxes on the floor, and then they branch out onto their own musical obsessions: minimalist drone music, noise, heavy metal, stoner rock and krautrock. In each of the two pieces, one per side, they go with ease through these obsessions, in a very interesting interplay these styles. One side (no titles, white labels) is a bit softer than the other, and that one was preferred here, although both sides are great. It made think to play some old Ashtray Navigations to start the new year. (FdW)
Address: http://www.noise-below.org" VITAL MUSIC WEEKLY 6TH JAM 2009