THE TRIPTAMYNDS
Stories From The Other Side (Reflective; CD
)
The Triptamynds are a two man operation. Gaz Hunter plays
virtually all the instruments and sings, whilst Simon Ince handles
keyboards, samples and programming ? he plays the Dikmik role to
Hunters' Dave Brock.

A common theme runs through the eight songs ? they are all about
trips and getting high. Four tunes that don't fit the concept are
included on a bonus EP, including songs by Arthur Lee and Syd
Barrett, in tribute to deceased heroes. The Triptamynds explore
similar psychedelic terrain to the early Bevis Frond albums, and any
Bevis fans will find much to enjoy here. Like Bevis, Gaz is an
accomplished guitarist and songwriter, and it is clear that this
album is a labour of love. The multi-tracked vocals are very
effective on memorable psyche tunes like 'Crossing The Red Electric
Fields' and 'Love Will Follow Love'. The bands assimilate a whole
slew of '60s and early '70s psych influences to create something
melodic but genuinely trippy. Simon's contributions include the
intriguingly strange instrumental 'Do You Hear Them?' and the
amusing 'Make Love Not War', a sample of a Mr. Cholmondleigh-Warner
voice reporting on army drug experiments.

My reservation is that Gaz is a big fan of wild acid fuzz-
drenched guitar wig outs. Whilst they effectively complement some of
the songs, their effect is diluted by their frequency. Less is more,
and the flashing-finger freak outs can be self-indulgent.