Description

S.T. MIKAEL: Mind of Fire (SUBCD22 2007) CD
Incredibly enough, but very naturally, after 11-years silence here’s a new album by this mysterious and legendary Swedish psychedelic multi-instrumentalist. S.T. Mikael spearheaded the DIY psychedelic rock/folk movement of the late 1980s-mid-90s, with a collection of mind-bending albums. During his long absence S.T Mikael grew more secretive and reclusive, but all the while he was still writing music. Now that he’s finally back here’s at last a chance for to join in to his psychedelic world again. The music, stretching out in many different musical directions, has been done freely and spontaneously in an extremely relaxed and happy environment, where Mikael joined forces with Dungen’s Reine Fiske and Fredrik Björling, who’s musical expertise now also grace the grooves. These otherworldly acid tripper recordings now exists in the real world and ST Mikael, proves, once again, to be a gifted songwriter and an unconventional performer with a very personal ear for acoustics and an emotional honesty seldom seen these days. Folk rocky melodic elements flow with waves of heavy fuzzphase leads, weird detached haunted vocal echoes over the band and the whole thing seems to teeter on the brink of psychedelic oblivion. Not revival either but purely of the now. You do get the feeing that Mikael actually lives the lifestyle rather than just emulating it. His soaring vocals, surreal lyrics, fragile, folky melodies, heavy fuzz riffs, mind bending soul funk and penchant for the spiritual and mystical make this altogether a fascinating voyage that is so mind twisting, soul swirling, upper psychedelic that your third eye takes you on a joyride thru an altered state! This album makes your brain start thinking in those pebble splash pond mind circular expanding waveforms that people on this vibe await the returning ship their roots sent out to bring back the password to tomorrow.  The  contains 9 previously unreleased vintage recordings and a unique spoken introduction by Mikael.