Lamp Of The Universe is for most people an unknown name. Also for myself ,I didn't know this act from Hamilton, New Zealand. It was formed in 1999 and is the solo project from Datura bassist and vocalist Craig Williamson. Many albums have been released so far. And this year sees the reissue of their second album Echo In Light, which originally was released in 2002. Sound Effect Records present on this re-issue the re-mastered version of this album which has been out of print for a very long time. It is spread over 4 sides of vinyl, including one side-length bonus track. The album also available on Digipack CD. According to the record company this will be the ultimate version of this album! Next to better version of the audio the original artwork has been cleaned up as well. It is re-presented to bring a new focus to cover artist Franz Landl's brilliant cover artwork. You could say that Lamp Of The Universe combines musical elements from acid folk, psychedelic music and space rock. The formidable modern mix of pysch "raga" folk with spacey rock elements might not be tasteful music for all lovers of progressive rock. But as always it is always a matter of personal taste. But for this release I think it goes even over the boundaries of progressive rock. It takes you most of all on a musical trip into the East. Thinking about countries such as India and Pakistan. The first three tracks are rather relaxed and have a very mellow mood. It is most of all Williamson's typically blissed out and smiling voice that you can hear. He accompanies himself on acoustic instruments such as a tabla, sitar and acoustic guitar. But also delicate synthesizer parts can be heard. For the song Our Celestial Flow the electric instruments are put on. You can hear the electric guitar with wah wah pedal effects and an organ to accompany. The drum kit has also been set up to provide a rhythm togetter with the bass guitar. The song sounds rather psychedelic and moves music wise into the sixties and seventies sounds of Pink Floyd and Amon Duul II. The sitar and the tabla are dusted off for the next piece of music. Pyramids Of Sun moves again towards the musical style which you could hear on the first three tracks. This is also the first track on which the sound of the wind opens the song. Followed by the songs that come next. It is followed by the last track on the original album. Dream Sequence is also the longest piece of music on the original album with a total length of 17 minutes. You might say that this could be an epic piece of music. But that's only wishful thinking because Williamson's goes out of the progressive rock box. Again you can hear on this mellow piece the electric guitar with wah wah pedal effects, but this time around the electric piano is there to accompany. The sixties and seventies sounds of Pink Floyd and Amon Duul II are again present. So psychedelic musical waves all the way. Sometimes mixed with some space rock parts. The bonus track Theories Of Purified Psycho-Spiritual Unity is with 18 minutes the longest track to feature on this re-release of Echo In Light. With only 54 minutes of music on the original album it brings the total time of this reissue to 73 minutes. So many more minutes of music to enjoy. Again this long track isn't an epic. The song brings the listener back to India. Again with the acoustic guitar, the tabla and the sitar in the leading role. The sitar is playing a solo which seems to last forever while the wind in the back is still blowing. Like in a desert storm. The song and album ends with a flute kind of instrument (it also might have been played on a synthesizer) which takes over the leading role of the sitar. It's difficult to compare this type of music to any other artist in the progressive rock scene. Well sometimes the music reminded me of Gandalf (Austrian New Age/Electronic/ Progressive Rock composer Heinz Strobl). Most of all because of the use of the sitar which Strobl also is a capable of playing on and used on many of his releases. Also the sometimes New Age feeling is occasionally present on Echo In Light. Which you can also find on many Gandalf albums. Also as earlier mentioned, the sixties and seventies sounds of Pink Floyd and Amon Duul II comes to the surface sometimes. So do as I do and relive the album, 23 years later after its original release came out. As if time has stood still. You probably won't regret it! Finally, the press info writes that Craig Williamson plays the kind of music you might imagine hearing while laying on your back in some far away garden. Just lay back, and let your mind and soul wander. It's totally cosmic! Well who am I to argue with that? So put on this album and sit down in an easy chair or lie down for a long time among the flowers and close your eyes. Mind-altering substances are not needed to reach higher spheres. Take this musical trip as mother nature intended. Pure and uninhibited. Forget all your daily worries and dream of a beautiful world full of harmony and love where there is no room for war or other things that make life unbearable. *** Henri Strik (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
