electronic voice phenomena

Electronic Voice Phenomena was begun in 2000 in an attic studio in northern England. It's founders and core members Orphian and LSD brought their long term friendship to the musical table. There was no agenda, just a desire to experiment. Using a mixture of real instruments, electronics and found sounds EVP recorded their first cd 'All is Sound'.Work began almost immediately on a second album 'Blisphamy' that was issued privately in 2003. The third album 'The Third Eye' was completed in early 2005. Work on a fourth album currently titled 'Subconscious' has already begun.A compilation of our work so far has been issued by Woven Wheat Whispers distribution label and can be purchased from their site http://www.wovenwheatwhispers.co.uk/Label-Review-ElectronicV oicePhenomena.htm"This band is as strange and mysterious as their name suggests. The subject of 'Electronic Voice Phenomena' is the study of voices captured on tape which come from an unknown 'ether'. This ether is believed by those who experiment in this area to be rogue untraceable radio, other dimensions or even communications from the dead. Comprising two core musicians known only by their artist tags, this band creates a truly psychedelic combination of folk, rock, electronic and progressive music that defies easy categorisation. But once heard it immediately makes sense, taking psychedelic folk and progressive rock and infusing them with cosmic exploration into a style they call for this release 'space folk'. Different tracks evoke different moods, all with a genuine love of sonic discovery. These are no formless drifts though, each piece is structured with melody, development and some kind of conceptual theme. Taking the initial British psychedelic blue print of Pink Floyd's echoing slide lead guitar and psychedelic exploration they add the riffs, throb and dramatics of Steve Hillage on Green or 'Solar Musick Suite'. This is then melded together with contemporary electronics, a touch of dub in places, mission control voices, deep sub-bass drones and rippling ambient sequencers. Without external stimulation this music offers a deeply immersive, mind-altering psychedelic experience all of its own. Of course we know this this isn't strictly folk, but it certainly incorporates elements of it in the acoustic guitar work. On tracks like the sublime 'Laurel' they come even closer into actual folk song itself. Whilst this isn't ever understandably going to appeal to a traditional folk fan, there is room for all here at Woven Wheat Whispers and this is a great example of modern music which uses folk as a springboard. Psychedelic rock/folk is another genre of music which sits outside our ever more grossly commercial mainstream of music. At Woven Wheat Whispers we are proud to bring together not only folk, but music inspired by it which seeks to develop new forms from it. Although we have tried to convey a little of their wonderful woozy music, it is best heard directly and we encourage your listening."Mark Coyle (www.wovenwheatwhispers.co.uk)Review Text: Woven wheat is predominately a site dedicated to folk music in all it’s various incarnations and has never been shy about presenting strange and psychedelic music through its download service. However I cannot find anything even remotely folk about this particular album, not that I am complaining, as this is a shimmering slice of hypnotic space exploration, full of floydian guitar and Orb-like rhythms that is as chilled as the dark side of the moon. Opening with the raindrop echoes of “The Ghosts” the album quickly changes gear for the eight minute “Brocken Spectre”, sounding like Tangerine Dream being re-mixed by Shpongle, the pulsating electronic loops surrounded by floating guitars and swirling synths.Some fine hallucinogenic dub is created on “Chemtrails”, and you can almost see the colours drip from the speakers as “Holography” takes you on a tranquil journey to the stars. Although much of this album is created by machines, the addition of acoustic/classical guitars, sax, flute, voice, piano and mandolin give the album a warmth and fluidity, which make it an extremely relaxed listening experience, something that is especially true of “Vibrational Structures”, the music orbiting around a distant moon, with an eastern groove adding that stoned vibe to the proceedings. Given the fact that the band consists of Orphian, LSD, Helena Rainbow, D9, airlight, GL, and The Good Doctor it is no surprise that there is more than a whiff of Hot knives and oil on this album, however the band do an excellent job of relaxing you whichever planet you happen to live on, and if you are still searching for a folk reference, then “Laurel” has a wistful guitar melody and could be compared to Tuung, meaning it could be defined as Folktronica (yuck). Whatever it is called, I like it!Simon Lewis (www.terrascope.co.uk)