BLACK SUN ENSEMBLE LP/1985 Tucson, Arizona/Top 1980s Desert Psych/Meat Puppets
$
39
$ 39
Sold For
Feb 7, 2021
Sold Date
Oct 7, 2020
Start Date
1
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USA
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Description
BLACK SUN ENSEMBLE 's/t' LP (US, San Jacinto Records, Catalogue #DRAM 2060) Brand new/unplayed copy of limited year 2018 San Jacinto Records LP edition of acclaimed debut LP from 1985 by Tucson, Arizona band The Black Sun Ensemble. In trio form in this original incarnation. Top Instrumental Desert Psych, comparable and/or kindered to the most locked-in, slower, desert pastoral moves of the instrumental portions of Arizona's other famous '80s Psychedelic Desert Denizens The Meat Puppets (circa II and Up On The Sun.), but more relaxed (and with "Eastern" scales) than frantic, as was the Puppets' forte. Modern (1980s) Psychedelia born of the American desert Southwest. Originally released in 1985 on the Pyknotic Records label.
(NOTE: LIMITED VINYL EDITION!)
"It is difficult to think of a band that has ever produced psychedelic music that sounded even remotely like the original Black Sun's" — Byron Coley"ABSOLUTELY stunning psych LP, first released in limited edition in 1985 on Pyknotic label and reissued on CD in 2000 by Camera Obscura (instantly sold out). Stunning fuzzy guitar, Eastern tunes, chanting, some horns here and there.... absolutely spacey psychedelic music." — Mutant Sounds
"Black Sun Ensemble offers sensual, aerial, sonic magic carpet rides laced with the steady flavor of India that will take you high above the Himalayas in your head. But this isn't plinky, incense-burning,catatonic hammock music, nor does it smell of hippie backwash and flashbacks (thought the music can be hypnotic and psychedelic). You can see forever with the Black Sun Ensemble." - CMJ New Music Report
"Jesus Acedo was the quixotic leader of Black Sun Ensemble who, on the basis of his enigmatic recordings, has been hailed by critics as one of the most innovative guitarists of our time. Born on Christmas Eve, 1962 in Tucson, Arizona, to Mexican immigrant parents, Acedo was one of eight children, the only one with an interest in music. After the death of his father in 1975, Acedo grieved by immersing himself in music. He spent most of his early adolescence at the Tucson public library listening to Ravi Shankar and Led Zeppelin records. At this time, Acedo bought a guitar. In high school, he began experimenting with the unique tunings of his guitar that give his music what one reviewer reverently called "peculiarly mystical, twangy, meditative, Middle Eastern rock sound". Muze, in describing his style, said he can "spit blasts of dragon fire or conjure the exotic, iridescent mystique of peacock feathers with a single stroke."A self-titled debut album was released by Tucson's Pyknotic Records in 1985. Its extraordinary qualities led Acedo to sign a five-year contract with England's Reckless Records, and in 1988 the label released "Black Sun Ensemble" (1988), "Lambent Flame" (1989) and "Elemental Forces" (1991). These records were a critical and commercial success. At the time, Offbeat exclaimed that BSE was "possibly, the world's coolest band." After touring the West Coast with Camper Van Beethoven in support of "Lambent Flame" the Ensemble was captured live on the first side of "Tragic Magic" (1992) for Rough Trade. The second side was a magical suite of mostly acoustic pieces that presaged the extensive title track of the later "Sky Pilot" CD. The inexorable weight of personnel changes, drugs and unexpected success eventually unbalanced Acedo's mental stability. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1992 and spent the next two years in and out of local hospitals. During his breakdown, the band recorded the ill-fated "Psycho Master El" album for Tucson's San Jacinto Records (1994). This record was remixed and remastered in 1998 for Camera Obscura Records. The results were issued as "Sky Pilot" in 1999, which also included rare Black Sun singles tracks and a brand new 20-minute work called "Sky Pilot Suite". "Sky Pilot" got rave reviews by critics and sold well locally and internationally. The Ensemble began playing regular gigs, impressing a whole new generation of listeners. News of Black Sun's return to the stage was appreciated by grunge-rock legend Mark Arm of Mudhoney, who engineered a shared performance at Tucson's Club Congress in early 2001. In February 2001, Camera Obscura reissued the debut Black Sun Ensemble recording from 1985, again to extraordinary reviews. — Biography from Camera Obscura website
"Documenting the first incarnation of the Black Sun Ensemble and the only album with the group as a trio, the music hovers like buzzards in the desert over the dehydrated body of psychedelic rock, encircling their prey, waiting to feed on the corpse and draw new strength. A resulting mergence of melodic acoustic/Latin folk, Middle Eastern, raga, acid rock, and woolly feedback is given propulsion by a steady backbeat of rock bass and drums. "Ruby Eyes of China" leads off the reissue (slight variations in the sequence exist between the original and the reissue) with upbeat confidence, adorned with incessant acoustic strumming and laced with ecstatic electric guitar soloing. "Heart of the Sky," the original opening track and for my money the most glorious song on here, is laid out like a gently colored mosaic. It's an ecstatic piece, in which methodically chiming acoustic guitar coalesces with slow burning electric melodies. A solemn peace envelops the mind, like peering out at the warm glow of the morning sun, heavy lidded, after a peyote-soaked night in the sweatlodge which invoked Shamanic visions and healing revelations. "A Chunk of Mandolin Love" flashes muted light from scintillating acoustic fractals, illuminating lysergic splashes of acid leads; "Blue Thunder," subtitled "Improvisation in the key of A," spits out triumphant licks which slice through a nice euphoric haze. It just doesn't let up! Solo electric guitar pyrotechnics ("Ice Breaker"), Arabian scorched landscapes ("Golden Rays"), iridescent ragas on just electric or acoustic guitar and hand drums ("Emerald Eye," "Mandolin Winds"), and solo acoustic guitar rapture ("Mayan Dance") are all spices used in a tremendously savory trans-global stew." — Chris Scofield, fakeJazz website
•Limited vinyl pressing of 150 copies!
•First time available in physical form since 2001, first time on vinyl since 1985!
Tracks on this LP are as follows:
A1 Heart Of The SkyA2 Mayan Dance
A3 Dove Of The Desert
A4 Golden Rays
B1 Emerald Eye
B2 Red Ocean
B3 Ice Breaker
B4 Blue Thunder
B5 Ruby Eyes Of China
B6 Cobracalia
Shipping in US is $4.98./CANADA AIRMAIL is $20.98./MEXICO AIRMAIL is $23.98./EUROPE & RUSSIA AIRMAIL is $24.98./ASIA, CHINA, JAPAN, KOREA, AUSTRALIA AIRMAIL is $26.98. (Shipping totals will be consolidated for multiple winning bids.)
Record shipped in professional, superior rectangular shaped, corner-protecting corrugated cardboard record mailer with filler pads. Satisfaction guaranteed!
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