Shpongle: Tales of the Inexpressible (2001)

::: I first heard this album about 4 years ago when I was living in Lawrence, KS. At the time I primarily only listened to hip-hop, and didn't really have any interest in electronic music. A friend of mine who was really big into electronica told me about Shpongle, and since that day I have been a huge fan. Shpongle is a duo of talented musicians, Simon Posford and Raja Ram, who teamed up to create some of the most amazing cross-cultural psychedelic music I have ever heard. On Tales of the Inexpressible, Shpongle incorporates all different types of music from around the world and fuses them in to a cohesive whole. At times it leans toward psy-dub or more downtempo influences, and others it is almost an upbeat dance party. However, the main vibe you get from the album is that it intends to facilitate a personal psychedelic experience (be it a "natural high" or chemically induced). One track in particular, "A New Way to Say 'Hooray!' begins with a vocal sample of the legendary psychedelic guru Terence McKenna. He references his experiences with hallucinogens, affirming that they break down mental barriers and give one's consciousness a "new way to say hooray." All of the tracks flow nicely from one to the next, and none of them seem overly similar or repetitive. I recommend this to anyone who has an open mind when it comes to music from other parts of the world, and enjoys psychedelic-influenced vibes. Sadly, Shpongle released their final album in 2005 entitled Nothing Lasts... But Nothing is Lost (another reference to the late Terence McKenna). I suggest you get that album as well, but Tales of the Inexpressible is my personal favorite.

My Favorites:

Star Shpongled Banner :: An example of the more downtempo style tracks on the album, "Star Shpongled Banner" starts off with a distorted and unintelligible sample of someone talking, and fades into a heavy bassline and melodic vocals. The beat is highly dub influenced, and is accompanied by small piano parts and the beautiful flute playing of Raja Ram. Most of the tracks on the album feature Raja Ram, who adds effects to his instrument to enhance to overall style. As the song builds, more electronic/synth instruments are added, and by the end the tempo has sped up to a more upbeat pace. What started as a psy-dub track ends as an upbeat almost psy-trance anthem accompanied by chanting group vocals. Highly recommended.

A New Way to Say 'Hooray!' :: I mentioned this track above, and it is another personal favorite. It is difficult to try to explain what's going on in a Shpongle song because so much is happening, and I can't always tell what all instruments or sounds are being used. As with most of their other tracks, A New Way to Say 'Hooray!' incorporates a dub-style bassline with dramatic chanting vocals and other synthesized melodies. What makes this song a little different are the various samples from Terence McKenna, which are all about psychedelics (and are fittingly distorted with effects). Makes you feel like your mind is expanding, even if you aren't tripping...