I am Voyager 1

Many thanks to Keith FdM and Phil 345rpm for sending this one over. Just 200 copies have been lathe cut and pressed, 150 of which will be given away free to all those attending the forthcoming Fruits de Mer soiree in Cardigan this August (see ‘16th dream of Dr Sardonicus’). A celebration of all things Victory Garden, well loosely that is, the label that refused with impish glee to play to the music industry standard, if that is, there was one, is 20 years old this year. Agreed this most memorable of shed cobbled, hand crafted with a vague DIY understanding though sadly lacklustre, make that non-existent, eye for business and marketing acumen, have been asleep, sorry, dormant, for a large part of that time. Who remembers the press releases – self mocking, hilariously loveable and in many cases, writing succinctly their own review even if you did wonder at times if maybe they were listening to a totally different record. I vaguely remember mummified cassettes and yes that last ever 8 track, box sets with pieces of the Berlin wall inside, cut up master tapes fragments – we could go one. More importantly it provided a safe home for  the much-missed Southall Riot, a kind of post everything trip pill who made Guided by Voices’ short sonic spats positively proggy by comparison. The bastard children of Syd, far weirder than anything falling out of the Elephant 6 Collective, the Riot were liable to evoke both puzzlement and pleasure in the serving of a loosely chugged chord with their brand of flippantly fried peculiar psychedelia. So back on track following the history lesson, two track lathe release to be given away at the forthcoming Fruits festivities through the re-awakened Victory Garden imprint featuring I am Voyager 1 – of whom those with a memory for these type of things, may well recall, made an appearance on 345rpm’s ridiculously perfect 454545 series (itself – largely a limited press of the Victory Garden and beyond vaults). Anyhow, herewith two new cuts, just Phil on his tod-ney alas not the full Riot comeback with Stu, though he does do the artwork. Titled ‘Miriam built a rocket’ or to give it its full title ‘Miriam builds a rocket and launches into space’ – which if you’re thinking ‘gee that’s long’ – well wait till we get to the flip. As to the sounds, would it be fair to say perhaps, cosmic folk, certainly sits comfortably somewhere between Syd and Donovan in terms of its faraway day dream drift peppered longingly as it is by a casual and subtle sparsely woven psych lilt, not unlike a ‘gigglegoo’ era Freed Unit it should be noted. Over on the flip, wait for it because you might want to draw a deep breathe for this one, ‘Miriam hurtles through space at speeds far exceeding the parameters known thus far to the human race’ – told you, barely has enough space on the label. On this occasion, more considered and opened up, an instrumental no less (that is until an ethereal reprise of the A side sweetly sighs at its parting), cutely cruise controlled, the softly hypnotic chord loops demurringly flanked by astral whispers and the mellowed murmur of woozy warp driven gear shifts adore and tease it affectionately with a vintage sepia set silver age haloing.