Released on vinyl for the very first time this October is 1999’s Dust and Chimes from 6 Organs of Admittance. Fresh from appearing at Supersonic festival in Birmingham, new listeners are given the opportunity to revisit these early works on a more suitably “retro” format. The early 6 Organs sound is not a huge departure from now, semi-comprehensible vocals, guitar and random percussion which is sometimes in time, a mix of folk and psychedelia, which went on to be a cornerstone of the freak-folk scene.
Dust and Chimes starts slowly with some odd instrumental pieces before hitting its stride. My highlight is Blue Sun Chiming, which overlays the folk sound with odd backwards instrumental snippets. It still sounds simultaneously like a record from the 60s, medieval times, and possibly also the far future. Black Needle Rhymes brings a more sinister edge, using a continuous background hum, and sounding like the Velvet Underground gate crashing a folk festival.
The album ultimately leads up to the epic 13 minute “Journey through Sankuan Pass”, more a meandering exploration than a journey, the sort of track you could listen to fading in and out while watching one of those montages of sped up clouds.
Vinyl junkies could do a lot worse than checking this out. For optimum impact, listen to it on a vintage portable Dansette in a forest clearing while the sun rises.
