Six Organs of Admittance
http://www.sixorgansofadmittance.com

styles: psychedelic folk, mystic mountain hop
others: Simon Finn, Devendra Barnhart, Pharaoh Sanders

The Sun Awakens
Drag City, 2006
rating: 3.5/5
reviewer: jspicer

Putting all your eggs in one basket can be a risky venture. If successful, praise and accolades shall be your fruitful reward. Should you fail, then the barbs of ugly critics and scorned admirers shall haunt your every step — whether these thoughts seeped into Ben Chasny's noggin while creating The Sun Awakens is anybody's guess. Everyone needs a challenge, a chance to prove themselves — not only the watching eyes of fans and critics, but also to themselves.

To the point, The Sun Awakens is an album of two parts, but more so an album banking on a 24-minute monster. The first half relies on Chasny's traditional acoustic prowess. The subtle "Torn By Wolves," the powerful "Black Wall" and "Attar," and the action-packed "The Desert is a Circle" are all familiar sounds for fans of Six Organs of Admittance. The buzz of the strings, the OK Corral ballads, and the echoing vocals — all a fitting follow-up to last year's School of the Flower.

Then we meet the beast. Say hello to "River of Transfiguration." This is the jumping off point for those afraid of noise and/or drone. For others, this is where The Sun Awakens turns frightening and gets interesting. The first six minutes are as desolate and eerie as it gets. Monotone drones and high-pitched wails mark the bewitching period. Then, salvation from the dark in the form of a solitary snare hit. Slowly, reverberating guitars, manic drums, and moaned chants join the fray. The battle goes back and forth, before the track finally yields to the drone once more. "River of Transfiguration" has managed to turn The Sun Awakens from School of the Flower's twin to the family's black sheep. Its mystery and intrigue will stay with you the rest of the day. It's able to turn warm days cold and sunny days into cloudy skies ready to burst with rain.

If you were hoping for a predictable outing from Ben Chasny, you won't find it on The Sun Awakens. Sure, six of the seven tracks aren't as varied or experimental as "River of Transfiguration," but the influence of that one song turns the album into something else. After the initial listen, The Sun Awakens will never sound the same. The moods shift, the sounds transform, and the meanings change.

1. Torn By Wolves
2. Bless Your Blood
3. Black Wall
4. The Desert is a Circle
5. Attar
6. Wolves' Pup
7. River of Transfiguration

School of the Flower
Drag City, 2005
rating: 4/5
reviewer: jean-pierre


It's nice to see career labels like Chicago's Drag City Records. It's been over a decade since I first came across the label, trying to understand this 'indie rock' stuff. After stumbling upon Royal Trux, my love for the label began and hasn't waned one bit. It's now 2005 and we see Drag City branching out of its traditional indie rock confines. Not only did they recently sign the excellent PG Six from Brooklyn, but they released the latest from psych-folk mainstay Six Organs of Admittance. The ever-prolific Ben Chasny has been releasing music continuously over the last few years, but this proper follow-up to Compathia is much anticipated, especially after hearing that drummer wunderkind Chris Corsano would be joining Chasny to some extent on this release.

Maybe due to a somewhat larger recording budget or simply in need of change, School of the Flower finds Chasny focusing on melodies and atmosphere more so than on previous releases, which were sometimes hidden in noise, drone, or occasionally a meandering lack of direction. Eight tracks of acoustic jams is certainly nothing new for Six Organs fans, but this album discerns itself from previous releases by having a more relaxed feel and a cleaner sound.
But it's the intricate guitar work that ultimately characterizes the album. "Words for Two" and "Procession Of Cherry Blossom Spirits" both feature much more proficient guitars than on previous releases. Chasny's sense of atmosphere works incredibly well on this release where all of his strengths mesh together. On "Home," his voice is raised to a slight falsetto and is eerily reminiscent of a psychedelic Elliott Smith. "Lisboa" closes the album in a simple fashion, with a beautiful guitar melody that recalls Nick Drake's classic Pink Moon.

 School of the Flower might just be Six Organs' finest release thus far. Sure, it would've been nice to hear more of a collaboration with Corsano (he starts the album off with his trademark drum swirl on "Eight Cognition / All You've Left," but after about 45 seconds the guitar kicks in and Corsano is virtually absent for most of the album, returning only for the extended jam that closes the title track), but the album still manages to capture Chasny at his finest. He reins in some of his rougher edges, offering listeners a more streamlined sound. This is a welcome step in the right direction for Six Organs and the excellent Drag City label.

1. Eighth Cogaition / All You've Left
2. Words For Two
3. Saint Cloud
4. Procession Of Chevy Blossom Spirits
5. Home
6. School Of The Flower
7. Thicken Than A Smokey
8. Lisboa

The Manifestation
Ba Da Bing, 2000
rating: 3/5
reviewer: jean-pierre


I never expected much from Six Organs of Admittance's Ben Chasny when I stepped into some small rock club in the summer of 2003. Not that his music wasn't hypnotic and inspired by any means, I just never imagined that a year later 'psychedelic folk' would be a big seller in indie record stores and turn into the massive draw it currently is. But even in 2003, 25 people were already being drawn into the trance like sway of Chasny's expertly-crafted tripped out folk.

It wasn't always this way. For proof, pick up the newly-reissued The Manifestation on Strange Attractors (originally Chasny's vinyl-only release from 2000). A haunting and, of course, psychedelic affair, the title track itself stretches for a meandering 22 minutes, building up, hanging out, and finally breaking down in a melodic mess. Starting with percussive rhythms reminiscent of Pharoah Sanders' more meditative works, the track opens up with Chasny's trademark guitar, which is undoubtedly influenced by Middle Eastern melodies steeped in American folk traditions. Chasny's chant-like vocals enter at the 7 minute mark while tape loops and found sounds work their way into the musical stew. A deep drone silences the music and allows Chasny to weave his guitar back to the forefront before the piece eventually comes to a rest.

Recorded four years later, the second track, "The Six Stations," is a response to the title track. Here, Chasny shreds his guitar over a crackling, scratchy record that doesn't sound far from a John Fahey track, if Fahey decided to explore his more experimental moments. A poetry reading by Current 93's David Tibet breaks up the music and all that is left is the crackling sound. The track reverts to the guitar and crackling sounds for another 10 minutes before concluding.

While The Manifestation offers a glimpse at what Chasny aimed for when he first began recording, the tracks are more amateur and meandering than one would expect from someone who has taken the reins of the psychedelic music scene. What made Dark Noontide and Compathia so compelling were Chasny's ability to take elements of blues, psychedelia, and experimental sounds and make them palpable and accessible without watering down any of the qualities that made it so original in the first place. Twenty minute tracks might sound fine on paper, but Chasny has shown excellent prowess in his ability to streamline the best moments of psychedelic music into six minute nuggets. I'm intrigued by where he came from, but much more satisfied with where Six Organs of Admittance is headed.

1. The Manifestation
2. The Six Stations