Gila

Hey,

As you MAY have noticed, I haven't posted for a while now....for a lot of reasons which I don't find necessary to mention. Anyway I decided to put Stoned Sun Vibrations on hiatus and concentrate my efforts to Downtuned Magazine ('n' Radio). Many of you probably know that Downtuned Mag is dedicated to the Greek heavy rock scene but since I've started Downtuned Radio too, I'm thinking of including posts about releases from all over the world. Apparently I'm going to keep a ratio but we'll see how it'll evolve.

From now on, you can find me on Downtuned Mag. And for any bands interested in reviewing/including them in radio's rotation etc., you can come in touch with me through the contact form over there. As I wrote above. I'll try to keep a ratio and at least in the beginning I'll try to "promote" mostly "smaller", more independent bands that deserve your attention.

So I want to thank each and everyone of you out there who supported, read, promoted and helped this blog. Also a big fat thanks to all the bands which helped SSV in their own way.

That's all for now folks! Thanks again! Maybe SSV will be back someday. Or maybe Downtuned will become better than SSV.... Who knows.

Be well and stay heavy!

Cheers,

Thanos

PS: Rock Trips Mixtapes will be back soon.... They'll be the only thing posted from now on. Perhaps some other personal comps too.

25.4.11

I recently discovered this great band. Let's start with a short bio taken from Last.fm:
"Gila was a German band that, like Amon Düül II and others, started out as a radical hippie commune. Springing out of Stuttgart, Germany in 1971, Gila’s sound was based around the guitar talents of Conny Veidt, who was later a member of Popul Vuh. Gila’s classic debut album, Gila(1971), is an instrumental improv spacerock extravaganza that can stand proudly alongside better-known works by Ash Ra Tempel, Pink Floyd or Amon Düül II. After much touring, Veidt disbanded Gila and joined Popul Vuh. But soon enough, he would pull Gila out of the mothballs for a second album, the less-radical-sounding “Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee”. They disbanded in 1973."

They released two studio albums and one live.

The first one "Gila" or "Free Electric Sound" (1971), consists of long improv space and acid rock jams mainly instrumental with some vocals here and there. Heavy guitar solos, solid bass and great drumming while in background an amazing spacey atmosphere is created by trippy liquid sounds and organs. Nothing excessive and tedious. Just beautiful "simple" music and spacey trips created not from anything electric but from guitar and keyboard craftsmanship.

Their second and last album "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" (1973) has nothing in common with their first one. B.M.H.A.W.K. is in the same spirit as Popol Vuh's second era. And it's not surprising at all since for this album P.V.'s Florian Fricke and Daniel Fichelscher joined Gila. Well, if you liked "Free Electric Sound" probably you'll get disappointed from this. But please be patient and give it a chance. This is a brilliant release as well. It has great atmosphere, wonderful folk melodies created by piano, acoustic guitars and more vocals along with some psych elements. As I said it reminds me of Popol Vuh. This is the best description I can give. It's an absolutely great album.

"Night Works" (1972) is a live recording from Cologne (all tracks are new and not included in other releases) and it's an amazing release (personally I LOVE IT). It's well-played, spacey, hypnotic, mesmerizing.... If you want a better description, read what I wrote for "Free Electric Sound" and add some more feeling and passion for this one. Probably, cause it's a live, it gets you to a deeper trip in space abyss. Guitar, bass, drums, organ, all come and go, bursting into a pandemonium, exploding like 1000 suns and then take you in the calm silent dark side of the moon. An astonishing release and historical document too. The only downside is that it was a live broadcast by a radio station and the last track("The Needle") was cut at 52secs by the station because the given time was up.