“Plastic Crimewave - He’s
a guy, he’s a band, he’s a multi-coloured forward-thinking arthole of Tardis
Dementions. He’s a Futuretro freak, he’s a sibilant gas, he’s a rock’n
roll-a-holic” and who are we to disagree the Arch Drude, Julian Cope……..writer,
artist, creator of the beloved psychedelic magazine Galactic Zoo Dossier,
musician and arguably the Godfather of the current fertile Chicago Psych scene,
Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) has been making seriously far out records
for the best part of 20 yrs. His previous band Plastic Crimewave Sound built up
a massive cult following, releasing several critically acclaimed albums and
touring with Comets on Fire, Acid Mothers Temple, and Oneida amongst others
before disbanding. Plastic Crimewave Syndicate, led by Plastic Crimewave on
guitar and vocals with bassist Anjru Kettering, formerly of windy city
acid-rawk gods the Great Society Mind Destroyers; Dawn Aquarius on synth, who
was part of Herbcraft and Cursillistas, Brainshadows and Oracle Offering; and
Jose Bernal, who has pounded the skins for Bionic Cavemen and Dead Feathers as
well, have been active since 2012 playing
what can only be described as “Cosmik-Free-Punk” . Following their 2013 album
The Golden Cage, gigs opening for Loop, Hawkwind and also playing with newer
Psych bands like Woods, Purling Hiss and Quilt, the band have returned with a
new album of pulverising Psych Rock which is a fusion of Chaos Magic, astral
projection and sonic attack. "Now's the time to drink deeply from the grail
of Psych, for its bearers, Plastic Crimewave Syndicate, are among us once more”.
Plastic Crimewave
Syndicate’s self-titled second album comprises
of six heavy and transcendental compositions which take inspiration from the
relentless riffing of early Loop, the Kosmic Punk chaos of Chrome and Guru Guru
and the 70s Space Rock adventures Hawkwind as they explore the outer dimensions
of their sound. It’s an intense 40 minute trip which harks back to the best
leftfield, underground Psychedelic Rock from the 70’s and 80’s, full of
pounding drums, skull crushing heavy bass, swooping, bubbling synths and PC’s
squalling, fuzzed out and distorted guitar that create a barrage of dense,
thundering grooves and full on freak outs that will blow your mind and melt
your face. Blasting off towards distant galaxies, the record opens with the riff
heavy groove of ‘God of Lions’ which sounds like Loop and Chrome meeting in
deep space and the rest of the album continues in the same vain. The driving
motrik pulse and nimble bass lines that underpin swirling sonic brutality of ‘Envisioner’
give the track the feel of a Punk Hawkwind, a beautiful noise that is simultaneously
both ferocious and mind expanding in equal proportions. The closing track, the
10 minute ‘Void of Eternity’, is destined
to be a stoner classic……….a spliff odyssey so dense and unremitting it sucks
all the sweet smelling vapour out of the room as you dissolve into your sofa,
stoned immaculate. This is certainly one of the best Heavy Psych/Stoner Rock
albums we have heard for a while and certainly one for all you children of the
bong.
Plastic Crimewave
Syndicate has been released, with an eye for authentic 70’s/80’s detail, on
black, blue splatter vinyl in an extra-heavy cardboard sleeve by the Birmingham,UK label Swordfish, also home to luminaries like Roky Erickson, Sky Saxon and
YHW13 (we have been buying records in their store for around 25 years and have
just sussed they ran a really cool boutique label….duh!). Limited to 300
copies, the album is available to buy from their Ebay site or alternatively if
you live in the West Midlands area you can always pop into the shop in Brum and
get a copy directly. At time of writing there is no US distribution deal but keep
‘em peeled People as there is meant to be one in the pipeline, however you can
get a digital download from the Plastic Crimewave Syndicate from their Bandcamp
page https://pcwsyndicate.bandcamp.com/album/plastic-crimewave-syndicate
and we would not be surprised if some of the cooler Chicago record stores are
carrying a few copies. Galactic Zoo
Dossier is published by Drag City and is available from their webstore here http://www.dragcity.com/artists/galactic-zoo-dossier.
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