Release Date: 02nd December 2022. Record Label: Argonauta Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Journey To The Pink Planet: Tracklisting
Alif
Calima
Luna Eclipse
It's Not The Reason
Agarthi
Sirdarja
Foreign Lane
Review
Psych Stoner Rockers Aktopasa new album Journey To The Pink Planet is an interesting collection of different sounds that fuses elements of Prog Rock, Psych Rock, Stoner Rock and Post-Rock for a wickedly entertaining album that will keep the listener on thier toes. Beautifully constructed with the Ambient Post-Rock sound and the heavier Progressive Stoner Rock grooves. The album does feel like a cinematic journey when the band move across the Post-It's Desert Rock and Stoner Rock spectrum.
Aktopasa feel inspired by bands such as Russian Circles, Pink Floyd, KYUSS and Colour Haze with the trippier and progressive Desert/Stoner Rock vibe of the album being one of the strongest elements here. The album does take time to fully get going but once you understand the creative rules and themes the band use for this album, you will have a blast with the different hazy styles of Instrumental Rock the band primarily use for the record. There are vocals but these only appear sporadically on the record and not until the excellent fourth track It's Not The Reason.
The first three tracks Alif, Calima and Lunar Eclipse drift into Pink Floyd sounding Psychedelics before the band add traces of Post-Rock sounding free-flowing Progressive riff wizardy which is soothing and where Aktopasa are the most focused. Though, the album becomes wilder and more exciting when the band enter the realms of Psych Rock, Desert Rock and Stoner Rock for a heavier progressive sound.
The album does feel it has a spiritual and personal energy for the band members. As it's quite an emotionally charged album.Journey To The Pink Planet is full of excellent sounding extended Psychedelic Jams which includes a hint of Middle Eastern mysticism on the later stages of the album especially on Agarthi and Sirdarja.
The majority of the songs last between seven minutes and eleven minute in length that allows the band plenty time to explore many different themes and sounds within the world of Post-Rock and Stoner Rock. Truth, be told I didn't know what to expect for Journey To The Pink Planet and I was expecting a standard Post-Rock/Post-Stoner album with not much to say. However, I was wrong with that assumption. As this album is a thrilling and vivid musical adventure into the more daring side of Post-Rock/Stoner Rock. The progressive themes are wonderfully on point which allows Aktopasa to create their own definitive style of music.
Journey To The Pink Planet is aided by first rate production values that allows the band to play peaceful uplifting sounds as well as heavier aggressive grooves when the mood calls for it.
All in all, Journey To The Pink Planet is a sublime album to own and fully explore which shows a different side to the Post-Rock/Stoner Rock scene. Aktopasa are an exciting band to check out in their own right and with Italian Powerhouse label Argonauta Records releasing this album, I expect these guys to become more well known within the underground scene because of this album and Argonauta Records backing them all the way.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Grand Sounds PR for the promo.
Journey To The Pink Planet will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Argonauta Records from December 02nd 2022.
Links:
