PHOTON SHIFT is the 3rd release in the Riffdisc series that will continue until 2012.The album is a very explosive collection of songs influenced by the late 1960's psychedelic and the progressive space rock movement of the early 1970's. The CD has 7 songs consisting of slow lengthy instrumental passages dominated by multiple sound generators to create complex waveforms by combining countless sonic variations through synth techniquesto replicate and enhance the mind-altering experience. Although, structurally and lyrically the songs are strongly characteristic of the trippy psychedelic and futuristic space odyssey type sounds; the vocals on some of the songs reflect the earlier pop-rock influences creating a (less harmonious) melodic sound over a more lengthier ambient form of pop music delivered in a slow drawn, but harder driven form of the progressive style space rock music. Whilst, a couple of the songs also involve a cross pollination of early southern blues rock and post punk. This album is a very well balanced arrangement of songs that intertwines all of the early roots of the 1960's and 1970's psychedelic-rock, pop, blues and progressive-space rock, that is highly enjoyable and easy to listen to at loud volumes without being blasted away by noise!!!!
PHOTON SHIFT opens with "Edge of Time", which is the background song playing on this page that speaks for itself. Followed by "Glowing Bowl", starting out with trippy repetitious lyrics intensified by continuous sound manipulations creating the engima of an unearthly feel of ascending on a celestial journey bursting into a boundless space fiction theme of lyrics that carry forward in crisp classic rock style vocals giving the song a refreshing sound with a strong progressive edge.
"Symbiont" is a fascinating and extraordinary song, which distinctly incorporates a unique blend of pop influenced post punk over an exhilarating progressive based astral sound with a twist of early southern rock and blues twang, along with acidic-psychedelic lyrics such as "It's What The Mushroom Said" that is a hybrid of all of the late 1960's and early 70's roots in a unigue ambience that is very hypnotic and purely invigorating!
"PHOTON SHIFT" is not only a great choice for the title track on this album, but it is also my favorite! "Photon Shift" is 10:13 in length and is a purely and divinely exquisite song with all of the correct refinements in both instumentation and vocals to make it a delicately gorgeous ethereal experience with a beautiful unworldly spiritual essence that is absolutely breath taking! Love it!
"Already Gone" is perhaps one of the most traditonal sounding songs on the album that has a bit of an acoustic pop-folk essence combined with a mild space rock semblance that flows together nicely keeping up with the empyrean feel. "Mind Flow" picks up the pace in another transcendental space odyssey style song that inspirits the psychedelic mind altering fantasy. The album concludes with "Halls of Armenti" which is a hypnotizing mirage that produces a sedated feel leaving the listener in a quit relaxed state of mind as the album comes to a close.
PHOTON SHIFT is an excellent album! Strongly applaud!!
Jan (editor)
PHOTON SHIFT Now Available @ www.nickriff.com
Edge of Time Glowing Bowl Symbiont Photon Shift Already Gone Mindflow Halls Of Amenti
Playing time of 56:09 Recorded at Oblivion Studio in Cleveland Ohio Mastered by Mark Klein @ Noise Floor Studio Photos & Art by Angel Wolff (c) 2009 Nick Riff (p) Cosmic Eye Music BMI
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