Receptor Sight - A Multicolored Infinity Of Vibrations

Receptor Sight

A Multicolored Infinity Of Vibrations
self-released; 2014

3.9 out of 5

By J.Simpson

When one thinks of '70s krautrock kosmische bands, one tends to think of longhaired, stone-eyed evangelists living on the edge of some wilderness, camped out with their synths and tape machines and drum circles, trying to pierce the veil and record the consequences. To say that these "songs" (jams, whatever) are long is a bit of an understatement, as well as wild and frayed.

That's not to say that the three tracks that make up A Multicolored Infinity Of Vibrations are not long, or wild, or frayed. But there is a feeling of restraint, of self-control and good taste at work. Receptor Sight seems to know exactly what they're doing.

Receptor Sight is based around on a pair of brothers from a small rural community in Northern California. For A Multicolored Infinity Of Vibrations, the brothers Roffeld recorded in a small cabin on the edge of the wilderness, using a bunch of creative and experimental mic-ing techniques, like using the kitchen as a reverb chamber. There is no artificial compression of any kind in order to give the proceedings a live air. These recordings were then mixed in an intuitive and improvisational way, to create an attractive symbiosis of the analog and digital, that is constantly shifting and morphing, making it ideal for headphone sojourns.

The opener "The Spinning Cube: Part One" starts off with some trance-y, twang-y middle-eastern sounding acoustic guitars, with temple gongs, buzzing synths, and ritualistic percussion creeping in, building up the intensity. The bottom suddenly drops out, and you are immersed in a world of distant echoes and alien choirs, only to have the original recordings creep back in. The feeling is of a portal being opened, and being granted a glimpse of another world, only to quickly return to reality. This is what it might sound like if Stanley Kubrick's monolith were unlocked by analog synthesizers  to reveal its secrets.

"The Spinning Circle: Part One" also reveals what is so special about A Multicolored Infinity Of Vibrations. It's long, hypnotic and repetitive, sure; but the guitars are still catchy and memorable; the beats stomp; the synths are properly eerie, and it is expertly paced and mixed. Here we have a mixture of the experimental and the accessible that bodes good things for Receptor Sight.

The lull is broken on the title track, sort of. Starting off with haunting, delayed guitars, a quick skittering jazz beat adds a light and airy propulsive momentum to the track. The dam bursts, yet again, and you are again submerged in a cosmos of Doctor Who synths, only to have the drums and cosmic organs creep back in. It's the sound of rushing headlong into deep space, of unrepentantly climbing on board the mother ship; of embracing the unknown. "A Multicolored Infinity Of Vibrations" has a light and deft touch, but rocks at the same time.

The band claim psychedelic '70s German bands like Faust, Can, Popol Vuh, and Tangerine Dream as influences, and the band has a lot to offer fans of those bands. In addition, I'd like to add trance-rock warriors like Grails to that mix. For those looking for a mixture of ritualistic acoustic jams, experimental electronics, mixed in an attractive and creative way, look no further. For those looking for a way to combine the best of improvisation and composition, the possibilities of computers with the tangibility of analog, look and listen here.

This gets my vote for space jam ritual of the summer.

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