Psychedels is a new word on me but seems to be shorthand for all things psychedelic. This would only embrace J-level's album if you take the word in the widest sense to mean an ambient sound project that feeds your head.
For while J-Level started out as a drum and bass DJ in Leeds, this album is directed more towards mental escapism than dance floor euphoria. The Place Of The Way is the only track where you would guess he had dnb roots.
The album is immodestly promoted as an "electro Orchestral masterpiece" and has an organic 'we are floating in space' vibe. In common which many records of this type, the titles indicate more than a passing interest in astro-physics spliced together with transcendental concepts.
Velocity Structure has a boffin telling us about the "intricate implicit order" (I think?) while a woman called Caz does some new agey Beth Orton warbling about a new dawn.
Another female voice, that of Emma Green, features on two other tracks. The first of these is a discrete presence on What You Make as another 'expert' advises that all we see is illusion. Good to know.
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Green's other contribution is to add wordless voice to Now You Don't (which is logically is preceded by Now You See It) .
Perhaps to reflect the bigness of the concept, Big Band Theory Pt3 has the most strident beat of all the tunes (I'm not sure what happened to parts 1 and 2).
Alongside the digital sounds there is the more hands-on inclusion of real instruments - guitar, bass, piano and drums but there is still something a little anonymous about this record.
It flows along smoothly and serves as pleasant background music but leaves no lasting impression.
Record label band info
J-Level on My Space
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