Rocket Probes – November 2020 Playlist

Urdog – Ice on Water
(Psyched out, wah infested first track to be revealed from this incredible bands up-and-coming retrospective compilation)
Urdog

Pharaoh Overlord – 6
(This magnificent album has finally been unleashed and it is has barely left the stereo since it first landed into our inbox – it is a banger!)
Pharaoh Overlord

Kooba Tercu – Proto Tekno Remixed
(Includes remixes by GNOD's Nagra Branca and Shit & Shine)
Kooba Tercu

Various – Baba Yaga's Hut Compilation 2020
(Exclusive tracks by Petbrick, Kooba Tercu, Flowers Must Die and many other great artists)
Baba Yaga's Hut

Anthroprophh – German Oak
(Great new album by the mighty Anthroprophh)
Anthroprophh

Julius Gabriel – Eyes In Orbits
(Sonic immersions by Paisiel man)
Julius Gabriel

Afterwardness – Afterwardness
(Nice repetitions)
Afterwardness

Richard Pinhas - Quentin Compson
(New Drones))))
Richard Pinhas

Hey Colossus – Dances/Curses
(Great new album by HC full of ear-worms)
Hey Colossus 

Chico Hamilton – Abdullah And Abraham
(Nice bit of cosmic jazz grooves courtesy of Cherrystones)
Chico Hamilton

Nina Simone – Blackbird
(Killer track from Miss Simone)
Nina Simone 

Dorcha – Honey Badger
(Great collection of eclectic sounds on the ever great Box records)
Dorcha

Philwit & Pegasus - Elephant Song
(A weird sounding Can and Beatles mash-up)
Philwit & Pegasus

The Revolutionaries – Kunta Kinte (dub plate mix)
(Heavy sounds)
The Revolutionaries

Ece Canlı - Animancia
(Nice folked repetitions from great album on Lovers and Lollipops)
Ece Canlı

Quakers – II The Next Wave
(Smokin')
Quakers

Necrot – Mortal
(Centrum certified death metal)
Necrot

Zia Mohiuddin Dagar – Dhrupad - Raga Pancham Kosh / Malkauns
(Raga immersions)
Zia Mohiuddin Dagar

Nest Egg – Dislocation
(Good album of noisey motorik grooves)
Nest Egg

Gazelle Twin – & NYX - Fire Leap
(Wicker Man vibes)
Gazelle Twin

High Tide – Futilist's Lament
(Classic psyched rock from '69) 
High Tide

X_X – No Nonsense
(Anthroprophhh's Gareth Turner threw the light on this slice of art punk from 1980 for us)
X_X

Sign-up to our 'updated monthly' Rocket Probes Spotify Playlist here:

---

Pop Matters reviews Pharaoh Overlord's '6'

They say:

Rocket Recordings has become the home of much of this generation's psychedelia. And psychedelia of all kinds, be it the elusive anthemic electronica of Teeth of the Sea, the extreme noise injections of Gum Takes Tooth, or the minimal improvisations of Paisiel, an abundance of extraordinary releases have come through the label. It is now the turn of Finnish psychedelic aficionados Pharaoh Overlord to step into the fold, unleashing the latest entry in a prolific discography with 6.

For Pharaoh Overlord, maximum impact is achieved when worlds collide. In the case of 6 , the focus is split between a melodic electronic edge and an extreme, metallic vocal rendition. The soothing waves of synthesizers and the catchy basslines of "Path Eternal'' crush on top of the processed vocals creating havoc when they meet. Yet, these seemingly dancehall rhythms have a most disturbing underbelly, one that becomes more apparent as 6 unfolds. "Arms of the Butcher" crafts an intricate ambiance filled with sonic illusions and mind-melting distractions...

Read the rest here: Pop Matters

---

XS Noize interviews Aaron Turner about the PHARAOH OVERLORD album

They say:

Recently released “6” became one of the most unusual records for both Pharaoh Overlord – Finnish electronic duo and Aaron Turner, who’d collaborated with Tomi Leppänen Jussi Lehtisalo as their featured vocalist on the record. Dan Volohov asked Aaron Turner, the founder of ISIS\SUMAC\One Man Glood\Hydra Head Records to share his opinion of the tracks on “6” and explain their meaning to him.

Path Eternal
Regarding the birth of new beings, the inborn innocence and love of all. Also, regarding the possibility for rebirth for those of us who have been bruised by life (everyone), in need of healing (also everyone), and for enacting the ritual of rebirth (for those that are willing to undergo the process). Inspiration for this one derived from Killing Joke and Beherit amongst others.

Arms of the Butcher
There is a surplus of angry energy I’ve accumulated in my life. Unable to process it by healthy means in my younger years I’ve needed to find other pathways for it as an adult. So instead of becoming a serial killer or venting my rage at my undeserving family, I’ve found active and productive ways of redirecting that energy. I have not listened to much industrial music in my life, but my vocals here were my interpretation of what might transpire within that musical realm...

Read the rest here: XS Noize

---

Norman Records announce exclusive Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Viscerals vinyl

Norman Records have announced an exclusive Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Viscerals vinyl. 

The Blackened Blood (half black/half red) edition is a limited edition of 300 and can be bought from here: Normans

---

Buzz Magazine reviews Pharaoh Overlord's '6'

They say:

When two genres collide, the result can often be catastrophic… but this is not the case with the sixth album from Finland’s Pharaoh Overlord [pictured], a duo of Jussi Lehtisalo and Tomi Leppanen (both also of fellow experimental Finns Circle) joined by American metal vocalist Aaron Turner. Its apt title conceals unlikely hybrids: this is Jean-Michel Jarre meets Slipknot, or Tangerine Dream meets In Flames, or Earthstar meets Lamb Of God with a touch of ATB.

Yet as much as 6 echoes the past, it sits firmly in the present. The music is hypnotic, the vocals are psychotic but somehow rather than jarring or startling the listener, they blend. Almost. Written at the start of the pandemic, 6 offers a lyrical response to separation and isolation but the sound is surprisingly uplifting. I couldn’t decipher most of the words but could easily listen to this multi-layered offering to the god of Krautrock on repeat for the beat alone.

Read the piece here: Buzz Mag

---

Four Rocket albums in The Quietus's Albums of The Year

Nice to see four Rocket albums in The Quietus's Albums of The Year...

Sex Swing – Type II
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Viscerals
Shit And Shine - Malibu Liquor Store
Pharaoh Overlord – 6

All feature in a great list...and massive congratulations to Hey Colossus for getting the prestigious Number 1 slot!

See the full list here: The Quietus

---

J. Zunz mixtape and interview for Clot Magazine

It reads:

Mixtape 23 sees Mexican artist Lorena Quintanilla crafting a selection of tunes to warm the late November afternoons.

Originally from Guadalajara (México), the artist made a name for herself as one-half of Lorelle Meets The Obsolete, a duo responsible for some of the most sonically adventurous psych experimentalism of recent times with a reputation for exceptional live shows.

Now relocated in the less hectic city of Ensenada in Baja California, Quintanilla has reinvented herself into J. Zunz, a new solo project where she explores similar atmospherics but marking a distance with what she had been doing with the obsolete. J.Zunz is the result of a metamorphic process whereby the minimal is rendered maximal and the personal fused with the political.

The initial vision for the J. Zunz project was for Lorena to strip her approach down to the basics. She remembers reading a biography of John Cage, where the author was referring to the influence of Buddhism and meditation, and modern artists like Sonia Delaunay, Lucio Fontana, Julio Le Parc, Duchamp, futurism… that detonated something inside her and sparked a myriad of ideas.

Earlier in August J. Zunz published her second album, Hibiscus (Rocket Recordings), which takes the name one of the most popular flowers in her native Mexico. The album marks a move on sonically from earlier comfort zones in her work, into minimal electronics, hypnotic repetition and compelling trance states, arriving at a soundworld in which cyclical synth patterns, eerie ambient textures and cathartic vocal exhortations...

Read the rest here: Clot

---

Pharaoh Overlord's majestic new album '6' is released today

"Boldly unearthing the missing link between disco and death metal." The Quietus

"Exhilarating." The Wire

"Something unique and vibrant happening here." 8.5/10 The Prog Mind

"An eternally memorable electronic marvel." Backseat Mafia

The wait is finally over, today sees the release of Pharaoh Overlord's incredible album '6'. 

Sadly due to Covid complications the vinyl is 'still' delayed, but we should be receiving copies next week hopefully. The CD's are in stock and will be shipping out on Monday but if you can't wait you can listen to the album in full now via all streaming sites.

Buy the CD or preorder ltd LP here: Bandcamp

'6' by Pharaoh Overlord is a cataclysmic clash with bewitching results. The band’s current duo of Tomi Leppänen and Jussi Lehtisalo first channelled their love of krautrock-damaged monomania into synth-driven motorik soundscapes on 2019’s ‘5’ yet this new exploration is a step way beyond, into a chilly and captivating electronic panorama. Beholden to the melodies and textures of Kraftwerk yet also the cinematic austerity of EBM and the effervescent pulse of classic Italo-disco, it’s further abetted by fierce and corrosive vocals from longtime collaborator and Sumac/Isis/Old Man Gloom seer Aaron Turner, which stand atop these futuristic serenades not unlike the fevered delivery of a dystopian hellfire preacher.

Like a brightly underlit disco dancefloor flashing out a warning of danger, the alchemical force of '6' is equal parts hedonistic rapture and dark revelation.

---

The Prog Mind reviews Pharaoh Overlord

They say:

There have been surprisingly few notable electronic releases this year.  I’ve really liked only a handful, so I was eager to jump into the new Pharaoh Overlord album when I saw the promo arrive.  The new album is called “6” and releases on November 27th through Rocket Recordings.

Pharaoh Overlord comes to us from Finland.  The band is officially made up of Tomi Leppänen and Jussi Lehtisalo right now, but longtime friend Aaron Turner provides vocals on this album.  In fact, according to the bio in their promo kit, Aaron was originally only meant to be on a couple tracks, but he loved the sound so much that he wrote lyrics for the entire album and is featured on every track.

The band, for the last couple albums, has been carving their own niche in electronic music.  With a rock vibe and catchy rhythms, the band is more in the vein of Kraftwerk than, say, Tangerine Dream.  Their songs feel like songs, not atmospheric soundscapes.  Yet, the band has their own sound.  That sound is one of bold electronic loops, effervescent melodies floating in a thick soup of fervor, and layers upon layers of grand ideas.  Many times, those ideas are wild contrasts, pitting fleeting beauty up against raw textures.  This is achieved primarily through Aaron’s “corrosive” harsh vox that help define the album as a whole.  In the midst of reeling and grooving rhythms, his bark manages to make my neck hairs stand on end...

Read the rest of the 8.5/10 review here: The Prog Mind 

---

Listen to Pharaoh Overlord compiled playlist

Pharaoh Overlord have compiled an eclectic Spotify playlist of 'UK bands' for you to enjoy:

---