Moon Duo – Occult Architecture Vol 2

Coming weeks after the release of the darker Vol1, this (mini) album is “curated” as the Yang to the formers Yin. Yang represents the brighter side - these five songs lasting 38 minutes contain the sense that life is good for the erstwhile Wooden Shjip guitarist Ripley Johnson and his partner in space rock, Sanae Yamada. There are influences on show all over Occult Architecture Vol 2 from Low to Can via Depeche Mode and Hawkwind, but it hardly matters; they make music that will trip you right out. If you’re not up for that, I suspect you weren’t in their thoughts while cavorting round the studio, off their trunks on weapons grade Himalayan Charas. Opener Sevens has the pop balls to throw Donna Summers’ Love’s Unkind into a blender with Joy Division and who isn’t down with that, right? The Crystal World is an 11 minute long instrumental and virtually unchanged from start to finish, mashing up Krautrock and 80’s indie-goth. Mirror’s Edge swirls and grooves around in a kinda funky way, vocal free, all the better to explore your third eye. I think a single album of the pick from both albums would’ve sufficed, but if you dig Moon Duo, this is more to be dug. If you don’t, they’re clearly enjoying their trip too much to notice.