Phosphene Dream, the third album from MAGNET faves the Black Angels, marks a big step forward for the Austin, Texas, psych quintet. The band signed to the Blue Horizon label (run by industry bigwigs Richard Gottehrer and Seymour Stein) and worked in L.A. with veteran producer Dave Sardy (Oasis, Rolling Stones), marking the first time the group recorded an LP outside of its home base. The Black Angels also recently upped their profile with a collaborative appearance with UNKLE on the soundtrack to The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. (We hear the track, “With You In My Head,” is played at a pivotal scene in the film, but when it comes to movies, we are more Black Swan than Bella Swan.) The band also backed Austin legend Roky Erickson (though the fruit of that labor is still up in the air, release-wise) and is still working hard on its annual Austin Psych Fest. And if that wasn’t enough, the Black Angels will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Q&A with vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Alex Maas.
Maas: This is an ancient form of singing, probably discovered by the Tuva people of southern Siberia. A harmonic whistle is created by humming a pitch while at the same time creating an overtone that sounds like someone is communicating with aliens. The sound is profound, and the first time saw/heard someone doing it, I was completely floored. I couldn’t tell what was happening. I thought someone was playing a joke on me because the sound was so mesmerizing. I had to learn how to do it! After a few weeks of annoying my roommates with awful humming, growling, grunting and coughing out my own utterances, I heard a mysterious sound coming from the back of my throat and finally figured it out! These sounds were thought to be onomatopoeic sounds of nature. Sounds of the basin of a waterfall, wind and animals. Possibly early ways of communication. Check out the Genghis Blues documentary.
Video after the jump.
