Pharaoh Overlord "Zero"

Country: Finland
Genre(s): Psychedelic, Stoner, Space Rock
Label: Ektro Records elektro-136/ Hydra Head Records hh666-225/krypt 122
Format: CD, vinyl, digital
Release date: April 27, 2018
Tracklist: 
1. Revolution (8:44)
2. Maailmanlopun Ateriana (6:14)
3. Meanwhile (6:02)
4. Lalibela Cannot Spell Zero (8:59)
5. Satavuotiaiden Salaisuus (4:13)
6. I Drove All Night By My Solar Stomp (7:39)

Total Time 41:51

Line-up: 
Janne Westerlund (Circle): Guitars, Bass, Vocals
Jussi Kangas: Guitars, Vocals
Julius Jääskeläinen (Circle): Guitars
Pekka Jääskeläinen (Circle): Guitars
Jussi Lehtisalo (Circle): Bass, Guitars, Vocals
Tomi Leppänen (Circle): Drums
   With
Antti Boman (Demilich): Vocals
Hans Joachim Irmler (Faust): Organ

Description/Reviews: 

Musically the band bring the usual tasty blend of psych-kraut-space rock grooves. The propulsive chug of ‘Maalimanlopun Ateriana’ is spattered by outburts of acid yellow 80’s synth that pop up now and then across the record. It’s light on its feet and the quicker, restlessly motorik numbers alternate with a couple of more laid back, wide eyed dreamers. The atmospheric ‘Meanwhile’ finds us orbiting serenely while Boman reports back from the planet below. It doesn’t sound like he has great news. On the chilled out, nocturnal ‘Satavuotiaden Salaisuus’ he contents himself with a series of low growls and groans. Either side of it the wonderfully titled ‘Lalibela Cannot Spell Zero’ and ‘I Drove All Night by My Solar Stomp’ seem cut from the same cloth of expanding, driving, kraut metal, heading for the horizon flattening all in their path.

Read the full review by Jared Dix at echoesanddust.com

Media/Samples 
Revolution
Maailmanlopun ateriana
Stream

Links:
Progarchives
Proggnosis

Pharaoh Overlord "Circle"

Country: Finland
Genre(s): Instrumental Electronica, Krautrock
Label: Ektro Records
Format: CD, vinyl
Release date:April 30, 2015 (CD),  June 12, 2015 (vinyl)
Tracklist: 

1. Eläin rientää kotiin - 06:05  
2. Tarkennus - 06:07  
3. Verbi - 05:26  
4. Villaa - 08:02  
5. Raide 2 - 05:38  
6. Ystävinä ja pariskuntina - 05:27

Line-up: 
Julius Jääskeläinen (Circle)
Pekka Jääskeläinen (Circle)
Jussi Lehtisalo (Circle)
Tomi Leppänen (Circle)
Janne Westerlund (Circle)

Description/Reviews: 

Circle, and their not-all-that-different-really side-project band Pharaoh Overlord have now simultaneously released albums with the titles "Circle" and "Pharaoh Overlord", no, not self-titled albums, the Circle one is called Pharaoh Overlord and the Pharaoh Overlord one is called Circle. And they have very similar art/graphics. Yep. That's what they do for laffs up in Finland, although knowing Jussi, he probably has some very serious, meaningful reason behind this scheme, but the explanation would be impossible to understand. It makes a circle or something. Regardless, what we've got here are TWO NEW Circle and/or Pharaoh Overlord albums, however you slice it, and that's a good thing! Of course, they just showed up yesterday, the day before our list, but we already have spun these a bunch of times and know we will spin them lots more, so sure let's make 'em both Records Of The Week! 

On Pharaoh Overlord's Circle, they indeed do their best Circle impression - not so hard since the band consists ENTIRELY of members of Circle after all (the lineups on these two albums are identical except that vocalist/keyboardist Mika Ratto only appears on the Circle one, which also has a guest horn player). And while PO were originally conceived as the heavier, "stoner rock" alter ego of Circle, here they evince a lighter touch than what Circle do on their parallel Pharaoh Overlord album, less heavy, less dark, instead being delightfully upbeat and sunny sounding, but of course with lots of the usual rhythmic urgency, gently directed. The all-instrumental music is layered with lots of pretty synth sizzle, almost giving it a 'new wave' vibe, uplifting and sprightly, even. We like the bloop bloop lava lamp sound going on throughout track two, "Tarkennus", and the first track, "Elain Rientaa Kotiin", features a melodic synth flourish that sure reminds us a lot of Stereolab... as of course does the similarly Neu! derived motorik beat. "Villaa", track 4, really blurs the lines between the typically krauty pulse of Circle and loop-based dance music. And so it goes. Providing a blissful rhythmic workout overall, this is a great Circle/Pharaoh Overlord/whatevertheywannacallthemselves album that we'll for sure be returning to on days when we need a sweet, lively, Circular pick me up. Recommended, as is the other one by the other band. (aquariusrecords.org)

Media/Samples 
Elain rientaa kotiin 
Raide 2

Links:
Web page (Circle)
ProgArchives
Proggnosis

Circle "Pharaoh Overlord"

Country: Finland
Genre(s): Psychedelic
Label: Ektro Records
Format: CD, vinyl
Release date:April 30, 2015 (CD),  June 12, 2015 (vinyl)
Tracklist: 

1. Koitto - 11:33
2. Kavelen Luiden Paalla - 10:50
3. Aavasaksa - 06:47
4. Aldebaran - 06:37
5. Madonna of Viggiano - 07:06

Line-up: 
Julius Jääskeläinen – guitar
Pekka Jääskeläinen – guitar
Jussi Lehtisalo – bass, vocals
Mika Rättö – keyboards, vocals
Tomi Leppänen – drums
Janne Westerlund – guitar, vocals
   With
Juho Viljanen – horns

Description/Reviews: 

Circle, and their not-all-that-different-really side-project band Pharaoh Overlord have now simultaneously released albums with the titles "Circle" and "Pharaoh Overlord", no, not self-titled albums, the Circle one is called Pharaoh Overlord and the Pharaoh Overlord one is called Circle. And they have very similar art/graphics. Yep. That's what they do for laffs up in Finland, although knowing Jussi, he probably has some very serious, meaningful reason behind this scheme, but the explanation would be impossible to understand. It makes a circle or something. Regardless, what we've got here are TWO NEW Circle and/or Pharaoh Overlord albums, however you slice it, and that's a good thing! Of course, they just showed up yesterday, the day before our list, but we already have spun these a bunch of times and know we will spin them lots more, so sure let's make 'em both Records Of The Week!
The Circle album is quite, well, it's pretty much redundant and superfluous to say in a review of a Circle album that the music is "mesmeric" but goshdarnit, this is indeed mesmerizing. They don't try to sound especially like Pharaoh Overlord, by the way, whatever that would entail, not of course that they don't, either. Instead, the quick takeaway here would be that this is "the Circle album with horns". (Oh, wait, there's a PO album called Horn, maybe that's the weird connection, hmmm??) Anyway, the horns are the big X-factor here, tooting along syncopatedly and cyclically Circle-like. A little jazzy, certainly proggy, those horns, along with the wordless vocal choirs, make us think of Magma and other '70s large-ensemble prog symphonics. We're also put in mind of some suspenseful '60s/'70s film soundtracks, like David Shire's The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three just a bit. It gets intense, with stabs of distorted guitar chords to further intensify the mood. Meanwhile, the vocals, which include some impressive caveman freakout screams, are also crucial, and hark back to the early days of Circle, when they did the monk-chanting thing in their own made up language (a la Magma as well) on albums like Zopalki.
Ultimately, it's really gorgeous and, again, super mesmeric, these tracks all of course built around endless repetitive grooves, simple (deceptively so, we're sure) and effective in the usual Circle style. And the only reason one track ever ends, it seems, is that another one needs to begin. And we wouldn't have it any other way. This Circle consists of circles within circles to spin the mind around. Wow, nice. Recommended, as is the other one by the other band. (https://www.aquariusrecords.org)

Media/Samples 
Koitto
Kavelen luiden paalla

Links:
Web page
ProgArchives
Proggnosis

Circle "Leviatan"

Country: Finland
Sub Genre: Krautrock, Psychedelic
Label: Ektro Records
Release date: March 28, 2014
Tracklist: 

1. Kuohu (6:14) 

2. Huone (5:21)

3.     Protectorate (6:30)

4. Post-Kapitalismus (3:47)

5. Rakeita (4:38)

6. Hiekkaristi (5:13)

7. Haavat (4:52)

8. Valley (5:44)

9. Viaton (3:42)

Line-up: 
Janne Westerlund
Jussi Lehtisalo
Tomi Leppänen
Julius Jääskeläinen
Pekka Jääskeläinen
Mika Rättö

Description/Reviews: 

Circle could release anything and it would not surprise me, they hammer out speed metal, kraut rock or even an experimental lo-fi endurance test without breaking sweat. This time they have gone for a more stripped-down affair, with no distortion and clean vocals. It’s almost like you’ve had one too many mushrooms at Glastonbury, got lost and ended up in the arse end of the hippy bit. It’s not as bad as it sounds and it's actually pretty awesome. As he rants something about "Death to society" over and over again, against repetitive guitar plucking, it becomes increasingly engaging. It’s really hard to make a comparison, but it’s maybe like early Ween with an occasional detour in the Finnish language. What’s not to like?
As with the other 645 Circle albums, the keyboards are more than prominent, which occasionally save it from being a bit too acoustic (a.k.a. boring), but together with the strong musicianship and song writing it really holds your attention. It even has its really beautiful moments like ‘Rakeita’, with hints of bands like Lemon Jelly or Air in the mix.\

 Read the full review by Richard Collins at echoesanddust.com

Media/Samples 
Huone
Post Kapitalismus

Links:
Web page
Facebook
ProgArchives
Proggnosis

Circle "Six Day Run"

Country: Finland
Sub Genre: Krautrock
Label: Ektro Records
Release date: May 17, 2013
Tracklist: 

1. Day One
2. Day Two
3. Day Three
4. Day Four
5. Day Five
6. Day Six

Line-up: 
Janne Westerlund - guitars, vocals
Jussi Lehtisalo - bass, vocals
Tomi Leppänen - drums
Julius Jääskeläinen, Pekka Jääskeläinen - guitar
Mika Rättö - vocals, keyboards, percussion

Description/Reviews: 

A soundtrack for the short film about one of the most extreme individual endurance sports dating back to to the 1870s. The competitors run with minimal sleep, all the while trying to accumulate as many miles as possible on a one-mile paved loop in a park.

Media/Samples 
Day Two
Day Four

Links:
Web page
ProgArchives
Proggnosis