Ellis/Munk Ensemble "San Diego Sessions"

Country: Denmark/USA
Genre(s): Instrumental Psychedelic
Label: El Paraiso Records
Format: CD, vinyl, digital
Release date: August 14, 2020
Tracklist: 
1. The Wedge (10:55)
2. Pauly's Pentacles (11:11)
3. Munk's Dream (2:23)
4. Electric Saloon (8:56)
5. Bucket Drips (3:33)
6. Larry's Jungle Juice (6:53)
7. Stone Steps (5:05)

Total Time 48:56

Line-up: 
Brian Ellis (Astra, Silver Sunshine, Psicomagia, Birth) - keys
Jonas Munk (Causa Sui) - guitar
   With
Dominic Denholm (Monarch) - bass
Thomas DiBenedetto (Sacri Monti, Monarch, ex-Joy) - drums/guitar
Dylan Donovan (Sacri Monti, Pharlee) - guitar
Paul Marrone (Astra, Cosmic Wheels, Radio Moscow, Psicomagia, Birth, Brian Ellis Group) - drums
Trevor Mast (Birth, ex-Joy, Psicomagia, Brian Ellis Group) - bass
Anthony Meier (Sacri Monti, Radio Moscow) - bass/keys
Conor Riley (Astra, Silver Sunshine, Birth) - keys
Andrew Velasco (Love, the City & Space) - percussion
Andrew Ware (Monarch) - drums
Evan Wenskay (Sacri Monti) - organ
Kyre Wilcox (Truth on Earth) - bass

Description/Reviews: 

We’re met at the door by “The Wedge”, an all-out humid slap of psych rock improv of the highest order. It starts out in 5th gear and never lets up. Spaced-out synth, Hendrix-ian guitar squall, and some major drum power drive this track until the tires fall off. Dual guitars, dual keys, organ, bass, drum, and percussion give this song the feel of the Monterey Pop Festival circa ’68, with just a touch of Detroit City chug. We quickly drop down a gear or two with the exquisite “Pauly’s Pentacles”, a searing and simmering slow burn of a track that sounds like a cross between Vincebus Eruptum, Dark Magus, and Bernie Worrell freaking out over both.

Read the full review by J. Hubner at complexdistractions.blog

Also read the review at theobelisk.net

Media/Samples 
Streams

Links:
Brian Ellis:
Web page
Progarchives
Proggnosis

Jonas Munk:
Facebook

Jonas Munk "Absorb / Fabric / Cascade"

Country: Denmark
Genre(s): Electronica, Krautrock, Ambient
Label: El Paraiso Records
Format: vinyl
Release date: March 2, 2015
Tracklist: 

1. Absorb - 15:18
2. Fabric - 10:05
3. Cascade - 12:51

Line-up: 
Jonas Munk (Causa Sui) - everything

Description/Reviews: 

Listening you definitely get some Terry Riley influence, as well as Popol Vuh and earlier, sparser Tangerine Dream. “Absorb” feels like a blippy radar. Arpeggiated synth blips and bleeps carry you along as what feels like a blanket of analog warmth comes over you. There’s a percussive pulse that makes itself known, anchoring the song and giving it a center. You really do get the feeling of the universe forming in front of your eyes as you listen to this track. “Fabric”, on the other hand, feels very much “of the earth”. It leans heavily on organ, which in turn makes one reminiscent of Terry Riley’s highly underrated “Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band”. Munk certainly isn’t aping Riley here. He’s merely using Riley’s musical blueprint as a starting point and building his own trippy structure here. “Cascade” is quiet, reflective, and gives one the feeling of plunging into a mellow darkness. Finding the end of all existence and allowing the ship to fall over the ledge into nothingness.

 Read the full review by J Hubner at backseatmafia.com

Media/Samples 
Stream

Links:
Facebook