With Vito B + Mazes, Nik Nik, and T Stephen, Sanzimat International releases their “Lithuanian Diaspora Series”, an audio triptych that is every bit as psychedelic as it is catchy.
Vito B + Mazes’ “Gridlock" bewilders the mind with anachronistic left-hooks all day long, mixing heavy 60s psychedelia with Talking Heads-esque world-beat flavor and funk. Throwing in the sentiment of half a century’s quirk and some proggy rhythmic change-ups pushes this release into MUST-LISTEN territory. At once slightly challenging and chock full of wild hooks, the brain’s definitely gonna process this one differently with multiple passes.
If you’re looking for a slightly (and only slightly) less rocking in your Good Time, check out Nik Nik’s “Era One”, a bright and shiny psych/folk/80s electro/noisy slew of infectious cuts delivered beneath a relaxed, lush hush of a vocal delivery. Only in one song does NN really "belt" it out, and her restrained power is shockingly beautiful. Listen to these first two albums back to back and you’ll really appreciate Edward Anderson’s hand in helping flesh these two artists’ ideas out into their mesmerizing realities.
Of the three, T Stephen’s “Catahua Blanca” is more of a solo, audio diary of his journey into Peruvian rainforests to partake of the Ayahuasca and its effects on his charango and flute playing. Make no mistake, TS is fairly virtuosic in his skillset; the ambience is, to say the least, transcendental. Included also are a few field recordings of actual ayahuasca ceremonies, so prepare for something you have (likely) not heard before.
This set of three is a real fucking treat and we should all hope Sanzimat International continues to do the serious legwork of documenting the glory of international artists for us! Thanks SI!
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—Jacob An Kittenplan
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