Project Gemini is guided by the musical vision of psychedelic devotee, breakbeat enthusiast, and '70s film soundtrack lover Paul Osborne, and their debut album, The Children of Scorpio, is a delight for all whose musical interests reside at the center of that particular Venn diagram. Mostly putting the tracks together himself as well as providing melodic bass lines, he's also joined by a top-flight array of like-minded guests to bring it all home. Two funky dudes from Israel, namely drummer Shuzin and keyboardist Markey ...
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Project Gemini is guided by the musical vision of psychedelic devotee, breakbeat enthusiast, and '70s film soundtrack lover Paul Osborne, and their debut album, The Children of Scorpio, is a delight for all whose musical interests reside at the center of that particular Venn diagram. Mostly putting the tracks together himself as well as providing melodic bass lines, he's also joined by a top-flight array of like-minded guests to bring it all home. Two funky dudes from Israel, namely drummer Shuzin and keyboardist Markey Funk; a guitar wrangler par excellence, Barry Cadogan of Little Barrie; a psychedelic Frenchman, Kid Victrola of Gloria; and the Soundcarriers' Paul Isherwood all contribute bits and bobs to a record that has all the mystery of a lost soundtrack to a weird biker movie, all the laid-back groove of a hidden easy psych treasure, and above all, enough hooks to lodge the album firmly in the data bank, ready for easy access anytime one feels the need to turn off and drift up or downstream for a bit. Isherwood helped with the mixing and Children does sometimes come across like the Soundcarriers in a mellow mood; other times, the duo give the songs some real funky punch. Tracks like "The Path Through the Forest" or the nasty fuzz-guitar workout "The Ritual '70" don't exactly knock down the door, but the dirty drum breaks, insistent waves of organ, and bubblewrap-pop bounce of the bass sure make what's on the other side sound promising. Quieter moments lend themselves to pastoral reveries. On "June," for example, the echoing swells of the keys, woody hum of the Mellotron, and gentle trip of the rhythm section are as drowsy as a kitten in a sunbeam. That song and a few others feature Osborne's vocals, and while they aren't as distinctive as his bass playing, that's fine. He blends right into the tapestry gracefully, perfectly even. In fact, everything about the record comes together like a perfect dream, the kind where DJ Shadow and Madlib spin lost psych-rock jams, Jimi Hendrix and Peter Green burn up fretboards, Broadcast twist the knobs on vintage synths, and the house band from the gnarliest nightclub on the outskirts of town lay down the past-your-bedtime grooves. Throw in a little Go! Team anything-goes attitude, some Lalo Schifrin atmosphere, and the influence of half to all of the bands featured in Shindig! (the magazine where Osborne serves as editor), and one arrives at the starting point. From there, Osborne slaps a bow on it with his songwriting and production, making this a thrilling debut that vaults Project Gemini right to the front of the funky psych class. ~ Tim Sendra, Rovi
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Add this copy of The Children of Scorpio to cart. $16.80, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2022.
