From its modest but masterfully crafted origins on cassette via the Woodford Halse label to a sought-after CD edition and a highly coveted first vinyl pressing on Drone Rock Records, The Hologram People’s Sacred Ritual To Unlock the Mountain Portal has ascended as a kosmische-psych-rock cornerstone of the 2020s.
A creation born of the hive-mind synergy between multi-instrumentalists Dom Keen and Jon Parkes, with contributions from a constellation of guest collaborators, the album’s power lies in its expansive vision and razor-sharp musicianship. These qualities are amplified in this freshly remixed and remastered vinyl reissue, allowing the music to breathe with renewed vibrancy.
Across eight transdimensional tracks, the album maps a journey through lysergic soundscapes and far-flung musical galaxies. From the electro-acoustic alchemy of Amon Düül II and Ash Ra Tempel on the title track and “Pray to the Maypole Witch,” to the hypnotic, drone-infused percussion of “Lord Shiva’s Mothership,” each piece carries its own cosmic resonance.
You’ll encounter the cinematic detours of mid-era Pink Floyd on “A Seventies Void,” the astral-funk pulse of “Étoile Voyageuse,” the pastoral symphonics of “Sun Breaks on Saturn’s Return,” the raw, low-slung space-rock of “Planet Sahara,” and the ethereal electronic spirals of Tangerine Dream-inspired “Deep Into the Cosmic Ocean.”
At a lean 33 minutes, there isn’t a single wasted note. The compact duration encourages repeated spins, each offering deeper immersion into the album’s hypnotic sophistication. This reissue is your chance to hold one of the few corporeal editions of this sonic artifact—a rare opportunity to indulge in an auditory addiction this sublime.
The Hologram People created Sacred Ritual To Unlock the Mountain Portal as an act of self-awakening, a ritual to shatter the confines of presumed eternal slumber. Merging the ancient with the futuristic, they summoned forgotten wisdom and wielded it with cutting-edge sonic craft.
A transcendent spell arose from this fusion of memory and imagination—a manifesto for cosmic futures yet to unfold.
The duo transcended their earthly forms with this record, reclaiming their rightful place in the sonic heavens. Each track is an invocation, a key to unlocking the labyrinthine paths of Chapel Perilous. These rituals are not mere songs; they are sound-based catalysts for transformation, conduits for the journey to cosmic awakening.
Proceed with caution. This is a voyage not to be taken lightly.
The Hologram People disclaim all responsibility for unprepared travelers who dare to traverse these soundscapes. Only the initiated, the mentally fortified, should attempt to unravel these sacrosanct mysteries. For those who dare, however, the reward is profound: a doorway to the infinite. Namaste.
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