Alan Watts have covered a large amount of ground during their brief existence. Here on ...Is The Fantasy Band, their second recorded outing, they really begin to cut loose and unwind a bit. For those that need to get your "hit" you can skip right to "Africa Bats" with it's hints of psych rock and Velvet Underground cool. But for the rest of us the EP is pretty rewarding listen that manages to explore a spectrum of structures & styles. Yet throughout there is a certain indefinable dynamic all their own.
Throughout the album hints & traces of a ton of contemporary underground/alternative touchstones are hit most notably the eccentric electro-squelches of Black Dice, snippets of Animal Collective's hazey hypnotics, & the irreverent nature of some of Factory Records more upbeat releases. Sorry to go on a name checking spree. Honestly I think one would need to really be looking for some of this stuff as Alan Watts do such a beautiful job synthesizing all of these influences into something unique to them. Something that all those aforementioned groups did a great job at too. Looking forward to seeing where Alan Watts go next.
Also there is no relation to the original new age forefather Alan Watts (to my knowledge).
Alan Watt's ...Is The Fantasy Band is available now via Blackburn Recordings.
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