Earthy

Bröselmaschine

Style: Acid Folk, Kosmische Folk, Progressive Folk

Vibes: Pastoral, Flowing, Surreal, Dreamy, Warm, Psychedelic, Sunny, Fantasy, Mellow

Musical Qualities: Acoustic, Progressive, Vocal Harmonies, Lush, Raga-Influenced

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Water Shrews – Widening Spaces

Style: Drone, Free Improvisation, Psychedelic Ambient

Vibes: Journeying, Amorphous, Introspective, Woozy, Exploratory, Earthy, Washy, Hypnotic, Psychedelic, Murky, Rhizomatic

Musical Qualities: Noisy, Improvisation, Lo-Fi, Loops, Slow, Pulse, Analogue, Atmospheric

Instrumentation: Keyboards, Electric Guitar, Electronics, Synthesizers, Field Recordings

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Third Ear Band

Style: Psychedelic Chamber Music, Free Folk, Neo-Medieval Folk, Dhrupad

Vibes: Mystical, Medieval, Nature, Alchemical, Flowing, Meditative, Ritualistic, Mysterious, Earthy, Occult

Instrumentation: Cello, Oboe, Percussion, Violin/Viola

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75 Dollar Bill – Wood / Metal / Plastic / Pattern / Rhythm / Rock

Style: Desert Blues, Psychedelic Trance Rock, Tishoumaren, Post-Minimalism

Vibes: Hypnotic, Desert, Earthy, Psychedelic, Communal, Driving, Ritualistic

Musical Qualities: Polyrhythmic, Percussive, Riffs, Improvisation, Instrumental, Repetitive, Microtonal

Instrumentation: Homemade Percussion, Plywood Crate, 12-String Guitar, Shakers, Electric Guitar, Electric Bass, Upright Bass, Viola, Trumpet, Saxophone (Baritone & Alto)

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Daniel Bachman – When the Roses Come Again

Style: Avant-Folk, Ambient Americana, Free-Folk, American Primitivism

Vibes: Meditative, Personal, Morning, Pastoral, Earthy, History, Hypnotic, Summer, Nature, Soothing

Musical Qualities: Collage, Electro-Acoustic, Glitchy, Suite, Vignettes, Instrumental, Sampling, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Atmospheric

Instrumentation: Banjo, Acoustic Guitar, Mouthbow, Fiddle, Homemade Instruments, Harmonium, Bell

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Träden

Style: Trance-Rock, Psych, Jam Band

Vibes: Pastoral, Cinematic, Communal, Rural, Driving, Earthy, Hypnotic, Open, Peaceful, Psychedelic, Contemplative

Musical Qualities: Slow, Dynamic, Instrumental, Repetitive, Jams, Riffs, Fuzzy, Atmospheric

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Heart of the Ghost – Live at Rhizome

Jarrett Gilgore (alto saxophone); Luke Stewart (upright bass); Ian McColm (drums)
with Dave Ballou (trumpet)

Style: Free Jazz

Moods: Adventurous, Earthy, Driving, Exploratory, Free, Energetic, Abstract, Colorful, Communal, Complex, Determined

Musical Qualities: Collective Improvisation, Ostinato, Polyrhythmic, Dense, Acoustic, Uncommon Time Signatures, Instrumental, Dynamic, Live Recording

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Sandy Bull: E pluribus unum

Style: Acid Folk, Folk-Rock Influences: Arabic Folk, Blues, Raga

Moods: Mysterious, Confident, Serpentine, Searching, Psychedelic, Desert, Determined, Earthy, Flowing, Impressionistic, Introspective, Meandering, Meditative, Ritualistic

Musical Qualities: Modal, Acoustic, Improvisation, Instrumental, Solo, Bluesy

Instrumentation: Oud, Electric Guitar, Percussion, Electric Bass

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Mandingo Griot Society

Styles: Griot Music, Mande Music, Afro-Jazz

Moods: Uplifting, Earthy, Sunny, Communal, Dance, Joyful, Passionate, Peaceful, Playful, Ritualistic, Spiritual, Warm, Tribal, Utopian

Musical Qualities: Percussive, Polyrhythmic, Acoustic, Melodic, Technical

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Pererin – Haul ar yr eira

Style: Progressive Folk-Rock, Welsh Folk

Moods: Medieval, Mystical, Sentimental, Epic, Passionate, Earthy, Communal, Intricate

Instrumentation: Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Vocal Harmonies, Celtic Harp, Flute, Bodhran, Congas, Bongos, Keyboard, Electric Bass, Recorder, Drums, 12-String Guitar, Mandolin, Mellotron

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Dengue Dengue Dengue – Zenit & Nadir

Styles: Digital Cumbia, Organic Beat Music, Psychedelic Electronic

Moods: Brooding, Earthy, Intertwined, Shadowy, Dancing, Determined, Tribal, Complex, Mystical, Hypnotic, Mechanical, Ominous, Rootsy, Haunting, Dark, Knotted, Mysterious, Ritualistic, Futuristic

Musical Qualities: Polyrhythmic, Percussive, Loops, Progressive, SpokenWord, Electro-Acoustic, Sampling

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Ka Baird – Respires

Style: EAI, Post-Minimalism, Psychedelic Experimental

Moods: Earthy, Visceral, Hallucinogenic, Tangled, Hypnotic, Surreal, Knotty, Intertwined

Musical Qualities: Electro-Acoustic, Pulse, Experimental Vocalizations, Improvisation, Repetitive

Instrumentation: Flute, Vocals & Keyboards, all processed through stereo delay effects

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Natural Information Society Community Ensemble – Since Time is Gravity

Style: Organic Music, Psychedelic Jazz, Ecstatic Minimalism, Gnawa

Moods: Ritualistic, Communal, Contemplative, Meditative, Earthy, Transcendent, Psychedelic, Colorful, Soothing, Spiritual, Peaceful

Featuring Ari Brown, Hamid Drake, Ben Lamar Gay, Mai Sugimoto, Jason Stein, Mikel Patrick Avery, Lisa Albarado, Kara Bershad, Josh Berman, and Nick Mazzarella

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Björk – Fossora

Styles: Progressive Pop, Post-Industrial Chamber Music, IDM, Gabber, Deconstructed Club

Moods: Earthy, Knotty, Sensual, Futuristic, Surreal, Romantic, Mystical, Passionate, Messy, Hallucinogenic, Intense, Forest, Eccentric, Epic, Tribal

Musical Qualities: Polyphonic, Dense, Dynamic, Complex, Glitchy, Progressive, Uncommon Time Signatures, Electro-Acoustic

Instrumentation: Digital Programming, Woodwinds (Bass Clarinet, Oboe, Clarinet), Strings, Choral Vocals

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African Head Charge – My Life in a Hole in the Ground

LP, On-U Sound Records (1981/2016 RE) Styles: Industrial Dub, African Folk Music, Psychedelic Electronic Moods: Mysterious, Nocturnal, Earthy, Spiritual, Surreal, Tribal, Mechanical, Dark, Hypnotic, Groovy, Exploratory, Psychedelic, Woozy Musical Qualities: Percussive, Polyrhythmic, Studio-as-an-instrument, Repetitive, Loops My Life In A Hole In The Ground by African Head Charge

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Osjan – Roots

Style: Free Folk, Organic Music, Progressive Folk, Psychedelic Chamber Music

Moods: Ritualistic, Ancient, Flowing, Tribal, Earthy, Communal, Hypnotic, Intertwined, Medieval, Mysterious, Mystical, Nocturnal

Musical Qualities: Percussive, Collective Improvisation, ?Acoustic, Suite, Thematic, Progressive, Atmospheric, Repetitive

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Marion Brown – Afternoon of a Georgia Faun

featuring Chick Corea, Anthony Braxton, Bennie Maupin, Andrew Cyrille, etc…

Style: Modern Creative, Avant-Garde Jazz

Vibe: Mysterious, Suspenseful, Nature, Abstract, Surreal, Kinetic, Visceral, Earthy, Swirling, Pastoral (Side A)

Musical Qualities: Collective Improvisation, Dynamic, Sparse, Acoustic, Atonal, Experimental Vocals, Extended Techniques, Dissonant, Percussive, Homemade Instrument

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Don Cherry’s New Researches – Organic Music Theatre: Festival de jazz de Chateauvallon 1972

Style: Mystical Folk, Global Fusion, Spiritual Jazz

Vibe: Utopian, Communal, Ceremonial, Spiritual, Ritualistic, Mystical, Eclectic, Colorful, Bright, Morning, Sunny, Warm, Uplifting, Mysterious

Musical Qualities: Acoustic, Percussive, Improvisation, Live Recording, Chants

Instrumentation: Piano, Group Vocals, Berimbau, Percussion, Tanpura, Donsi Ngoni

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Helena Espvall & Masaki Batoh

On this self-titled collaboration, acid folk luminaries Helena Espvall (Espers) and Masaki Batoh (Ghost) create mysterious and earthy interpretations of traditional Medieval, Swedish, Japanese, and Finnish folk songs, plus a Son House cover, an original, and a handful of free improvisations.

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Holden – The Inheritors

Style: Progressive Electronic, IDM, Microhouse

Vibe: Ancient, Tribal, Ritualistic, Pagan, Brooding, Mythic, Cold, Visceral, Mechanical, Hypnotic, Driving, Epic, Focused, Mysterious, Mystical, Patient, Powerful, Suspenseful, Earthy

Musical Qualities: Repetitive, Distorted, Heavy, Rhythmic, Percussive, Loops, Dissonant, Dense, Instrumental, Pulse, Noisy, Progressive, Field Recordings, Sampling

Instrumentation: Bodhrán (Irish Frame Drum), Synthesizers, Drum Machine, Saxophone, Organ, Chanting, Melodeon (Pump Organ), Electric Guitar, Electric Bass, Xylophone, Live Electronics

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Earthforce – Earthforce

Released in 2021 on Lion Productions Recorded 1977, Archival Release Format: LP, includes 12-page 12″ booklet Style: British Folk, Psych Folk, Spiritual Folk, Raga-Influenced Vibe: Hippie, Morning, Communal, Spiritual, Pastoral, Earthy, Eclectic, Nature, Peaceful, Mystical, Meditative Instrumentation: Acoustic Guitar (6 & 12 String), Sitar, Harmonium, Doogi, Synthesizers, Percussion, Fretless Bass, Flageolet, Table, Electric Piano

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Sarah Louise – Earth Bow

Style: Free Folk, Cosmic Appalachia, Ambient Folk, Healing Music

Vibe: hypnotic, amorphous, confident, cosmic, dreamy, earthy, ethereal, existential, exploratory, forest, warm, spiritual, spontaneous, soothing, psychedelic, passionate, nature, meditative, hallucinogenic

Musical Qualities: Suite, Electro-Acoustic, Studio-as-an-instrument, Loops, Home Recording, Progressive, Field Recordings

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Between – And the Waters Opened

Style: Psychedelic Chamber Music, Kosmische Musik, Ritual-Folk, Global Fusion

Vibe: Spiritual, Meditative, Communal, Psychedelic, Earthy, Forest, Ritualistic, Tribal

Musical Qualities: Acoustic, Atmospheric, Chamber, Droney, Raga, Percussive, Chants

Instrumentation: Oboe, Keyboards, Conga, Acoustic Guitar, Bamboo Flute

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Sam Amidon – The Following Mountain

Style: New Weird Americana, Post-Modern Appalachia, Jazz-Folk

Vibe: Autumnal, Earthy, Imaginative, Lush, Morning, Peaceful, Rootsy, Rustic, Warm, Contemplative

Musical Attributes: Acoustic, Melodic, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Improvisation, Progressive, Lyrical

Instrumentation: Fiddle, Drums, Banjo, Vocals, Percussion, Saxophone, Acoustic Guitar, Drum Machine, Percussion, Electric Bass, Organ Synthesizers, Flute

Collaborators: Leo Abrahams, Shahzad Ismaily, Sam Gendel,
Milford Graves, Chris Vatalaro, James Sultan

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Ka Baird – Sapropelic Picnic

Style: Psychedelic Minimalism, Post-Minimalism, Ritual Folk

Vibe: Ritualistic, Hallucinogenic, Hypnotic, Earthy, Primal, Psychedelic, Spiritual

Musical Attributes: Electro-Acoustic, Loops, Minimalistic, Sampling

Instrumentation: Manipulated Vocals, Flute, Synthesizer (Moog), Drum Samples, Vibraphone

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Spires that in the Sunset Rise – Psychic Oscillations [Review]

Psychedelic electro-acoustics and earthy minimalism from long-running avant-folk group Spires that in the Sunset Rise. The multi-instrumentalist duo of Ka Baird and Taralie Peterson ritualistically loop and layer a hypnotic tapestry of pre-verbal vocalizations, upright bass, flute, saxophone, synth, and autoharp, running each instrument through trippy stereo delays, visually represented by the two minute-apart clocks next to each other on the album cover. While not as witchy or jarring as the their early releases, Psychic Oscillations finds the band as entrancing as ever.

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James Holden & the Animal Spirits – The Animal Spirits

These communal sound rituals express a digital-era longing to reconnect to the Earth. The grooves here are circular and ceremonial, not rooted to any specific musical traditions but borrowing from many, including cosmic jazz, kosmische musik and undoubtedly inspired by Holden’s collaboration with legendary Gnawa musician Maleem Mahmoud Ghania. Drums and percussion ground the proceedings while muscular sequencer and fiery saxophone arpeggiations hypnotically intertwine.  The sounds of fluttering recorder and modular synthesizer swirl through the air like offerings to the cosmos. 

Recommended for fans of The Comet is Coming, Tonto’s Exploding Head Band, Maleem Mahmoud Ghania & Pharoah Sander’s Trance of Seven Colors, Natural Information Society, Colin Stetson

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Espers – II

Released in 2006 on Drag City Records Format: LP Style: Progressive Folk, Psych Folk Vibe: Melancholy, Psychedelic, Nocturnal, Sombre, Forest Musical Attributes: Melodic, Dynamic, Lush  

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Third Ear Band – Alchemy

Style: Free Folk, Chamber Music, Progressive Folk

Vibe: Ritualistic, Hypnotic, Earthy, Tribal, Nature, Meditative, Medieval, Exploratory

Musical Attributes: Acoustic, Improvisation, Instrumental, Minimalistic

Instrumentation: Oboe, Violin, Viola, Recorder, Percussion (Tabla, Drums, Chimes), Cello

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Senyawa – Sujud

Style: Doom-Folk, Indonesian Folk Music, Avant-Folk

Moods: Apocalyptic, Spiritual, Earthy, Dark, Ominous, Nocturnal, Ritualistic, Tribal, Hypnotic

Musical Qualities: Throat Singing, Homemade Instruments, Droney, Noisy, Electro-Acoustic, Repetitive, Dense, Heavy

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Tarentel – The Order of Things

The Order of Things takes you on a strange journey, starting off with a long ambient song built around field recordings, light acoustic guitar and some weird drones in the background. Highly recommended if you’re a fan of experimental post-rock, drone, or music that doesn’t like to be easily categorized.?

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The Incredible String Band – Wee Tam

Released on Elektra in 1968 Format: LP Track Notes A1 – Jobs Tears (Uplifting, Morning, Spiritual) “Stranger than that we’re alive” A2 – Puppies  (Peaceful, Sitar, Bowed Gimbri, Morning) “Music is so much less than what you are” A3 – Beyond the See (Instrumental featuring organ, harpsichord, whistle, and bowed gimbri A4 – The Yellow Snake

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Creative Construction Company – CCC

Featuring some of Chicago’s finest musicians and founding members of the AACM, (Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, Richard Davis, Wadada Leo Smith, and Steve McCall), this 36 minute spontaneous composition doesn’t focus on soloing or instrumental technicality or rambunctious improvisIng, but creating and progressing an initially suspenseful, mysterious mood through focused, cohesive movements, with new sounds, moods, and melodies around every corner. Most of the musicians here play multiple instruments to sustain a versatile color palette.

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Exuma – Exuma

Exuma’s first album is a powerful and ritualistic masterpiece of spiritual folk from the Bahamas. Exuma, the Obeah Man, is a master storyteller and preacher, sharing visions, myths, and prayers. His expressive, soulful voice takes on many tones as he delivers his musical sermons, from smooth to raspy, soft to confident. A group of singers, percussionists, whistlers, and toads join him and his acoustic guitar, making me imagine them all circled around a large fire in communal worship and grateful that they let us listeners in on it.

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Bill Callahan – Dream River

LP, Drag City, 2013 Overview In an interview around the release of Dream River, Bill Callahan said he wanted it to be “the last record you could listen to at the end of the day, before you go to bed, around midnight.” So for my first listen of the album I crawled into bed with my

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