Reviewed by Nathan Ford
Chances are Liverpool is not the first place you'd think to look for the next great Krautrock hope, but if you were to go to the trouble that's where you'd find Harry Sumnall. And that's where Dom from the Great Pop Supplement found him for this debut full length on his esoteric Deep Distance offshoot label.
While Sumnall has been tinkering for a while (his Bandcamp page contains the fruits of those tinkerings), "Participation Mystique" is certainly the most impressive thing he's come up with so far.
Krauty instrumental rock with layers of great sounding vintage keyboards wooshing by in all directions as if someone from the seventies had been asked to interpret the concept of space travel as a sound experiment.
And while I have just implied that this is laced through with all manner of vintageness, it also has a foot firmly planted in more contemporary climes, making this an easy and extremely enjoyable listen for those who are yet to acclimatise to Krautrock.
Opener "2-CT-TC-7" is the most immediate track here and an instant drawcard with its "Sympathy For The Devil" shuffle soon being appropriated by a funky bassline and some wonderful eighties BBC synth sounds.
The rest of the album is a little slower to reveal its secrets, but there are plenty of them and continued exposure to this wee gem is dangerously addictive. You've been warned.
I've been told that vinyl copies of this are sold out almost everywhere so get in quick here if you want one.
Otherwise, digital download or stream available here:
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