It's not exactly fair to call Belgium's HYPNOS 69 "psychedelic garage rock", though this is clearly where these guys came from. By incorporating elements and instruments from far beyond the realm of rock, these guys were in a league of their own. Their final album, "The Electric Measure", runs the gambit from psychedelic to jazz to folk to just about everywhere in between.

Founded in 1994, their perhaps suggestive sounding name is actually, according to their website, "appropriately taken from the ancient Greek god of sleep and sub-consciousness. The number 69 stands for equilibrium and stability; properties that can be retrieved in the marked sound of the band." Yeah, I thought it was supposed to be suggestive too… my bad. Regardless, these concepts represented by the band's name are perfectly appropriate in describing the band's sound. From the opening "I and You and Me (1)", we have some idea of where this one's going: acoustic guitar strumming, distorted electric guitar drone, piano, timpani drums and multilayered distorted vocals all at the same time. The next track, "Forgotten Souls", manages to be dark and forbidding even with the xylophone and woodwinds. The melancholy, clarinet heavy interlude "My Ambiguity of Reality" leads into "The Antagonist", the most 'rocking' track on the album, with saxophone and Hammond organ giving this one some decent bite. Just when the listener thinks they're stuck in a time warp, they're instantly jerked back into the present with the futuristic synth of "Halfway to the Stars". "I and You and Me (2)" takes us back to the soothing, sad mix of acoustic guitar and woodwinds while leading up to a fairly intense climax that continues on with the next two tracks "Ominous (But Fooled Before)" and "The Point of No Return". Finally, we're dropped off of our ride with the dreamlike "Deus Ex Machina", with its haunting theremin and almost whispered vocals.

Sadly, as previously mentioned, HYPNOS 69 decided to call it quits after recording this album. It's rather bittersweet to discover a brilliant band after their disbanding, but judging from this album we're gonna hear more music from these guys on an individual basis. Admittedly, this sort of album is not the easiest to review because, well, it tends to cause the brain to drift off. Still, the more I listened to this CD the more I got out of it, and to create something so multidimensional and methodical is not easy. No, this isn't exactly the kind of album to be played at a party (unless that party involves mind-altering substances), but anyone who appreciates a true musical experience is sure to find something worthwhile here.

- Cardona

OFFICIAL SITE: www.hypnos69.tk

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