Arica

Arica; 1972 (NYC meditation group; occult/exotic/out/psyche/sitar; 2-LP, no label or #; Side 4 is "Water Music") Arica: Audition; 1972 (same as above except Side 4 is 6-part "Mantram") Arica: Heaven; Just Sunshine JSS-11; 1973 ("Arica Rhythm & Movement Band") ARICA (New York City, NY) "Arica" 1972 (Woo Soo a-1001) [2 LPs; gatefold; brown cover) "Arica" 1972 (Audition a-1001) [2 LPs; gatefold; magenta-pink cover)

Arica; 1972 (NYC meditation group; occult/exotic/out/psyche/sitar; 2-LP, no label or #; Side 4 is "Water Music") Arica: Audition; 1972 (same as above except Side 4 is 6-part "Mantram") Arica: Heaven; Just Sunshine JSS-11; 1973 ("Arica Rhythm & Movement Band") ARICA (New York City, NY) "Arica" 1972 (Woo Soo a-1001) [2 LPs; gatefold; brown cover) "Arica" 1972 (Audition a-1001) [2 LPs; gatefold; magenta-pink cover) Mystic trance with tablas, acoustic guitar, piano, and creepy voices. On the Woo Soo releases sides 1-3 are meditative instro trance sounds, side 4 is free jazz. On the Audition version all four sides are meditative instro trance sounds. The WooSoo version appears to be first and is rarer.

The side-long free jazz track is titled "Water: Reception of the Buddha" [RM] Arica Audition. New York: Arica Institute in America, Inc., 1972. Two records of meditative sounds, including Shutati-Shumawi. http://lost-in-tyme.blogspot.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ All time godhead monster alert, people! While the Ya Ho Wha 13 tribe's psychedelic freakouts and it's associated mythos have been much lauded and roundly investigated in hipster quarters over the last several years, there has been a complete absence of discussion about a similar and yet far more advanced spiritual/musical tribe by the name of Arica. Unlike Father Yod's teachings though, which were largely limited to those in his tribe, *this* group's philosophy would go on to shape the entire thrust of Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain, merely THE greatest motion picture in cinema history.

All principal actors appearing in the film were required to undertake a rigorous weeks long preparation in Arica training before filming began. Now add to all of the above this salient detail: despite it's American origin, sonically, this is on par with the absolute best krautrock ever recorded! How 'bout a combination of Dzyan-Electric Silence, Deuter-D, Limbus 4 and the most ethnically tripped passages of Wolfgang Dauner's Et Cetera? Does that work for all you heads out there? Side A in particular is getting about as deep "in the pudding" as I've ever heard any psychonauts venture. Truly...I don't think the vibes coming off this thing could be any heavier unless the sleeve itself had been dipped in a psilocybin bath. It's supernaturally heightened atmosphere is so potently keyed into the cosmos it's almost painfully poignant to confront in this age of reduced expectations. I for one am humbled in it's presence.

Note: If anyone out there is in possession of their "Audition" LP, an upload of it would be overwhelmingly appreciated (unless of course you want to sell it to me and let me post it, hehehe...). http://mutant-sounds.blogspot.com User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL..