ASTRAL MAGIC – CRUISING THE CELESTIAL HIGHWAYS (2024) (Bandcamp)

Another wonderfully presented 100 limited CD from Astral Magic with DJ Astro’s Highwaymen: Santtu Laakso on guitar, bass and motorik beats, with two other guitarists Pete Bingham and Fred Laird also participating.

The title track sets the scene, flowing like a placid river through its synth textures and expressive guitar waves. ‘Kinder der Sonne’ is another earworm, organ chords adding to a heavy rocking vibe with memorable synth lines and Santtu playing sax: it reminded me of a supercharged STEREOLAB! ‘Motormind’ is a 7-minute reflective piece with some warbling synths and vintage organ sounds. There are strident passages of play in an absorbing all-instrumental album with question and answer between synth and organ, and in the 7-minute closer ‘Inner Worlds’ a fine guitar solo constructed from a variation of a familiar chord progression.

All-in-all another stimulating album of positive energy music.