ASTRAL MAGIC – THE ULTRA CHOSEN ONES (Bandcamp) (2025)

More hypnotic sounds from Astral Magic led by Santtu Laakso who wrote, produced, played and sang on his latest album. I particularly liked the eastern vibes of ‘The Veil of Isis’ with Fred Laird guesting on electric guitar and bouzouki and ‘Mirror Universe’ with guest Pete Bingham of Sendelica on electric guitar. ‘The Shining Ice’ features Luís Simões’ sitar, tampura, tabla and gong – the eastern vibes again. The synth exchanges on ‘Ghostly Apparitions’ are haunting (as you’d expect!). A solitary synth line has the same magical effect on the aforementioned ‘Mirror Universe’. Regular Laakso collaborator Jonathan Segel appears on electric guitar, theremin and violin on around half the album and Shane Beck is on ‘spoken word’ on final track ‘Mind Worms’. Kimi Kärki plays e-bow guitar on ‘Lunar Mansions’. This Astral Magic extended line-up has delivered once again.