It is tricky to pick the highlights from a music festival and make it sound both coherent and diverse enough to make sense to those for were not there. The acts that were on stage of the Cellar Bar during the 19th Dream of Dr Sardonicus Festival in Cardigan, Wales, last year, share one stand-out quality: they know how to play and get the undivided attention of the 150 strong audience.
One of the festival's organising parties, Fruit de Mer Records, did a fine job compiling the double album Live at the 19th Dream of Dr Sardonicus Festival of Psychedelica that does each act justice as well as offering a gateway to explore them further and for those Wales band Sendelica is offering full shows of most of them.
The main focus lays on sprawling instrumentals, like London Underground's neo-psychedelic Tropic Of Capricorn, Hanford Flyover's retro-sci-fi Space Tractor and Consterdine's ambient meets triphop showcase Sepia, but the listener is sent home with two surprises: Cary Grace Band's brave cover of Venus In Furs and Spygenius' upbeat rendition of Café Emery Hill from Man On The Sea (HCTF's album of the year in 2020).
Live at the 19th Dream of Dr Sardonicus Festival of Psychedelica is released as 2LP (blue and white vinyl) via Fruits de Mer Records (UK only - rest of the world is served via Shiny Beast).
Tracks:- London Underground - Tropic Of Capricorn
- Spectral Stream - Dust Storms On Mars
- Sendelica - Maggot Brain
- Hanford Flyover - Space Tractor
- Consterdine - Sepia
- Pinhdar - Atoms & Dust
- McDowell & Westaway - Black Tar Acid
- Dark Zen Kollectiv - Ice Lock Up Stones edit
- Cary Grace Band - Venus In Furs
- Spygenius - Café Emery Hill