The Knob, The Finger & The It - Astro Camping [Makiphon 004 Promo]

What started out as a project to accompany extensive electroacoustic picnics in the field became a full-on band project and what started out as Ambient jam sessions became tracks. And eight of these became "Astro Camping", the first full on album release by The Knob, The Finger & The It which has been put on the circuit via Makiphon earlier this month. Opening on a krautsy Electronica tip with "Don't Snoozle While Hot", a track we've already featured on these pages videowise about a month ago, the follow up "Come To Ping As Ra" comes across as a dubbed out excursion into vintage sci-fi spheres, the "Eisenblechmen" fuse mechanical noises with spaced out, seductive rhythm structures and a playful, yet hypnotic overall vibe even incorporating oriental bits and bops here and there whilst the full-on live effort "F.F. Erde" captures the projects origins in more Ambient-orientated realms in a nice organic, yet experimental way. With the albums title track "Astro Camping" the trio provides a playful and friendly Tribal groove for hyperadvanced, minimalist dancefloors, the story of "When Pluto Was A Planet" takes us on a explorative journey to places - ... and alien swamps! - no man has ever been to before, where extraterrestial lifeforms start to check "Our Passports" with analogue machines communicating via soft pads, Deep Listening rhythm signatures and seemingly random percussions evoking memories of Mouse On Mars's classic tune "Papa, Antoine" before "Grasebene 3" provides more live recorded, electroacoustic jamming as a sweet conclusion for a this well-recommended longplay piece.  Good!