The new DIY Americana of bands like Death Chants has merged the familial comforts of porch friendly music with the ethereal sweep of modern psychedelia. ?Ether Works ? Volume 2,? is a two-song cassette that melds equal parts instrumental aquatic murk with nocturnal and delicate electronic organ driven sweep. And what this five piece is able to accomplish in two tracks is enough to send you off far away from wherever you came, and leave you better off for having done so.

The production values are pretty much what you would expect from a self-produced, cassette only project: a little tape hiss, and a slightly muffled overall sound; but with the underwater ring of this tape, the murk actually lends a fragile beauty to it.

The two songs presented here are both instrumental affairs, fairly stripped down, and confidently unpretentious. Sun Harp, the first track, delivers a late summer afternoon buzz that keeps you warm despite the cooling wash of underwater space. The ringing electronics blend perfectly with the wavering oscillations of the synthed organ sounds that drone throughout. The second track, titled Big Sky, Black Sky is an expansive song that, at first, brings to mind the river drift of Popol Vuh in the Aguirre soundtrack, and then, through jingling bells and a reverb soaked violin, leads you into a sad, open seascape in which only you could possibly exist. This is lonely and intimate music, stark and gently beautiful. There?s a dreamlike isolation here that reminds me of what I occasionally hear in my mind as I dream.

What with my copy being number 73 of 99, finding this release may not exactly be easy, but if you find the chance to get one, I suggest that you do. I hope to hear the rest of the Death Chants material soon, but in the meantime I will definitely wear out my copy of ?Ether Works Volume 2.? 8/10 -- John Cramer (28 August, 2006)