Beyond-O-Matic, USA

Website
Facebook
Samples

Beyond-O-Matic - The Flight of Luis Garcia. 1994 Chroniclers of the End
Beyond-O-Matic - Sonic Reclaimator. 1998 Jamelot
Beyond-O-Matic - Your Body. 1998 Jamelot
Beyond-O-Matic - Time To Get Up. 2010 Trail Records (2003-2004 recordings).
Beyond-O-Matic - Relations at the Borders Between. 2013 Trail Records

Now here's a band I haven't thought about in a long time. San Francisco based Beyond-O-Matic (though leader Fuhry now resides in Austin, TX) were one of many US space rock bands to emerge on the scene in the 1990s, only to disappear into the ether without a trace. So I was quite surprised to see they have re-emerged, and on America's preeminent space rock label Trail Records no less. This isn't my first experience with Beyond-O-Matic, as I once did own "Sonic Reclamator", but I recall little about it sadly, and it seemed to blur with other bands from that era (same with Farflung, F/i, Escapade, Salamander, etc...) - many of which I sold back in 1999/2000.

While fully admitting that "Sonic Reclamator" isn't on top of mind, I can say with some certainty that "Relations at the Borders Between" demonstrates growth for the band. It's clear the band is operating with album creation in mind, rather than releasing whatever-we-record, which was in vogue in the 90s (and still is in some circles). So that allows for some judicious editing, and the addition of overdubs allows for much need color. In particular, frontman Peter Fuhry's flute is much welcomed. At their core, Beyond-O-Matic remains a jam band, and aren't going to win any conservatory awards for composition anytime soon. But that's not what they're about. As such, the order of the day is long, rambling space rock tracks with guitar, synthesizer, and drums carrying the instrumental load. There are vocals, performed with a hazy high pitched sound to presumably achieve a psychedelic effect.  The music moves forward with a constant slow and relaxed pace. Five of the seven tracks are between 10 and 16 minutes, so I think it's safe to assume that concise meters and sharp breaks are not in the cards. Early 70s Pink Floyd is the blueprint here, but stretched considerably beyond - perhaps to the point of endgame.