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Sendelica — Requiem for Mankind
(Fruits de Mer winkle 56, 2024, 2LP / DL)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2024-11-29

Requiem for Mankind Cover art

Welsh band Sendelica has been part of Fruits de Mer family of artists from nearly the beginning of the label: albums, singles, compilations, and of course the annual Dr. Sardonicus gigs. Since they formed in 2005, Sendelica has grown into one of the UK’s finest instrumental psych bands. Core members Pete Bingham (guitars and electronics), Colin Consterdine (beats and synths), and Glenda Pescado (bass) have pioneered their love of Can’s hypnotic pulse, Pink Floyd’s atmospherics, Neu’s motorik proto-punk, Jimi Hendrix’ guitar pyrotechnics, and The Orb’s otherworldly ambiences to forge a sound that integrates their local Wesh landscapes of Cardigan Bay, the Preseli Mountains, and the ancient Welsh heritage. Requiem for Mankind is the final installment of their series of studio albums that began with And Man Created God that examined man’s relationship with religion, followed by One Man’s Man that explored the history of Homo Sapiens, and Man, Myth & Magic. Unfortunately Pete Bingham has developed a severely debilitating medical condition that has curtailed his musical ventures. And we are fortunate that Requiem for Mankind is now available. In addition to the core members, Sendelica is joined by Finland’s Santtu Laakso (Chaos) on keyboards and Calli providing vocals on “Requiem for the Planet.” Requiem for Mankind is a double LP with four side-long tracks: “In the Beginning (Cosmic Slop) + Let There Be Light” (22:58), “Let There Be Light + Requiem for the Planet” (20:37), “Downfall” (16:02), and “Chaos + Requiem for Mankind” (19:05). The nearly 1½ hours of music takes you on a sonic journey from mysterious cyclic ambience through bluesy, jazzy psychedelia to bird song, delicate piano, wordless singing, blazing guitar lines, cathedral organ, doom-laden power chords, saxophone, analog synths, orchestral swells, to symphonic psych and beyond. Along the way there is a hint of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Requiem for Mankind is a powerful culmination of Sendelica’s exploration of mankind and our planet. This epic album will be pressed on colored vinyl with printed inner sleeves, a fold-out poster, and a die cut sleeve. In addition, to help out Pete, there are several other special editions of the album available on Sendelica’s Bandcamp page.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Sendelica

More info
http://sendelica.bandcamp.com/album/requiem-for-man-kind

 

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