Upupayāma
Upupayāma was released on November 15th 2020 as a digital Download through Bandcamp Now being reissued on vinyl from Cardinal Fuzz (UK/EU) and Centripetal Force Records (USA) on Jul 3rd 2021. This edition of the album has been remastered and includes a previously unreleased track, “Hopsa-japapé.”
Upupayāma
Upupayāma‘s Self Titled debut album is an acid folk world music psych rock album with mellow vibes that will appeal to fans of Kikagaku Moyo. The wah guitars and eastern scales and integration of world instruments creates a great album.
Upupayāma is from Italy and there is little to no information about them on the internet. Their obsurity adds to the mystery of the music. The sounds on the album feel meditation and spiritual without being cliché or new age. They stick to psych rock and acid folk sounds. There are not too many bands making music in this niche branch of the psych rock genre but psych lovers will note that Upupayāma sounds very much like Kikagaku Moyo. I personally, don’t think this is a bad thing because so few bands are working with these kinds of psychedelic acid folk songs and this slice of the psych genre is underdeveloped.
Upupayāma is not all chilled out psychedelic yoga music there is plenty of section with a driving bass and fuzzy guitars. The arc of the long form songs often is front loaded with chill music that builds to a climax that is more rocking by the end.
Upupayāma is the work of Alessio Ferrari who plays guitars, bass, keyboards, sitar, erhu, wooden flutes, drums and percussion. Ferrari has plans to tour with the album and is building a band to play the songs live. This is an incredible debut album and is not to be missed. The chill meditative music is a unique blend of meditative music and psychedelic acid folk. The long form jams are best equated to Kikagaku Moyo, Popol Vuh and Träd Gräs Och Stenar.
The guitar tones and guitar playing are a highlight on the album with well placed wah and iridescent effects. The drums are spares but drive to compositions. The bass lines repeat in a krautrock fashion while building the drive and melody of the songs. The guitars shimmer and echo over top making smooth rainbow textures. The vocals are soft and layered bringing to mind some of the acid freak folk sounds of the early 2000s. The album also has plenty of synth backing which makes the sound more spacious and harmonic.
Upupayāma‘s debut album is perfect for a walks in the woods, a psyched out mediation, and candle lit altars with incense filling the air.
Upupayāma
https://upupayama.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.centripetalforcerecords.com/
https://cardinalfuzz.bigcartel.com/
https://upupayamacf.bandcamp.com/album/upupay-ma
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Thank you so much and yes we do all need psychedelic rock acid folk music in 2021 we need more hippies in our world. Peace n love brother.
Very informative!!! Thanks my friend, can’t wait wait until the next one!!! Much love from dmtworld.net!!!