At long last The Koolaid Electric Company have released their first album – “Random Noises and Organised Sounds” – after miraculously becoming the UK’s most loved home-grown psychedelic shoegazers.
Anyone who’s seen them live knows exactly why it’s happened and knows why they’ve been the choice support or playing partners of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Black Angels, The Warlocks, Clinic, Silver Apples, The Howling Bells, Asteroid #4, Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine) and Will Carruthers (Spacemen 3/ Spiritualized) to name but a few. In fact Marty Wilson Piper (The Church), Ricky Maymi (Brian Jonestown Massacre) and Will Carruthers all play on early versions of the album tracks released by the band as demos, whilst Ryan van Kriedt of Asteroid #4 and The Dead Skeletons mastered what was already a masterwork.
Most people think of The Koolaid Electric Company as a London based band, as it is within the metropolis they have built up a solid following which has spread outwards across other UK. However, the music these loveable rogues produce in fact comes straight out of a commune of sorts on a farm occupied by the band about an hour outside London in the idyllic surrounds of Leighton Buzzard.
Koolaid, the Capitals most in demand Psych band, spend a lot of time and have a lot of love for London, although maybe the hour drive between them and the concrete jungle is the secret weapon in their arsenal. The different shades of green they choose to surround themselves in on their farm the key to their blissful ignorance of the sometimes ugly music game. The ugly music game that so many others get bogged down in.
Koolaid come up with their soul penetrating music in a barn surrounded by acres of greenery, so it’s easy to see why the likes of The Warlocks, BJM, Ricky Maymi, and a host of others are frequent visitors to that magic hippy dream we all thought died out in the 60’s. Maybe we’re all too caught up in our hectic city lives to realise that other life choices still exist.
On ‘the farm’ as you often hear them refer to it, just as you or I might refer to our house or flat, they’re growing the colourful goods to sustain us stuck here in these grey landscapes.
The Koolaid started their voyage with the one crucial ingredient for any band able to charm and hypnotise in the honest and open way they play, a genuine sole goal of having fun the way they want to do it!
You’ll find the internet littered with people seeking out more information about where to find this band’s music. You’ll see people travelled down from as far as Glasgow and Carlisle for their album launch at the 250 capacity Lexington in London.
“Random Noises and Organised Sounds” was self released on the 12th of May 2011. Nine songs spanning 50 minutes, but the gaps between the songs mean nothing here – we’re talking one complete piece of art.
So, what’s the first thing you do when you finally make a record, get the opinions of those you respect in the industry?
“The album people sought but could not find” (Brian Jonestown Massacre’s legendary Committee To Keep Music Evil Forum)
“It made me think about music differently” Kevin Shields
“Best psych band in the UK” The Warlocks
“We have that record, we paid for it… it’s great” Black Angels
Press:
“The Koolaid Electric Company, they possess my favourite band name of recent times.” The Guardian
“These songs are beautifully simple yet full of hooks.” NME
“Opiated psychedelica” Time Out
A GIANT LEAP 