The Unknown Controllers – Ftumchk

Nervasystem & Aether operated the Bristol-based Elektrik Orgasm Records (EOR) throughout the late 90s. They released about 5 vinyl singles, always with their trademark sounds and unique approach to psychedelic trance. Their style was only comparable to the weird experimentations of outsider artists from Finland, Australia and Japan. This particular EP, authored by Moogman & Manyanaman, has hints of early Slide (Pete Martin), although the funk level is elevated by a factor of “fuck yeah!”

Ftumchk is a deep and groovy song with a slow tempo and a mild jazz or blues influence. The synthetic components unfold with a delicate ease, filtering around the subdued soundscape with a drifting analog squelches and electrical resonances. Sneaky and mysterious melodies emerge from the sonic soup in certain moments, whipping around like severed electrical cords. It’s a very peculiar production made purely for psychedelic purposes.

Venus Tongue Sandwich is slightly more upbeat, filled with intricate bebop bass and more jazzy warbling. There is an aimless quality to this one, as it doesn’t seem to progress far from the initial concept. Still, there is an occultist appeal to the peculiar sonic textures and alien atmospheres.

These tunes are not available on CD anywhere; this vinyl is the only place they were released. If you sample the debut album from Nervasystem & Aether and enjoy the sound, this vinyl is worth tracking down. Otherwise it is nothing more than a curiosity for old school collectors. How am I to rate such an oddity? I deem it to be average for the Elektrik Orgasm sound; nothing more and nothing less.