Dead Currencies has brought us a totally stellar split release by two likeminded and totally complementary artists that operate within the psychedelic music realm, Seattle’s Reverse Death, and Brazil’s Oruã.

On Reverse Death’s side, titled Return to Mud, is rich with a dreamy, heavily produced psychedelia that leans more into classic Dungen, HolyDrug Couple or Asteroid No. 4 territory. Expect relaxed reverb-soaked dreampop with catchy melodies and insatiable hooks. Songwriter Daniel Onufer has leaned further into vibey effects-driven studio creations on this go around, but he does it so right. Every track is a totally surreal pleasure that takes you onto a celestial journey, which ultimately culminates in the skronky spiritual jazz chaos that is “Splitting Tears,” of which concludes his side of the vinyl. His portion of the split release is rich with twinkling, jangling atmospheres, dazed and meditative pacing and evocative, lullaby-like songwriting. It’s a perfectly relaxed complementary slab of music to Oruã’s rockier contributions.

Renowned guitarist and producer, Lê Almeida, and his Brazilian psych-rock outfit, Oruã, stuffed their side of the LP with mindblowing demos and outtakes from their new album “Slacker,” which came out in late October on K Records. Oruã’s contributions are certainly more song-focused and rock leaning, with hypnotic beats and tasty grooves transporting the listener far, far away. Between the group’s vocals and jagged, iridescent guitar, they often conjure the more fuzzed-up and psych-leaning moments of Marc Bolan’s electric years. This is especially true for the feverish “Soft.”  While this side of the split album is equally dreamy, reverb-drenched and acid-influenced, it feels like the louder, heavier twin brother of its flip side. There are plenty of sonic similarities between the two halves, but these demos and outtakes have the energy and vibe of an ecstatic Saturday morning, while RD’s contributions are more like a spaced-out, quiet Sunday night. Both sidesare suitably hazy and saturated in color and texture in their own ways, but when played together in one sitting, you’ll certainly be boppin’ with hooks and floating away in a vivid daydream long after listening.

Click here to grab your copy from Dead Currencies today. Be sure to order the album on vinyl so you can appreciate the fantastic die-cut sleeve they created for this lovely LP:

-KH

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