Review

Sometimes, search queries serve up perfect opportunities. Not knowing who or what "Kohoutek" referred to, I rummaged through the digital scrap heap and stumbled upon this sentence: "Kohoutek is a comet that could be observed with the naked eye around the turn of the year 1973/74." Perfect. Back in 1973/74, you could also observe psychedelic space rock with the naked eye—at a Hawkwind concert, for instance. They are still making their rounds today, and Kohoutek, too, can be admired on stage every now and then; however, you’ll have to look for such occasions in small basement clubs, as the hype surrounding both the comet and that musical genre has waned somewhat over the decades. That said, there is surely still a loyal band of stargazers—persistently and enduringly fascinated—turning their gaze toward the cosmos, alongside "sonic travelers" (whether aging veterans or a new generation) eager to lose themselves in the musically distant worlds of psychedelic rock bands. Those interested in either—or both—travel through time: observing phenomena in the night sky whose origins may date back thousands or even millions of years, or listening to music that draws inspiration from the distant past. Depending on one’s inclination, the two experiences can even be combined! I am quite grateful for the American band’s evocative name; otherwise, I wouldn't know what to write about their music—or rather, as I mentioned at the start, I am struck by how well it all fits together. Kohoutek—the comet, the band, the universe, space rock, space, and time—it’s all relative, including the interest taken in it. I still find it all "fascinating" and am certainly paying attention, yet I haven't the faintest idea where else the acoustic signals from "Akvoturo" are being picked up or what kind of reactions they’re eliciting. The musicians who recorded the album are all seasoned veterans of the US underground—active in countless other bands, naturally—and anyone who has followed this scene for a while, and who twenty years ago (which is how long Kohoutek has been around) was keeping tabs on acts like Bardo Pond, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Jackie-O Motherfucker, Robedoor, or Eternal Tapestry, really ought to give this a listen!