Lucid Dream - Actualisation

by Dave Goodwin

published: 10 / 12 / 2018

Label: Holy Are You Recordings
Format: CD

Impres sive Acid House-influenced fourth album from acclaimed Carlisle-based psychedelic rockersthe Lucid Dream

Review

Carlisle-based psychedelic rockers the Lucid Dream return with their fourth album 'Actualisation', not just driven by fans raising £10,000 to help replace all the band's equipment which was stolen after a Paris show in early 2017, but is also drenched in the tsunami of dub tinted acid house. Recorded at Whitewood Studios, Liverpool, with Rob Whiteley, 'Actualisation' will again see them acknowledged for breaking boundaries and rules by crossing genres and searching for all things new. Formed in 2008, the Lucid Dream had a string of sold-out singles releases followed by their debut album, 'Songs Of Lies and Deceit', in 2013. Gaining critical acclaim from the likes of 'Uncut', 'Q', 'Rocksound', 'Clash' and 'The Quietus, the debut album sold out within two days and they went on to play on the main stage at Kendal Calling. This offering opens with the aggressive techno-punk of 'Alone In Fear', a nine-minute dance assault driven by the frustration and irritation caused by Brexit and the current underachieving government. This is followed by recent single 'SX1000' and a journey into unchartered land for the Dream into the land of Andy Weatherall and pure acid house. To be fair, this outing is soaked in acid house vibes all the way through if you look hard enough into other tracks such as the critically acclaimed 'Ardency'. The standout track for me has to be the last 'No Sunlight Dub' – nearly seven minutes of easy acid melodic wonderment which morphs into something more akin to Public Image Limited before morphing back again. The album was written during the summer of 2017 by Mark Emerson(vocals/guitar/synths), They used only classic Roland synths, bass and vocals as their way of working and the inspiration for the album was from continuous listening to the UK’s and the best of Chicago’s acid house circa 1986-1992, which for me is the golden years of acid. The album was produced by long-time collaborator Ross Halden at his Ghost Town Studios in Leeds, with mastering achieved by Dean Honer, master of All Seeing I, I Monster and The Moonlandingz.

Track Listing:-

1 Alone in Fear
2 Zenith, Pt. 1
3 Zenith, Pt. 2
4 SX1000
5 Breakdown
6 Ardency
7 No Sunlight Dub

Band Links:-

http://theluciddreamband.blogspot.co.u
https://www.facebook.com/theluciddream
https://twitter.com/theluciddreamuk
https://www.youtube.com/user/LucidDrea
https://plus.google.com/10785186544699