Brisbane-based world music/progressive psych/ “cosmos travellers” Endless Valley have joined the Copper Feast family, with the UK-based label releasing their new album Kashkashir on August 8th alongside Brisbane collective 4000 Records. Stirring a cauldron of psychedelic, global and progressive sounds, Endless Valley immerse audiences in a world of heady grooves, other-worldly guitars and Nayivadan chants. The name Endless Valley itself symbolises ocean floors that if emptied, would connect continents, and their sound embodies that – featuring deeply hypnotic layered melodies allied to very danceable rhythmic grooves, and no end of variety thrown in between. Fans Of Goat, Kimono Drag Queens and many others should treat themselves to a listen!
In brief, Kashkashir features 40 minutes of some of the most awe inspiring, groove-laden psych you’ll hear this year! Formed in 2014, the foundations for Endless Valley were laid when brothers Cavell and Brad met vocalist Luna in London. Their shared vision, combined with their diverse influences and backgrounds, shaped the band’s tight-knit yet fluid musical approach. As an ever-evolving collective, the line-up fluctuates, with musicians, performers, and behind-the-scenes extraordinaires flowing in and out of the “Nayivadian” orbit. The current onstage lineup features Luna on lead vocals and percussion, Cavell Schipp on guitar and vocals, Brad Schipp on bass guitar, Seb Ward on lead guitar and Nicole Perry on drums.
Together, they create a sonic tapestry that defies conventions and transports listeners to the enigmatic realm of Nayivada, a distant land that lead singer Luna travels to in her dreams. It’s an escape from the realities and challenges faced in our society, a utopian environment informed by ancient cultures and a place where innocence and magic reign supreme – Hippydom, if you like. Nothing wrong with that, the album is a passionate ode to the unity and community that binds us, a celebration of world peace, reflection, and empowerment through eclectic soundscapes that will mesmerize and energize.
That’s the back-story. The album delivers eight new slabs of musical harmony starting with Crimson Star, a very brief introductory mantra. This blends into Opportunistic, another mantra vocally but beautifully supported by clean guitar lines and a superbly tight band. I’m a sucker for tribal rhythms and this has them in abundance. It’s a nice clean mix as well, the two guitars and bass building strongly above the syncopation. There’s a great solo towards the end before it builds to its conclusion.
Kaskashir continues this line of clean, melodic twin guitars picking over a tune, looping bassline, and a sort of shamanic chant for the vocals to start with. Luna’s singing does become more conventional on this track, although she’s never very far away from a native whoop. Again, the guitar picking is of the highest standard, creating a hypnotic line blending seamlessly with the bass work. A strong track.
Eastern Warrior features a rich tapestry of instruments, including exotic percussion, hypnotic guitar riffs, and soaring melodies. The result is a driving rhythm delivering a mesmerizing sonic experience that blends elements of psychedelic rock and global music, evoking a sense of adventure and exploration. The first half is instrumental before Luna wades in with a strident tribal vocal line. It has to be said she’s a bit of an acquired taste, her style doesn’t vary too much but she’s clearly a core essential to the band’s ethos. Enamowai is a luscious, all to brief, sliver of paradise, recreating the sound of exotic birds high in the trees.
The Sun by way of contrast is sharper, a more pacey psych-rock-party groove with vocals not unlike Maidavale’s Matilda Roth, oddly from their recent Sun Dog album (see out VT review dated 7 May 2024). Actually there’s a lot of parallels between Maidavale and Endless Valley, both feature psychedelic lyrics and excellent quality guitar playing….Back to The Sun, this track is simply heavenly listening in its summery vibe and incessant rhythm. And again some tasty guitar lines, this is my favourite track on the album, a complete earworm!
Visions is another short sojourn, a slower, darker number that is quite a lot more free-form, spacey synths dominating. Feels like a bit of a filler to be honest.
And then we have Feel The Earth, the concluding track and a real epic at over ten minutes long. Beautifully melodic guitar lines plus added acoustic guitar are the keynotes here, Seb Ward and Cavell proving again how tight-knit they are as a guitar duo – not duelling but weaving in and out of each other’s lines – exquisite playing! Gentle, almost ballad-like singing from Luna in a quite pastoral early section, you just know that this one is going to build and satisfy beautifully.
A shout out for impeccable tribal drumming from Nicole here, and Brad’s basslines as warm and weaving as ever, this track is psychedelia at its very very best – Wonderful!
Endless Valley attract fans of both global music and psychedelic rock into their vibrant sonic realm, defying boundaries and weaving diverse influences. You get some sweltering rhythms and grooves built into their own brand of psych-rock, the result being really quite captivating.
