Vinyl Williams (Los Angeles, CA)

Celestial music has a vastly unknown history, the phrase first being coined in the early 70s by Iasos, Greek-American musician who began studying Bossa Nova & Jazz, before he became enraptured by an ambient radio station that began playing in his head. Alan Watts, a friend of Iasos, was quoted in stating “Iasos makes the classical music of the new age” – which gave rise to the musical genre. Music pioneers like Laraaji have found their own center in expressing celestial music, emanating his own aspects of Eastern mysticism & unique forms of meditation, proven to make you bliss out f’days.

In the last few decades we’ve seen celestial music work its way into pop. Vinyl Williams is an LA-based artist that has a history of combining these subtle aspects into harmonious pop music & visionary artwork. Collaborating with like-minded self-producers such as Chaz Bear of Toro Y Moi, Morgan Delt, and Ruban Nielsen of UMO, he’s built a universe of palatial 3D environments, and recorded 5 albums to date. Now onto his 6th, Cosmopolis, Vinyl Williams leads those through his most detailed exoplanet experience thus far.

Coming from a long line of LA-based musicians, Williams follows the feelings of Love, Brian Wilson, Strawberry Alarm Clock, and producer/arrangers like Curt Boettcher and Burt Bacharach to create his own lush sunshine pop paradise. One can also easily notice the many inspirations of Brazilian masterminds such as Arthur Verocai, Lo Borges, Nelson Angelo, as well as British dream pop / shoegaze production of Robin Guthrie and A.R. Kane. The many-riveted layers create a rainbow arch of pure imagination.

Forest Ray (Seattle, WA)

Forest Ray experiments in the analog and psychedelic, combining guitar driven psych rock with elements of raw synth-laced post-punk, americana, garage and organ-laden pop. Following in the footsteps of Pacific Northwest greats from The Sonics to The Kingsmen, the songs regularly explore diverse instrumentation, which have become staples of the group’s brand of rock n’ roll.

Their first two full length LPs, Musical Witchcraft and Laughing, were released to vinyl over 2016-18. They toured the US and played SXSW 2019 in support of their 7″ split record with Lasso Spells, released Spring 2019 on Nashville’s Cold Lunch Recordings label. In the fall of 2019, they released a new LP, Faded Reflection along with a collection of basement recorded analog tracks titled, the “Wedgwood Tapes”. Before the COVID-19 pandemic struck the group had also recorded their fourth studio album, “Black Pine”, during the winter of 2019 to be released in the fall of 2020. The album, which is an homage to lost loved ones, includes an array of twangy psychedelia, Americana influences and more of a diverse sound than previous records. Black Pine, borrows it’s name from the english translation of “Crnobor”, the autochthonous trees of the Croatian coastal region, Dalmatia, where songwriter Peter Sumic’s family immigrated from, which served as a source of nostalgia and inspiration in the album’s songwriting process. During 2021, they released a follow up of home recorded oddities and popular favorites, in a sequel to “Wedgewood Tapes” In October 2022, they will be releasing their fifth full length album, “Always” with the title track being released as a single on January 21st, 2022. “Always” dives further into folk rock instrumentation and psychedelic folk rock influences, and features slide guitar much more prominently. They have played 75 shows in 2022 and plan to continue the pace with a European tour in 2023.

Mother Sun (Kamloops, BC)

Mother Sun create warmth with their music. Combining deliberate psych-pop and rock arrangements with a measured amount of absurdity and experimentation, the four-piece from the interior desert of Kamloops, British Columbia produces thought-provoking songs that weave melodic, contemplative vocals through colourful tones and jazz-inspired grooves.

Highland Eyeway (Vancouver, BC)

Highland Eyeway was conceived in North Vancouver, Canada in 2014. Influenced by mystical forest canyons, moss covered trees and other worldly dimensions, blended with sounds of 90’s acts such as Brian Jonestown Massacre, Dead Meadow, Stereolab, Dinosaur Jr. and the experimental themes produced by Boards of Canada.