Algarnas Tradgard - 1972 - Framtiden ar ett Svavande Skepp, Forankrat I Forntiden

Algarnas Tradgard
1972
Framtiden ar ett Svavande Skepp, Forankrat I Forntiden

01. Två Timmar Över Två Blå Berg Med En Gök På Vardera Sidan, Om Timmarna, Alltså (Two Hours over two blue mountains with a cockoo on each side of the hours..that is) (13:25)
02. Det Finns En Tid För Allt, Det Finns En Tid Då Även Tiden Möts (There is a time for everything, there is a time when even time will meet) (6:11)
03. Möjligheternas Barn (Children of Possibilities) (3:12)
04. Tristans Klagan (La Rotta) (1:40)
05. Viriditas (3:00)
06. Saturnus Ringar (Rings of Saturn) (7:15)
07. Framtiden Är Ett Svävande Skepp, Förankrat I Forntiden (The future is a hovering ship, anchored in the past) (5:07)

Bonus tracks:
08. 5/4 (10:26)
09. The Mirrors of Gabriel (8:26)


- Andreas Brandt / violin, vocals, percussion, flute
- Mikael Johanson / bass, handdrum, zither, tablas, percussion
- Dennis Lindh / drums, tablas, percussion, zinks, jews harp
- Dan Soderqvist / guitars, percussion
- Jan Ternald / mellotron, piano, moog modualr, organ, electric piano
- Sebastion Oberg / cello, flute, sitar, tablas


 ÄLGARNAS TRÄDGÅRD are a seminal, 6-piece Swedish combo who made one album in 1972, a cult classic and masterpiece of psychedelia that could have come straight out of the 'Kraut' school of Space Rock. After the release of their album, they kept on playing live for a while, even recording a full album's worth of new material in 1973-74. But it wasn't until 2001 that this material was mixed and released, on a cd entitled "Delayed".

Their 1972 classic, "Framtiden ar ett Svavande Skepp, Forankrat I Forntiden", is a veritable testimony to the halcyon days of hippiedom - a time when grown men, like children playing with forbidden colours, were popping hallucinogenic bonbons and experimenting with psychedelic sounds in their quest for mind-expanding adventures and altered states of consciousness. However, ÄLGARNAS TRÄDGÅRD's music never lapses into drugged-out silliness or aimless noodling. It ranges from earnest, to Medieval, to completely creepy - a sort of 'RIO meets folk'. They concoct some earthly (and unearthly) sounds using a combination of traditional, modern rock instruments and ethnic/archaic ones, the result being a spectacular blend of slow-smoking psychedelia with a strong vernacular Swedish folk bent. Their guitar-based, trance-like music is reminiscent of ASH RA TEMPEL; it also shares GONG's organic mayhem and the hypnotic qualities of early TANGERINE DREAM. If you can imagine a Nordic version of AMON DÜÜL II or ASH RA TEMPEL, you'll have a pretty good idea of what they sound like. The 2001 cd "Delayed", which makes heavier use of drums and guitars, is yet another marvellously atmospheric and creative mixture of prog and psychedelia.

Highly recommended for Krautrock aficionados as well as for fans of CAN and PINK FLOYD, circa "Ummagumma".


This album is one that I can listen to over and over again, without getting tired of it. I recommend it to anyone who likes space rock and those who want to get into that trippy genre.
Two Hours Over Two Blue Mountains With A Cuckoo On Each Side, Of The Hours... That Is - A very long title for a rather long piece. During those 13+ minutes, there is a blend of instruments, noises, and some magic. The strings are my favorite part of this track.
There Is A Time For Everything, There Is A Time When Even Time Will Meet - At this point, I'm starting to wonder what the band members were on when they recorded this. Probably my favorite track on the album. It begins with dog barks and what sounds like a flute, then with bells added. Once the strings come in, it becomes even more amazing.
Children Of Possibilities - The combination of strings and vocals is beautiful. This song is short and I wish it was longer. It is a lovely calm song.
La Rotta - This very short track has a great strings riff with nice percussion accompaniment. Though it is repetitive, it is wonderful with a hint of folk.
Viriditas - The song is atonal with stretched out vocals. It is interesting, but not beautiful.
Rings Of Saturn - The guitar dominates this track. It is essentially a long solo, with other instruments in the background. It is very spacey.
The Future Is A Hovering Ship, Anchored In The Past - This track is slow without much going on, reminiscent of classical music. It's not a very memorable track.
5/4 - It starts out simple and slow, building up to a blend of percussion. As one might guess from the title, that part is in 5/4. Once the other instruments come in, it becomes more and more upbeat, with odd rhythms.
The Mirrors Of Gabriel - This track reminds me very much of both classical music and Univers Zero. It sounds like a slow march for something sinister. I think it would fit well in a fantasy movie introducing the villains.