CD ONE - IN SEARCH OF THE ACID METAL GRILLE

1. Ocean Of Mercury
    Mesmerising sequences underpin orchestral synths and soaring electric guitar

2. In Search Of Homo Sapiens Psychedelicus
    Beautiful, almost tribal rhythms accompany analogue Korg synths and various other exotica

3. Acid Drenched Symphony
    Dancey rhythms in Heldon/Project Q style act as a foundation for great synths and superb electric guitar

4. Vastscape
    Ambient, dreamy closer to this album, with ethnic tinges

CD TWO - THE ACID METAL GRILLE SESSIONS

1. Liquidy Jungly Canopy
    Restrained but hypnotic sequences with more great guitar

2. Homo Sapiens Psychedelicus Found
    The missing link between “In Search Of Homo Sapiens Psychedelicus” and “Vastscape”

3. Identity
    Ambient interlude

4. International Weightlessness
    Berlin School sequences drenched in echo compete with ‘70’s string synth and other analogue marvels

5. Universal
    Ambient, spacey closer to the album; mysterious and calm

Both CDs include Peter Wyer on guitar, Garry Lewin on synths, and Phil Watson on synths, 
though Palmer-Wyer and Palmer-Lewin-Watson are paired on separate tracks. The original 
album starts off with a 23 minute Palmer-Wyer track called "Ocean of Mercury". The music 
begins as a Tangerine Dream-Pink Floyd blend, with various synth parts and sporadic but 
significant guitar bits from Wyer. After several minutes the keyboards recede and the duo 
go into light exploration mode, with scattered sound effects, soundscapes, and various other 
patterns and textures. Very playful but also very intense, and gets increasingly so as the 
piece develops, eventually returning to the Floydian theme, though this time with a deep 
space symphonic edge and all sorts of bubbling and rumbling synths bits. And as we 
approach the final portion of the track the volume increases, with the keyboards even 
more Floyd like and Wyer really rocks out on guitar. Lots of changes and transitions 
throughout this lengthy gem.

"In Search of the Homo Sapiens Psychedelicus" is a Palmer-Lewin-Watson electronic 
track. Right away we've got a cool, peaceful percussive groove going, sounding like tablas, 
plus spacey exploratory synth lines and effects. Again I hear bits of Pink Floyd in the 
keyboards, but with a tribal feel and more intently spaced out, with a parade of fun alien 
electronics adding color and character to the music. The main theme is like the spaceship 
ride and all the accompanying electronics are like the space debris shooting past as you 
look out the window.

"Acid Drenched Symphony" is another Palmer-Wyer track. Right away we're hit with a 
tension laden spacey theme, along with rapidly bubbling electronic patterns and steady 
electro cymbal rhythms. The percussion remains steady as the electronics start to swirl, 
winding guitar licks are introduced, and we find ourselves in Tangerine Dreamy space, 
though there's so much more varied sound experimentation here. Nearly halfway through, 
Wyer's guitar steps out front and rocks out in a jamming but easy paced hard rock style, 
his ripping licks sounding great accompanied by the symphonic keys and darting electronics. 
The pace really starts to pick up until we've got a rapid fire electro dance groove going, 
though all the while the guitar and atmospherics remain calm, tripping along at their own 
stride. Finally we have another Palmer-Lewin-Watson track, "Vastscape", which at just 
over 7 minutes is the shortest track on the album. Once again the trio cut loose and focus 
just as much on sound creation as deep space atmosphere and drift.

The second CD, with all unreleased material, is titled The Acid Metal Grille Sessions and 
includes 5 tracks, with the same participating musicians as the original album. "Liquidy 
Jungly Canopy" is the only track with Pete Wyer. It consists of a syncopated electro pulse, 
spacescapes, whining liquid guitar licks, jangling cans, rushing water and masses of crickets
chirping. I like the combination of off-kilter dance grooves, space symphonics and sounds of 
nature, giving the thing a surreal campsite cookout in space feel. Later the grooves get deeper 
and the guitar even more hypnotic. Some of the most spellbinding guitar work on either CD.

Homo Sapiens Psychedelicus Found" is the only track to feature the trio of 
Palmer-Lewin-Watson. A repetitive space orchestral theme serves as the foundation 
for a competing banquet of spaced out sounds and effects, soon developing into a 
majestic space-prog symphony. "International Weightlessness" is a Palmer-Lewin 
duo track, and once again we have grand symphonics, this time accompanied by a 
frisky synth pattern. The symphonic keys come and go, leaving the angular synths 
to meet head on with some howling soundscape waves. Mind-expanding, disorienting, 
and always engaging, this is a great track for those who like to listen closely to all the 
details. And a great powerhouse finale too.

There are also two short Palmer ambient tracks, "Identity" and "Universal". The liner notes 
say these tracks are intentionally beatless and rhythmless, and while they are based 
in ambient music, there's far more happening then pure ambience. More layers, more 
electronics, and in the case of "Universal", somewhat symphonic. This is music you 
can close your eyes and float away with, or give your undivided attention to and marvel 
at all the elements and layers that go into creating it.


From SFX 49, by Guy Haley:
'Unspoiled by hard dance beats, these are zoned tunes for the chill-out room only...
And if you're into meditation, then this is a fine breed of wispiness to drive out the cares of the day.'

From Matrix 135, by Chris Terran:
'... there's considerably more bite than before, due in no small measure to Pete Wyer's fine guitar
playing, alternately reminding me of Robert Fripp and Steve Hillage. Track two is a cool, jazzy bridge
to the best cut on the CD, "Acid Drenched Symphony". Echoes of "On The Run" from Dark Side of
the Moon here, with some neat synth and a mind-numbing hypnotic riff. Superb.'

From Cranium Music Newsletter, by Richard:
'The music of Mooch fits the SF scenario perfectly, with its washes of spacey keyboards that
sometimes touch on the planet Tangerine Dream and then float away to ambient beaches where
traces of tribal dance can be heard. On the track "Acid Drenched Symphony" the guitar soars with
the spacey effects that constantly ebb and flow at you through your speakers. At just 20 minutes
this track is a masterpiece.'

From Martyn Jones on his Psych Reviews Website:
’Lots of layered keys and nice programmed section with use of keyboard/Guitars/Drums. Just 4 long
tracks that span nearly 70 minutes, with 3 tracks clocking in at around the 20 minute mark. If you are
into bands like the Orb and System 7, this is sure to appeal, so will it to any New Age fans that might
like some of the more dreamscape, experimental sections. I'm sure this would look and sound great live...'

From Carl Howard, USA musician and underground music mail order rep:
'I thought that Mooch was a very ballsy CD, ballsy for the band to have done, and ditto for you to have
released, considering that at no time does it veer into the conventional rock that I was expecting would
build out of the retro-sequencing. Very impressive all round. I hadn't heard electronic music approached
like that since the Project Q tapes of the early '90's.'

From Stridernews, by Adam Strider (review © Adam Strider):
'From the first blips and beeps of this fantastic SpaceRock album, the listener will know they're in for
a treat. Sounding like a fusion of early Alien Planetscapes and mid-70's Heldon, the disk begins with
a most embracing aura... we have (here) fully developed forays into electronic music styles I have only
previously heard mined by Richard Pinhas... Pete Wyer displays some fascinating guitar technique...
The guitar enhances the synth structures exquisitely.'

From the excellent Eurock catalogue:
'Here’s a real blast from over the pond. Since 1992 it seems that Steve Palmer and various mates have
been exploring the outer reaches of futurist EM and space rock fusion. Their new album as the name
implies is a real head-trip with its multiple analogue keyboards guitar and percussives all fusing into a
cosmic musical mantra. The four long tracks literally melt into one another as the various sounds evolve
from one theme to the next creating a swirling tapestry of surreal, celestial exotica that reveals new tone
colors with each listen.'

From the GUILFIN newletter:
'Been around for a while now, producing very ambient music - and the reason why they lasted is because
their soundscapes have always been interesting. This is no exception, in fact this has to be the best so far.
This is a full length cd, but only four tracks... They are more than mere tunes, they are each a journey.
Enjoy your trip.'

From Rhythm and Booze fanzine issue 8:
'Now this is one compelling album... that never loses your interest. The glorious guitar work has a
tendency to reach a crescendo without losing any of its emotive beauty. This is ambient synthesizer
music that would appeal to fans of Pink Floyd and The Orb. Each track has different elements that
take hold of you and transport your thoughts to a new landscape... The best way I can sum it up is
lovely, relaxing, interesting.'

From the Delerium catalogue:
'Brand new album loaded with tripped out space trance rock music by this popular UK festival band.
Features four long tracks of really stretched-out goodies.'

From Synth Music Direct, by Dave Law (his original 1999 review):
'Only a few seconds in to the piece and a sequence can already be heard. Ever mutating and moving
in and out of the mix it acts as the main focus of attention whilst all manner of synth washes and effects
come and go. A guitar can be heard from time to time, adding a rather special texture to proceedings,
not sounding a million miles away from how the guitar was used on TD’s ‘Electronic Meditation’.
The sequence really never stays still, neither do the psychedelic background effects. This album will
be liked by followers of the Ozrics and Hawkwind as well as the more adventurous fans of retro and
those who like weird spaced out madness. Who needs iffy substances when you have music like this?
The tapestry of sounds created by synths, guitar and sequences never stay still for a moment.
As we move into the second half of this trip the sequence becomes weirder and weirder, almost
forming into a wall of sound. Acoustic, almost tribal, rhythms introduce the second track ‘In Search
of Homo Sapiens Psychedelicus’. All manner of analogue sounds, cosmic warbles and other worldly
effects mingle with the rhythm as we are taken on yet another bloody weird journey. A very hypnotic
effect is created making me think that this track would be ideal for those late night mental wanderings.
‘Acid Drenched Symphony’ also uses a repeated rhythm to provide a structure to all the madness
that is going on around it but this time the rhythm is electronic. The guitar also re-emerges but for
the most part just forms part of the underlying sonic gloop. Sequences bubble to the surface at the
five minute mark, hang around for a few minutes then as the guitar becomes more prominent fade
away again only to return later. The final track, the only one under nineteen minutes in length, is
also the most laid back with no rhythm and only the most delicate use of sequences, still bloody
strange though. To sum up, wild, very wild in fact, not conforming to any style that has gone before
and certainly weird but if you want a completely new experience (man) then buy this.
Personally I loved it but some will wonder what the hell is going on.'

Rob Chapman in MOJO magazine:
'Terry Riley loops and T.Dream synth chorale dipped in techno pulses.'

Dave Roberts for SPACE RIDER mag:
'The album opens up with 'Ocean Of Mercury'. This starts off quite melodic, then builds up in tempo
to become quite an uptempo piece of music which features swirling synth textures, electronic drums
and guitar. The music reminds me of Tangerine Dream towards the end of the track, but more ambient.
'In Search Of...' is quite a melodic piece of music that features percussion and synths. A haunting
piece of music. 'Acid Drenched Symphony' is very rhythmic and features lots of sequencer passages
and swirling synths. This has to be the best track on the album - an excellent piece of music.
The album closes with 'Vastscape', featuring lots of different synth textures, an excellent closing track.'

EXPOSE:
'Entirely instrumental, this is a space explorer's dream come true.'

znr records:
What a title for gorgeous T. Dream electro music! Don't let the moniker fool you, this is some of the
best post-Berlin electronic music in recent years!

ZOOPALOOP reviews:
How can I describe the music of this band ????? Mooch create a strange kind of space music,
mixing lots of keyboards with samples, guitar and percussion. The four songs of this record are
very relaxing and hypnotizing ("In Search Of Homo Sapiens Psychedelicus" ). It's like a voyage
beyond unknown galaxies. The work on percussion reminds me of some Indian music ("Acid
Drenched Symphony") - mixing with techno beats. Everyone who likes psychedelic music must
listen to Mooch, they created their own swirling world. Very good.

Phil Brook of Ambientmusic.co.uk:
It is so easy to jump to the wrong conclusions, especially when noting the album title. If you think
this contains lots of high-energy acid techno, then think again and try looking at the opposite end
of the scale. Ambient atmospherics with a hint of the Orb and the Ozric Tentacles is what you get
and it's gorgeous. It's all the work of Steve Palmer, a guitarist who has added the usual keyboards,
samples and synths to the four longish tracks on offer. The journey commences with Ocean of
Mercury, an evocative moody instrumental that varies between Tangerine Dream style loops and
quieter passages of haunting beauty. The next section, In Search Of Homo Sapiens Psychedelicus,
offers an organised beat onto which squelchly analogue synths chart a salubrious path. The other
tracks all have a distinctive individual mood that prevents any listening weariness from becoming
apparent. There is something about these compositions that leave the listener feeling aurally
satisfied, it's as though they have been specifically made to ensure the overall mix is brimming
over with comforting effects. Some may now believe that ambient music belongs to a bygone
age, but modern composers like Palmer prove this theory to be incorrect.