This record is so obscure, that even the sleeve itself is a riddle. It open at the wrong side and the lettering of the band’s name is upside down. A strange mixture of martial, neofolk and what Aluk Todolo calls occult rock is created by two projects. One called Aluk Todolo, which is also the name for a kind if Hindu religion from the Torajan people in Indonesia. The other is band I was following for a while back in 2011, called Der Blutharsch.
Der Blutharsch started as a one man project back in ’96 by Austrian musician Albin Julius. Like the band I described yesterday, the aesthetics of Albin Julius were a bit iffy to say the least. I have no idea about his political views, but his subject matter has a lot to do with a search into a romantic Germanic past. One might spot a lot of dog whistles in the content, which in 2004 led to his live gig in Tel Aviv being under discussion in the Knesset. And that was probably not the first time his performances were banned.
This collaboration sees the two bands in a more psychedelic shape though. Rocky soundscapes that are more meant as a meditation, or as Aluk Todolo describes it: a methodical exploration of the powers of musical trance. Do try it out: I’m curious what you think of it.