Motorpsycho - Timothy's Monster (2010) [4CD Box Set]

The third Motorpsycho full length marks an important step for the band, both in terms of musical ambition and execution. The previous album Demon Box was a very diverse album but it could still largely be tagged as a metal/stoner album. With Timothy's Monster, the band found a more personal mix of heavy indie rock with psychedelic experimentation that fans probably identify as psychonaut-rock.
Timothy's Monster is a 2CD set and presents two entirely different faces of this versatile band. CD1 is a collection of short 90's guitar-rock songs with influences from grunge, indie and shoegazer. It is a pleasant listen but not much more then that. A lot of these songs are good but a bit faceless, fit for college-rock radio stations of their era but no Sonic Youth, Bloody Valentine, Cure or Nirvana for sure. 3.5 for this disc.

CD2 is an entirely different beast and probably of more interest to kraut/space-heads. Especially the 17 minute The Wheel is worth getting the album for, at least for fans of long and well crafted drones. It reminds of Kraut psych trip-rock, soaked in spaced-out feedback, hazy organ and fuzzy sounds. The main point of inspiration might actually have been Monster Magnet's space-rock experiment Tab 25 from the preceding year.

Sungravy offers a gentle and tender acoustic moment of reflection before the band reminds us of their grunge past with the monumental doom sludge of Grindstone. A dead-heavy piece with slowed-down Sabbath riffs, feedback, screams and a repeated ring that sounds as if some of your household equipment is on the verge of exploding. The Golden Core is another lengthy piece, announcing the post-rock that GYBE would push to the mainstream a few years later. Slightly 'off' folk vocals and mellotron join before everything builds up to a wall of sound.

It's impossible to tag this band, a good thing where I'm concerned but probably a bad feature for mainstream success. Recommended if you feel like getting an album that switches from folk, indie and rock to sludge, grunge and psychedelic trips. For sure one of the most fascinating rock bands from the 90s.

by Bonnek, progarchives

Tracklist CD1 - Part 1:

01. Feel (Sæther)
BS: acoustic guitars, vocals, Mellotron & bass
“It feels so good to feel again!"
Rec. date: unknown, spring 1994. 4-track home recording Mixed by Helge Sten at A.V. Lab

02. Trapdoor (Sæther)
LL: piano
HMR: electric guitar, backing vocals
BS: acoustic guitar, drums, bass, vocals, percussion
Geb: banjo
"It felt like summertime had blown a fuse”
Rec. date: January 6, 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten

03. Leave It Like That (Sæther)
LL: backing vocals
HMR: electric guitar, backing vocals
BS: acoustic guitar, bass, percussion, vocals
Geb: drums
“There's no way to look any other way”
Rec. date: January 16, 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten

04. A Shrug & A Fistful (Sæther/Lien)
LL: piano, backing vocals
HMR: electric guitar, backing vocals
BS: vocals, bass, acoustic guitar
Geb: drums, banjo
Deathprod: obvious, no?
“Don’t fuck me over again”
Rec. date: April 19 or 20, 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten

05. Kill Some Day (Sæther/Ryan/Sten)
LL: backing vocals
HMR: guitars, backing vocals
BS: bass, vocals, percussion
Geb: drums
Deathprod: Mellotron
“I see things somewhat different now"
Rec. date: January 16, 1994. Mixed by Lars Lien

06. On My Pillow (Ryan)
LL: backing vocals
HMR: vocals, guitars, piano
BS: bass, backing vocals, guitar fills, piano, percussion
Geb: drums Deathprod: therrormin
“Diving deep in shallow water”
Rec. date: July 1 or 2, 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten July 4, 1994

07. Beautiful Sister (Sæther/Lien)
LL: Wurlitzer (and how!)
HMR: electric guitar, backing vocals
BS: bass, electric & acoustic guitars, percussion, vocals
Geb: drums
"You gotta hang on to the trip you’re on!”
Rec. date: unknown, winter 1994. Mixed by Lars Lien

08. Wearing Yr Smell (Sæther)
HMR: guitars
BS: bass, vocals, piano, percussion Geb: drums
“…I'm not dead, but I’m workin’ on it”
Rec. date: July 3, 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten July 5, 1994

09. Now It’s Time To Skate (Sæther)
LL: piano
HMR: electric guitar, ba-ba doohs
BS: acoustic guitar, hi-hat, bass, vocals
Geb: banjo, drums
"Look at me now!"
Rec. date: unknown, probably last half of January 1994.
Mixed by Helge Sten February 25, 1994

10. Giftland (Ryan/Sæther)
LL: piano, Hammond organ
HMR: electric guitar, backing vocals
BS: bass, drums (right ch), percussion, vocals
Geb: drums (left ch)
Deathprod: samples, synthesizer, Mellotron
“Not knowing what you need, you could never conceive it"
Rec. date: unknown, but finished master is a composite from various sessions January 1994
Mixed by Helge Sten February 26, 1994 (part#l)

11. Watersound (Sæther)
LL: piano, backing vocals
HMR: acoustic & electric guitars, backing vocals
BS: acoustic guitar, coral electric sitar, bass, percussion, vocals
Geb: drums
"You dove in the afterglow”
Rec. date: January 4, 1994. Mixed by Lars Lien February 23, 1994




Tracklist CD2 - Part 2:

01. The Wheel (Ryan/Sæther/Gebhardt/Lien)
LL: piano
HMR: guitar, tambourine, piano
BS: bass, vocals, acoustic guitar, cymbal
Geb: drums, maracas
"It will never feel like that again"
Rec. date: July 2, 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten July 5, 1994

02. Sungravy (Sæther)
BS: guitar, vocals
Øyvind B. Engen: cello
Lars O. Mølnå: viola
Strings arranged by 0yvind Brandtsegg
"Lost on a rainy day in the sun"
Rec. date: unknown, winter 1994. Mixed by Lars Lien February 21, 1994

03. Grindstone (Sæther/Sten)
HMR: guitars
BS: bass, vocals Geb: drums
Deathprod: Mellotron, samples
“You’ll shatter"
Rec. date: unknown, winter 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten

04. The Golden Core (Ryan/Sæther)
HMR: guitar
BS: bass, vocals, synth bass
Geb: drums, percussion
Deathprod: Mellotron
Øyvind Brandtsegg: vibraphone
Anneli Drecker: vocals
"These are sungod days”
Rec. date: unknown, winter 1994. Mixed by Lars Lien February 24, 1994




Tracklist CD3 - Part 0 - The Unreleased First Edition:

01. Leave It Like That (Sæther)
LL: backing vocals
HMR: electric guitar, backing vocals
BS: acoustic guitar, bass, percussion, vocals
Geb: drums
Rec. date: January 16, 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten

02. A Shrug & A Fistful (Sæther/Lien)
LL: piano, backing vocals
HMR: electric guitar, backing vocals
BS: vocals, bass, acoustic guitar
Geb: drums, banjo
Deathprod: obvious, no?
Rec. date: April 19 or 20, 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten

03. Very 90’s, Very Aware (Sæther)
HMR: guitars
BS: bass, piano, vocals
Geb: drums
Rec. date: April 19, 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten
Previously unreleased

04. On The Toad Again (Sæther)
HMR: guitars, vocals, handclaps
BS: bass, vocals, percussion, handclaps
Geb: drums, handclaps
Rec. date: January 16, 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten
Previously released on “Dynamo Open Air 10th Anniversary" [RR8927-2]
and on various samplers

05. Now It’s Time To Skate (Sæther)
LL: piano
HMR: electric guitar, ba-ba doohs
BS: acoustic guitar, hi-hat, bass, vocals
Geb: banjo, drums
Rec. date: unknown, probably late February 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten February 25, 1994

06. Watersound (Sæther)
LL: piano, backing vocals
HMR: acoustic & electric guitars, vocals
BS: acoustic guitar, coral electric sitar, bass, percussion, vocals
Geb: drums
Rec. date: January 4, 1994. Mixed by Lars Lien February 23, 1994

07. Innersfree (Ryan/Sæther)
LL: Mellotron, synthesized klankofon HMR: guitars, vocals
BS: bass, vocals
Geb: drums
Deathprod: oscillations, samples
The spooky voices are from LL’s answering machine
Rec. date: unknown, spring 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten
Previously unreleased

08. Giftland (Ryan/Sæther)
LL: piano, Hammond organ
HMR: electric guitar, backing vocals
BS: bass, drums (right ch), percussion, vocals
Geb: drums (left ch)
Deathprod: samples, synthesizer, Mellotron
Rec. date: unknown, but finished master is a composite from various sessions January 1994
Mixed by Helge Sten February 26, 1994 (part #1)

09. Trapdoor (Sæther)
LL: piano
HMR: electric guitar, backing vocals
BS: acoustic guitar, drums, bass, vocals, percussion
Geb: banjo
Rec. date: January 6, 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten

10. Kill Some Day (Sæther/Ryan/Sten)
LL: backing vocals
HMR: guitars, backing vocals
BS: bass, vocals, percussion
Geb: drums
Deathprod: Mellotron
Rec. date: January 16, 1994. Mixed by Lars Lien

11. Sungravy (Sæther)
BS: guitar, vocals
Øyvind B. Engen: cello
Lars O. Mølnå: viola
Strings arranged by 0yvind Brandtsegg
Rec. date: unknown, winter 1994. Mixed by Lars Lien February 21, 1994

12. Grindstone (Sæther/Sten)
HMR: guitars
BS: bass, vocals
Geb: drums
Deathprod: Mellotron, samples
Rec. date: unknown, winter 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten

13. The Golden Core (Ryan/Sæther)
HMR: guitar
BS: bass, vocals, synth bass
Geb: drums, percussion
Deathprod: Mellotron
Øyvind Brandtsegg: vibraphone
Anneli Drecker: vocals
Rec. date: unknown, winter 1994. Mixed by Lars Lien February 24, 1994




Tracklist CD4 - Part 4 - The Ones That Got Away: B-Sides & Outtakes:

01. President Block (Stenøien)
HMR: guitars, backing vocals
BS: bass, percussion, vocals
Geb: drums, percussion
Deathprod: vocals
Rec. date: probably early December 1993. Mixed by Helge Sten
Previously released on “Wearing Yr Smell” EP
Published by manus - Tono/n©b

02. Jr (Sæther)
HMR: acoustic guitar, backing vocals
BS: acoustic guitar, vocals
Geb: banjo
Rec. date: Bergen, September 13, 1993 by John Hegre. Mixed by Helge Sten at A.V. Lab
Previously released on "Wearing Yr Smell" EP

03. Birds (Ruhle/Sæther)
HMR: guitar, backing vocals
BS: acoustic guitar, bass, drums, vocals
Martin Rühle: thumb piano, violin, harmonium
Rec. date: Weilheim, May 30, 1994 by Martin Rühle & Lars Klokkerhaug
Mixed by Helge Sten at A.V. Lab October 27, 1994
Previously released on “Wearing Yr Smell" EP

04. Leave It Like That [edit] (Sæther)
LL: backing vocals
HMR: electric guitar, backing vocals
BS: acoustic guitar, bass, percussion, vocals
Geb: drums
Rec. date: January 16, 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten
Edited version of album track, originally released on “Wearing Yr Smell” EP
and later on the UK/US 1xCD version of Timothy’s Monster and various samplers

05. On My Pillow [edit] (Ryan)
LL: backing vocals
HMR: vocals, guitars, piano
BS: bass, backing vocals, guitar fills, piano, percussion
Geb: drums
Deathprod: therrormin
Rec. date: July 1 or 2, 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten July 4, 1994
Edited version released on the UK/US 1xCD version of Timothy’s Monster

06. The Wheel [edit] (Ryan/Sæther/Gebhardt/Lien)
LL: piano
HMR: guitar, tambourine, piano
BS: bass, vocals, acoustic guitar, cymbal
Geb: drums, maracas
Rec. date: July 2, 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten July 5, 1994
Edited version released on the UK/US 1CD version of Timothy’s Monster

07. New Day Rising (Hart/Mould/Norton)
HMR: guitars, vocals
BS: bass, vocals
Geb: drums
Deathprod: jet engine (!)
Rec. date: November 29 or 30, 1993. Mixed by Helge Sten
Previously released on "Case Closed? - an international compilation of Hiisker Du cover-songs”
Published by Cesstone Music - BMI

08. Seethe (Sæther)
HMR: guitars, piano
BS: bass, guitars, vocals
Geb: drums
Rec. date: unknown, winter 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten February 23, 1994
Previously released on “Effenaar 1971-1996 25 jaar CD+” and “Music from the motion picture 'The return of Jesus pt II'

09. Shock Me (Frehley)
HMR: guitars, backing vocals
BS: bass, percussion, backing vocals
Geb: drums, percussion
Deathprod: octophone
Dag Ingebrigtsen: vocals
Rec. date: probably early December 1993. Mixed by Lars Lien
Previously released on "Flaming Youth - a Norwegian tribute to Kiss”
Published by Kiss Songs Inc. - ASCAP

10. Workin’ For MCA (King/Van Zant)
LL: Wurlitzer, backing vocals
HMR: guitars, backing vocals BS: bass, vocals, percussion
Geb: drums, percussion
Rec. date: unknown, winter 1994. Mixed by Lars Lien February 25, 1994
Previously released on the promo-only EMI release “ProMotorl" and as the b-side on “Sinful Wind-borne" 7”
Published by Duchess Music Corp. - BMI

11. Space Cadet Boogie (Gebhardt/Lien/Ryan/Sæther)
LL: vocals, piano
HMR: vocal echoes, ARP axxe
BS: bass, acoustic guitar, drums
Geb: acoustic guitar, backwards drums
Rec. date: unknown, winter 1994. Mixed by Lars Lien
Previously released on “Party Terror vol. II"

12. Walking On The Water [alternative version] (Sæther)
LL: Wurlitzer, piano, backing vocals
HMR: electric guitar, backing vocals, piano
Rec. date: unknown, winter 1994. Mixed by Lars Lien
Previously unreleased

13. Mr Butterclut Goes To The Fair, Meets The Viscount, And That’s Where We Leave Him At The End Of This Episode… (Ryan)
HMR: acoustic nylon-string guitar, Viscount organ
Anne Gine Slagsvold: flute
Sound effects from the Brygga archives
Rec. date: unknown, winter 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten
Previously unreleased

14. Celestine (Ryan/Sæther)
HMR: acoustic & electric guitars
BS: bass, vocals, electric guitar Geb: percussion
Rec. date: unknown, winter 1994. Mixed by Lars Lien
Previously released on “Hey Jane” EP

15. Sinking (Sæther)
LL: piano, organ
HMR: guitar
BS: acoustic guitar, vocals, bass, drums
Geb: electric guitar, ARP axxe, vacuum cleaner-tube percussion
Rec. date: unknown, winter 1994. Mixed by Helge Sten
Previously unreleased

16. The Entertaining Ape (Sæther)
BS: acoustic guitar, vocals
Rec. date: unknown. 4-track home recording. Mixed by Helge Sten at A.V. Lab
Previously unreleased

17. Giftland Jam (Ryan/Sæther)
HMR: guitar
BS: bass
Rec. date unknown, winter 1994. Recorded w/one mic live to tape by Helge Sten
Previously unreleased test run through the middle part of Giftland

18. Sonnyboy Gaybar [original version] (Gebhardt/Lien/Ryan/Sæther)
LL: bass, backing vocals
HMR: fiddle, backing vocals
BS: mandolin, vocals
Geb: banjo
Rec. date unknown, winter 1994. Recorded w/ one mic live to tape by Helge Sten
Previously unreleased
Written 5 minutes before this recording was committed to tape
This is where The International Tussler Society was born




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