Nik Turner and The Trance Dimensionals

7,934

5 Stars

*The dramatic cover for Synchronicity. Hinting strongly at the stories to be told once the album is played.*

Firstly, what a great album, combining the talents of Nik Turner and Steve Hillman, Musical Spacenauts of the first order. Great album cover, the songwriting is extraordinary, and the music is delivered bang on, with a real unearthly groove. This calls for getting up and giving it your best space boogie.

Nik Turner is a legend in the real world. Most of us have to put up with living in somebody else’s imagined world, only allowed to join the space-time continuum at Uncle Nik’s desire. He first made a name for himself as founder, saxophonist, flutist, vocalist, and songwriter with the original space cowboys, Hawkwind. He was a member on the Hawkship twice, from 1969-1982-1984, during two classic eras for the band. Since then, Nik has been a founder or member of Sphynx, Inner City Unit, Nik Turner’s Fantastic All Stars, Space Ritual and Hawklords, to name a handful. He’s done plenty of solo work and has collaborations to compile to complete your catalogues. It’s been quite a journey so far.

*Thunder Rider on stage with Angel Flame.*

Steve Hillman has been around the Asteroid Belt a few times as well. In the early seventies, Hillman would haul his audio generators around the hemispheres, complimenting his guitar and keyboard playing, heavily influenced by Hawkwind, Gong and Tangerine Dream. During the eighties, he was very much a part of the British Underground Electronic scene; then in the nineties he was signed up by Cyclops Records, releasing three staggeringly epic journeys, Matrix 1994, Convergence 1999, and Opener of the Ways 2002. Since those days, Steve has kept himself busy playing sessions, etc. He also joined the progressive rock band Ra Rising.

Playing with Ra Rising was especially handy as when Steve Hillman wanted to form The Trance Dimensionals, he was able to call upon their drummer Dai Rees and bassist Clog to join the trip. This was after a great meeting of the minds of Nik Turner and Steve Hillman in 2016. Steve Hillman already had enough songs for an album, but with Nik Turner now fronting the band, more writing took place, resulting in ‘Thunder Rider Invocation’ (Nik Turner’s long-term nickname is Thunder Rider) and ‘Sekhmet,’ which harkens back to 1978 and Nik Turner’s album Xitintoday.

*If it’s a show you want, it’s a show you’ll get.*

The music is such an incredible mix of talents.

To keep the Hawkwind factor high, Dave Anderson, who played with Hawkwind on “In Search of Space” (1971), flew in, giving the band a good excuse to rearrange the song ‘Children of the Sun’ written by Turner/Anderson that appeared on the “In Search of Space” album.

Mr. Dibs, also ex-Hawkwind but now a Hawklord, also does a rather spiffing job on the vocals for the song ‘Taken to the Limit.’

Angel Flame, the artist best known for performing with Arthur Brown, lends her vocal attributes to ‘The Enchantress’ and ‘Abode of the Blessed.’

It’s a pure delight to hear Linda Hillman on flute and her voice on ‘The Enchantress.’

Eleanor Rees does a splendid job with the vocals on ‘Children of the Sun,’ too.

Richard Benjamin fits his vocals perfectly onto the up-tempo ‘Angels of the Light,’ sounding very spacey.

So, all in all, there is a lot to look out for and listen to on your journeys around the multiverses.

As soon as Nik Turner intones his voice in opener ‘Destination Void,’ you know it could only be Thunder Rider. The saxophone riffing along with the guitar is a bit of a giveaway, too. Steve Hillman’s sonic sounds and his nifty guitar work are all there. So each individual is easily recognizable, creating a unique sound together.

Next up is, to me, the central piece of the whole album: ‘The Enchantress.’ Angel Flame narrates while the acoustic guitar and beautiful flute from Linda Hillman lull you in. But then, at one minute thirty seconds, the bass guitar lays down a pounding riff, followed by Steve Hillman coming in over the top. As fine a piece of Space Rock as you are ever likely to hear. The keyboards run rampant across the sky of the song as that bass drives into your soul. After just two songs you are totally bewitched; if you haven’t got it, you never will.

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Mr. Dibs takes over vocals for ‘Taken to the Limit.’ You cannot fail to be impressed by the way this man imposes himself into the scene, bursting with energy, painting a dramatic picture—the perfect choice. The musical accompaniment is unearthly, with the synthesizer looping off in all directions. Dai Rees’ very precise drumming impresses here as well.

‘Cloudlands’ does as it says on the label, slowing things down and allowing Nick Turner and Steve Hillman’s talents to flow through as the song drifts you away, upwards. The music sequencing could not be better, giving the album some shade in the light.

Nik Turner is obviously delighted to have Steve Hillman write a song for him on ‘Thunder Rider Invocation.’ The lyrics open proudly with the words, “I am the Thunder Rider,” like a returning high lord preaching to his flock of devoted followers. Steve Hillman then leads the band into a driving riff that builds as we are guided through the sound scopes, breaking only to let Nik Turner back in as the song pounds along, finally breaking into an all-out space boogie that will have the faithful jumping about in their hoards. A well-appointed mid-set highlight.

*A group of Trance Dimensional Spacenauts. From Left to Right: Dai Rees, Angel Flame, Dave Anderson, Nik Turner, Steve Hillmann and Clog*, a *very naughty little boy photobombing.*

‘Sphinx Dancer’ will be an excellent live number, hopefully featuring the dancing talents of Angel Flame. The music pays tribute to some of Nik Turner’s work from the eighties. This is followed immediately by ‘Sekhmet’ which Steve Hillman knowingly wrote in the vein of Nik Turner’s work on the album Xitintoday from 1978. Nik’s vocals and flute playing could be from the pyramids.

‘Angels of the Light’ will again have people tripping out on the dance floor. Who said space rock could not be fun?

‘Night of the Jeweled Eye’ is the epic-length piece that the album needs, allowing the musicians to develop the story. Although the song is credited to Steve Hillman, it certainly gives off a wholesome vibe of being a proper band song. You can almost hear them smile behind their space helmets. Steve Hillman switches between some very flashy guitar work and the keyboards, completing the picture. The Martians landing mid-song seems quite natural, slipping by without alarm. “No War of the World” dramas here; in fact, as first contact, they would be very welcome, joining in the space jig in the music’s final moments.

*Angel Flame catches flight, as Nik Turner’s playing does the same.*

‘Abode of the Blessed’ is a showcase for the talents of Steve Hillman, allowing him his solo piece in the spotlight. It fits in perfectly, leading us into another spacey narration from Angel Flame.

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They leave us with the reunion of Dave Anderson and Nik Turner on ‘Children of the Sun,’ a song they wrote together originally released on Hawkwind’s “In Search Of Space” (1971). This is not just a run-through of former glory but a total rearrangement of a masterpiece. It’s a fitting way to draw the music to a conclusion, finishing the album as it did previously on “In Search Of Space,” bringing everything nicely full circle.

Black Widow Records are to be congratulated on putting this together. In fact, their whole catalogue is worth looking into.

With Trance Dimensionals and Hawklords both going through purple asteroid belts, space rock is in good hands.