Galactic Sounds/Retep Folo (Clay Pipe Music)

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In the infants in the early 70's, our class in school were all provided with colouring books with questions accompanying the pictures. The books were quite obviously gender-related - pink for girls, blue for boys. One question in the boys' book asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. There were only three choices available - of those most plumped for footballer, a few chose to be policemen, but only I.....wished to be a spaceman. It was around this time that I saw my first chart of the solar system in a book - and even today, whenever the solar system - or any individual planet within it is mentioned - my mind focuses on that chart that I was so fascinated by.
Retep Folo's "Galactic Sounds" is the perfect soundtrack to those distant memories - when space was a wonder to young, innocent minds. It encapsulates a whole mood and era that one could never conceivably return to - and listening to the album stirs a yearning for simpler times now sadly beyond reach.
Peter Olof Fransson under his "Retep Folo" monicker recorded "Galactic Sounds" with just a Farfisa organ, a 70's Japanese glockenspiel, a 60's East German bass and an Elgam Carousel (a rare preset rhythm box).
Opening with "Galactic Pulse" - the music immediately instils in me a hybrid of Young Marble Giants and the sounds from the dim and distant past of my Uncle's Ace Tone organ in his front room!
"Galactic Sun" - yes - all the tracks are prefaced "Galactic" - purveys a suitably warm yet guarded and mysterious setting - a friendly star who you never quite get to really know.....
"Galactic Dream" would not have sounded out of place on Felt's "The Seventeenth Century" - and the way each track seems to concisely finish once the job is complete - avoiding any needless filler - is reminiscent of The Residents' "Commercial Album".
For me - the pinnacle is saved till last. "Galactic End" - haunting, hypnotic, contemplative. A track of such sheer beauty that the trance-like state it induces remains for a while after the stylus leaves the luminous red vinyl.
Clay Pipe Music releases never disappoint with the artwork - once again, label head honcho Frances Castle provides illustrations to pore over during the imaginary journeys to the great beyond.
I never did become a spaceman. "Galactic Sounds" helps me to believe I did for a short time. See you in the stars.....Lee McFadden 7/3/18

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