Queendom by Lighted

"With thick synths and chugging guitars joined by loose and propulsive drumming, Queendom is the record I thought I was going to hear after seeing the band live. The tape has more of a punch, with sharper production adding depth to their sound and really highlighting the tight interplay between the instruments, where their s/t tape is more of a headphone trip that the listener feels like they are experiencing fresh alongside of the band.

Both tapes are good at what they do, but Queendom especially is a engrossing collection of tracks, the kind that both trip you out and get your head bobbing. It is the sound of a band that, while still venturing into the ambient beyond, is really coming together as a poweful unit. Combined with their excellent live show, these two tapes have me excited to hear more from Lighted and add yet another shining example of the great music percolating in our scene right now." - Reviler



"A trio composed of guitar, synthesizer, and drums, Lighted has unleashed some impressive psychedelic, krautrock stuff with Queendom. The four tracks are forceful and driven; there are no meandering ragas or free-form exploration here, just focused heavy tunes. The interplay between the three instruments is complex and ambitious, i.e. something better appreciated by listening to than reading about. Fucking get this already." - Gerauschkrieg



A strange poisonous gas has been leaking steadily into the basement, and it seems to have created a new toxic variety of mold that makes the hippies get violent. Hailing from Minneapolis MN, Lighted lay down aggressive synth squelch and circular diatonic guitar-scuzz over dead solid trap-kit booms and trance inducing zoner fuzz. Grimy biker-rock moves (ala Hawkwind sans fantasy gouda) combine with slamming rhythms, catchy pop hooks and epic kraut-drones to create these four killer tracks of contemporary white knuckle psychedelia.

Their first release "Kingdom" captured live improvisations from some of the earliest documented sessions as a trio, and the small run 2nd cassette offered two nice sides of low-fi impro grit, but this newest gripper contains 25 minutes of hi-fidelity themes honed by their recent handful of live performances.

Well sharpened, but loose-fitting song structures that drill into your frontal lobe until gradually turning themselves inside out and slow motion exploding into a swirling mass of colored lights and smoke. Heavily psychedelic and totally groovy. Serious jams pro-dubbed to magnetic tape, and made available just in time for their appearance at the 8th annual Heliotrope Festival.

Imprinted black shell cassette comes packaged with deluxe double-sided three panel J-card featuring iconic hyper-contrast "golden orb" artwork on heavy cardstock, hand numbered in a clear Norelco case. Majestic and burnt. Edition of 100.

Small tape label from the upper Midwest.

lightenupsounds.com