Yin & Yang

Easily one of the coolest discoveries of 2008 had to be this completely unknown private press LP of mixed performers folk and rock music. To say it is mysterious is sort of an understatement, as it's discoverer found it in the back of a Ram Dass 'Love Serve Remember' box-set with nothing but a painted paper sleeve covering it. Posted info and mp3s on a renowned record forum warranted no further info, other than that it was probably from 1971 based on the Matrix numbers, and judging by the sounds a commune project LP - and a very good one, at that. I've entertained a lot of these types of LPs and few are this rich in atmosphere, musical quality, proper arrangement as a playable-through album (think Context '70) and a unique and individual vibe that you actually remember distinctly as its own. Yin & Yang is a perfect mixture of tender wasted folk with a sly druggy smile, mellow pastoral rural rock, sound experiments, poetry, nature sound effects, and some beautifully dark instrumentals. The record really really grew on me the more I played the sound-files, an amazingly deep post-lysergic mossy candlelit aura creeping around the room each time I came back and got better acquainted with the voices within. And the progression from light to dark was equally intriguing... the album begins with an almost suspiciously cheery folk song about sunshine, and ends in an otherworldly vocal harmonization that follows a haunting version of the Arabian Dance from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker! There is a real magic here, even on their one cover of a Gordon Lightfoot song ("Early Mornin' Rain") a completely spaced out spell gets cast over the material, it sounds like they lived it. I hope this post reaches some of the members involved with this project... It's hard to say because I have no names to post, and I'm not even sure if Yin & Yang is the album name proper or just the names that appear in place of A and B sides. The songs are tagged in the files, but here is the track-list anyhow in case that might trigger in a search engine. There was some speculation that this might be from a commune associated with Ram Dass, but it seemed less likely according to another source. In any case, if you have any information about this record please drop me a line. Otherwise, enjoy! And a huge thanks to Tyler for finding this and graciously letting me share it here. It is really special.


Then You Have Loved


Om


Early Mornin' Rain

Track-Listing:
Yin
1. Ocean
2. Mister Sun
3. Two Guitars & Flute
4. Then You Have Loved
5. Maids When You're Young
6. Instrumental
7. It's a Beautiful Day
8. Ocean

Yang
1. Birds
2. Rama
3. Harmonics
4. A Poem on How to Write a Poem
5. Early Mornin' Rain
6. Arabian Dance
7. Om