Review: Wildest Dreams – S/T

Has it come to this? Sweatpants for the office? An EDM app? For those who still value the hard work and technical mastery of DJing, Harvey Bassett (DJ Harvey) is your Obi Wan. For his latest project, DJ Harvey, operating with a full band under the name Wildest Dreams, flawlessly recreates the swirling, druggy soundscape of early ’70s Southern California. Bassett’s knack for wrangling analog recording equipment gives these sprawling psychedelic, proggy tracks an aural lens of vintage realness rather than aping long-dead styles for nostalgia’s sake. Tracks like “Yes we Can Can” and “Off the Lip” ride a motorik groove into infinity, noted for their organ-heavy, repetitious bass line and oceanic ebb and flow. Harder-hitting “Boosh” and “Last Ride” would be notable entries into the early Blue Cheer canon. At legendary status, DJ Harvey could easily rest on his laurels and guest spots; instead he reinvents himself … at 50. –Ryan Hall