Least Carpet EP
by Least Carpet

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Least Carpet play Eastern European influenced psych folk in vein of Hala Strana or Thuja. It makes you feel sitting on a bench in front of an old shack, surrounded by nature with sun in your face, daydreaming.

Tracklist

  1. The Goat Horn
  2. Haystacks
  3. The Flying Carriage
  4. Rivers
  5. A Narrow Path
  6. A Narrow Path (Part II)
  7. Old Wedding Song
  8. Leaving

Recorded between August 2009 and February 2010.
Guitar, bouzouki, melodica, flute, drums, cymbals, jew’s harp played by Least Carpet, Marko Martini.
Old Wedding Song is based on a hungarian folk song.
Painting by Christian Schoppik.

About

If you listen to Least Carpet the first time it will remember you of something you do already know, but it’s blurry and then you get pictures. Pictures of sitting on a hill top in the fresh blooming meadow. You smell the weed and maybe yourself, you listen to the birdsongs and hear tiny bells ringing. On the left side, downhill you get a glimpse of some small village, on the right side: your sheep. You pickup your self carved flute and whistle with the birds.
A romantic notion? Yes, but what about the fact that the magic mushrooms you’ve found in the grass beside you, start to take effect right know?

It’s obvious that the atmosphere of Least Carpet’s music is influenced by these images. Images you may know from early eastern European (fairy-tale) movies.
The memories of being in the countryside, laying in the grass, overwelmed by feelings induced by some strange herbs you’ve smoked the first time.
Rich coloured, rough-textured and filigrane at the same time, like the paintings of Marc Chagall.

Luckily it is possible to give you a concrete reference to one of the basic ideas of Least Carpet’s intention.
It’s Koziyat Rog / Goat Horn – a Bulgarian movie from 1972 and you can watch it in full length here.

Reviews

…These eight short tracks – presented in an extraordinary multiply-folded yellow circular wrapper – hint at psychedelic folk, with bouzoukis, drones, mandolins and softly fuzzed guitars. ‘The Goat Horn’ and ‘Haystacks’ evoke nostalgic days of yore, while ‘The Flying Carriage’ has a golden ’69 Floyd feel to it; and very nice too. ‘Rivers’ is more electric, fuzzed and delayed as if heard from the edge of a cosmic festival. ‘A Narrow Path’ returns us to the Floydesque balladry, while ‘Old Wedding Song’ and ‘Leaving’ have an English folk feel to them. This is very enjoyable music, evocative, and perfect for a warm summer morning. Fans of The Family Elan (reviewed last time) would love this.
Terrascope Online

…“Least Carpet” friikfolgi ekstaasi… (9.6)
Recent music heroes, Blog
translated review on Engendered from Divine Breath

Least Carpet play ‘Eastern European influenced psych folk’ and use guitar, bouzouki, melodica, flute, drums, flutes, drums, cymbals and jew’s harp. I am not sure if this one guy or a band. The tracks are rather short and indeed have some vaguely middle-european feel to it, or perhaps even a medieval feel – at least how we think it must have sounded back then. No vocals, this is purely instrumental music. The recording is nicely kept rough, with a sort of direct recording and no sound effects on any of the instruments. I see castles in the mist, gypsies at campfires, a wood at dawn and all such fairytale stereotypes, which I never particular cared for – disliking anything fantastic, but rather liking the real world. That may not say anything I feel about this music, but actually I thought this is quite nice too. Just like the Aalfang release, this may not be the sort of music I play a lot (although later date Dead Can Dance occasionally finds it way to the CD player – there: another confession), but its music that is indeed, at times, appreciated.
Frans de Waard, Vital Weekly 718

The music on offer is fantastic instrumental psych folk with a definite eastern flair. Somehow reminding me of some instrumental passages of the late DEAD CAN DANCE. This is like some trippy Indian soundtrack music.
Very much recommended!
homemade lofi psych, Blog

In Zeiten der Umsonstkultur und des Freienherunterladens ist es schwer einen Überblick zu behalten und die immer kleiner werdenen Limitierungen realer Tonträger machen es auch nicht gerade leichter wieder auf interessante und innovative Musik zu stoßen die sich jeglichem Schubladendenken total verweigert. Gerne wird so ein moderners “Crossover” (Wie veraltert dieser Begriff doch inzwischen klingt!?) unter der Fahne des Freak-Folks plaziert, ich denke aber das wird dieser Kreativität nicht gerecht. Es ist schlicht neue, frisch, unverbrauchte und aktuelle Popmusik. – Darüber, dass sich in den Charts nur eingekaufter Plastikmüll befindet will sich nun wirklich niemand mehr streiten und das die Charts sowenig wie möglich mit aktuellen Musiktrends oder gar Jugendkultur wie nur möglich zu tun haben ist auch sicher. Dafür sind die neuen Bands einfach zu selbstständig und bewegen sich geschickt in verschiedensten zeit- und Ausdruckszonen. Längst schon sind Lärm und Extrem-Shocking als Revolutionsmittel überholt und sind einen stilvollen und breitgefächerten Musikgeschmack gewichen. LEAST CARPET gehen die Sache sehr entspannt und fast schon meditativ an ohne eine gewisse Ursprünglichkeit zu verlieren. Woher sie kommen und welche Instrumente sie letztendlich benutzen um diese wundervolle und verträumte Instrumentalmusik zu präsentieren ist auch sekundär. Sie sind da und verzaubern uns. (8)
Carsten Vollmer, Ox Fanzine