I approached the new WM Recordings collection titled Mystic Moods with trepidation. I remember The Mystic Moods Orchestra recordings from the 60s and 70s well. They were located next to my father’s Duke Ellington vinyls. But unlike the sophisticated sounds of The Duke, The Mystic Moods Orchestra was the lowest denomination of emotions. It was a loosely tied mess of lounge, dime store exoticism, and space age pretension. Listening to anything that implied a tribute to them is not my idea of a good time. Fortunately the artists involved in this effort were also quite aware of the Mystic Moods’ reputation. They turned the kitcsh into camp using the same effects for what is either a parody and perhaps just a vastly entertaining set of tracks.

The 20 tracks provide some interesting listening. You’ll find plenty of good samplings, lots of space sounds, and definitely some nice melodies. Daghoti’s “Percipience Fiction” is a good example of all of these things in effect. I also like the imaginative tracks by Desert Gears and Super Sonic Future. Phil Reavis’ “Pretty Dark” is a strange look at retro psychedelica. Low LiFi’s “Tiny Lights” is a both a surprisingly loyal look at the Mystic Moods phenomena and a wicked satire. Other interesting outlooks come from Lee Rosevere, Terry Douglas. and Happy Elf among many others. Maybe it is best to just get out your lava lamp and listen.

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