Mystics Anonymous: Buy
MYSTICS ANONYMOUS: Winsted in the Space Room - CD
Mystics leader Jeff Steblea continues his predilection for exploring different musical styles. Just as he explored a loose, rootsy sound on the debut CD, Winsted in the Space Room finds him focusing on lo-fi studio experimentation and tighter song structures. While the debut CD featured the virtuoso and improvisational talents of Jeff's guest musicians, Winsted instead concentrates on the compositions themselves. Creating this CD mostly alone in his Gondwanaland studio, Steblea turns in an edgy, unique performance steeped in indie aesthetic. Winsted in the Space Room also showcases the eclectic nature of Mystics Anonymous music, as it mixes spoken word, piano, Beatles-esque pop, electronica, hard rock, and funky faux lounge and jazz-inflected grooves. Reviewers have compared the music on this album to artists such as Yo La Tengo, Wilco, Guided by Voices, and Robyn Hitchcock.
MYSTICS ANONYMOUS: Middle Distance - CD
Jeff composed and recorded the instrumental score Middle Distance for the art exhibition Of the Earth, an exhibition of sculpture, painting and music which debuted at Artworks Gallery in Connecticut in 2003. The score combines a variety of sounds and instruments to create a unique sound environment, at once primal, hypnotic, trippy, psychedelic, rhythmic, and trancelike. Middle Distance makes use of exotic percussion and drums, sound manipulation, guitars, bass, piano and keyboards, and vocals, among other ingredients.
Middle Distance is a full-length CD, clocking in at about 55 minutes, that offers an exciting aural journey. The beginnings of the CD focus on sound manipulation, sound collage, or soundscape to establish the environment. Drumming and percussion make up the majority of the middle third. Then groove rhythms begin to add chord progressions and melody, and the CD ends with a brief vocal coda. While Middle Distance is not meant to represent any specific culture, Steblea feels it is an evocative and primal piece reminiscent of the extraordinary landscape of the American Southwest. Reviewers have compared the music on this album to artists such as Mickey Hart, John Lurie, Barry Adamson, and Angelo Badalamenti.
Middle Distance is a full-length CD, clocking in at about 55 minutes, that offers an exciting aural journey. The beginnings of the CD focus on sound manipulation, sound collage, or soundscape to establish the environment. Drumming and percussion make up the majority of the middle third. Then groove rhythms begin to add chord progressions and melody, and the CD ends with a brief vocal coda. While Middle Distance is not meant to represent any specific culture, Steblea feels it is an evocative and primal piece reminiscent of the extraordinary landscape of the American Southwest. Reviewers have compared the music on this album to artists such as Mickey Hart, John Lurie, Barry Adamson, and Angelo Badalamenti.
MYSTICS ANONYMOUS: Mystics Anonymous - CD
The eponymous debut CD was released in October of 1998 and focuses on a rootsy alternative sound with poetic, confessional lyrics. The album is simultaneously catchy and musically complex, resulting in international radio airplay for songs The Rain Comes Down, Dear Old Mr. Hand, Megan G., Dirt & Disease, and Vivian Line. Megan G. remains a popular download on sites such as Apple iTunes, and this album is consistently ranked among the top-selling college rock albums on CD Baby. Reviewers have compared the music on this album to artists such as Wilco, Dave Matthews Band, R.E.M., and Robyn Hitchcock.