Siddhartha - A Trip to Innerself

Siddhartha - A Trip to Inner Self (Trail Records, 2009)

Siddhartha have created something special for us. They’ve forged the true psychedelic pill that Neil Young attempted in 2012, meant in all purports to transpose us from this chaotic world to the domain of our subconscious mind and whatever transcendental enchantment or terror that may lie within it. It’s a truly bold and bronzy experience—a symphonious expedition that I felt a pinch of hesitancy to dive into. It takes a strong stomach and able mind to endure an album like this from front to back, there can be no denying that, but the end result is very rewarding and you’ll wish you’d have taken the ride a lot sooner. And your first ride will never be your last.
For those unfamiliar, Siddhartha was an influential book written in 1922, published within America in 1951 and is the inspiration for many Buddhist philosophizers in reckoning of transcendence and renunciation (1). It is obvious the artistic intent of this album then; to transport us from one living world to the next. They achieve that with musician’s virtuosity and progressive rock’s paint brush; dabbling in many colors that coat sprawling, mile-long corridors and assembling numerous soundscapes that are minimalistic and maximal, hushed and deafening with a six band member base, not to mention the upward towards five on-and-off guest musicians. The tracks flow seamlessly together in large Rock-orchestral movements, creating a solid sense of cohesion in the journey with minimal interruption or time to reflect until the entire trip has slowed to a halt. The infrequent silences that do fall are curious; hardly ever at track's end, but falling within the lifespan of a ten minute opus and setting a new musical direction. The entire experience encourages one to slow down and (forgive the clichéd expression) smell the roses, for this is a truly unique treat from a band that has very sadly dissolved as of 2001.
Turkey has, to my surprise, been the source of a great score of skilled psychedelic groups throughout the years, but none so coordinated and focused in their intent as what Siddhartha have put on display here. Their album has been greeted with top honors as the "4th edition of Prog Awards album of the year in 2009.” A Trip to Inner Self has been re-issued in a limited collector’s edition as of 2012 (2 ). My advice is to pick it up while it lasts because nothing this good ever lasts for very long.

1 - Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha; [New York]: New Directions, 1951. Print.

2 - "Trip to Innerself [Import]." Amazon.com: Trip to Innerself: Siddhartha: Music. Amazon, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. .


Review written by Hunter Gatherer
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