Ashtray Navigations

Ashtray Navigations

The Apotheosis of VaVaVoom

Vhf

Third VHF dispatch from the mighty and prolific Ashtray Navigations, following 2020’s mega and extremely popular Imaginary Greatest Hits package. The curiously titled The Apotheosis of VaVaVoom is one of Phil Todd & Melanie O’Dubhshlaine’s most direct and rocking packages, with mucho ripping lead guitar action backed by some absolutely fun bubbling synth and drum grooves. “Irons Three” kicks off with wicked wah’d out leads, followed by the subdued ambience of “Tasteful Grey Putting” and “Appropros Tower” and a segue into the driving “Hinges on the Clapometer.” Side 2’s opening combo of “Slush Puppy Window” and “Avatar Down The Highway” sounds like a head on collision between Terje Rypdal and Tangerine Dream on a dark bender, with laser guitar over a bed of tumbling electronics and tiny noises. The closing “Crack Another Bloodcapsule” is one of Ashtray Nav’s all time best, like a lost krautrock classic jam with a driving rhythm from guest drummer Alex Neilson. On limited green vinyl.

Ashtray Navigations

Greatest Imaginary Hits

Vhf

27th Anniversary set for the multi-dimensional midlands-crew, led by Phil Todd and Melanie O’Dubhslaine. Nearly six hours of cosmic, psychedelic, mind-boggling sounds, featuring a newly recorded LP plus four max-length CDs curated by AshNav connoisseurs Rob Hayler, Henry Rollins, Pete Coward, and Neil Campbell. The CDs are drawn from the band’s massive back catalog of mostly small run / private releases, covering activity dating back to 1994. Mining a deep well of thousand-yard stare psychedelia, Ashtray Navigations possess of one of the most exciting outré music catalogs of the contemporary era, matching the classics from any era in originality and straight-up bonkers fun. This epic release includes a full range of hypnotic jams, including sequencer-led cosmic workouts, drifty ambience, and a heavy dose of Phil Todd’s ripping, laser guitar leads. The gatefold LP also includes pithy liner notes from Matt Valentine, Henry Rollins, Jon Dale, and more.  “Phil. Well I am glad you’re finally back from your place in Monaco and getting to work. The pictures of you with the polo mallet and the horses you sent were impressive, sure but when you sell yourself as an artist type and then are seen cavorting with those over tanned Euro trustfunders, it is alienating to your audience. You are, however, the only person I have ever met who has actually cavorted and that’s why you will always be a mid-level god to me.”   —Henry Rollins

Ashtray Navigations

A Shimmering Replica

Vhf

This first-ever VHF release by the 21-years-running Ashtray Navigations brings one more core piece of the UK freakout underground back to the mothership. With a discography that boggles even the most ardent Discogs user and an on-point WTF graphic sensibility, Ash Nav fits perfectly into the extremely fertile and prolific scene that has produced titans like Sunroof! and Vibracathedral Orchestra. On this generous 100-minute package, Phil Todd and Melanie O’Dubshlaine essay a kind of guitar-and-electronics exotica with burbling rhythms, Heldon-like laser guitar leads, field recordings, synth racket, etc. The totally fun take on Les Baxter’s all-time classic “Quiet Village” (here wittily retitled “Quite Village”) is a good example of the explorer spirit at work. Considering the amount of unhinged psychedelic fuzzwah lead damage laid out across this thing, it’s arguably the most effusive guitar heroics record of the genre, hopefully inspiring a new generation of young rockers out there to get on the bus.

Ashtray Navigations

Use Copenhagen Guitars

Siltbreeze

***LAST COPIES!!! This lovely and attractive full-length LP debut (previously only found on cassettes and a Betley UK single) shows the solo guitar effectery of Phil Todd (inca Eyeball, Target Shoppers, Ceramic Hobs) in its full light. Overdub upon overdub of acidic, vibrating good-sound that should surely compliment the eye lids at a comfortable half mast, especially on the synth drenched 20:24 timed b-side “Phaser Like a Block of Salt.” Numbingly electric. Ltd. to 500.