Alchemic’s finely woven sonic lattice encompasses flavors from psychedelia and art rock to psych folk and industrial trance. Finely tuned atmospheres cradle the songs, mantras and meditations on this spiritually themed album. The modes of delivery and vocal layering contribute much to the music’s sense of mystery, in all their incantatory, spoken, sung, filtered or whispered manifestations. Three forms of song are in evidence: The first being gentle contemplative pieces with lush orchestration, the second, blistering uptempo assaults in rock or industrial mode. Thirdly, a combination of the two with a binary tempo of rapid pulses versus slow beat clusters. In these cases, fast paced percussion interacts with stately rhythmic textures of which vocals form part. Opening the work is the magnificently orchestrated Tonglen meditation. Graceful piano, strings and wordless vocalizing create a devotional setting leading to a narration of the Tonglen breathing technique. In a similar gentle vein is the musical theme carried through track II (Just for Today) with its flute, chimes and track V (You’re Here) which is also adorned with trumpets. The dreamy quality of both is reinforced by an ethereal delivery of affirmations.The driving uptempo numbers include Track VI (Joyful Sorrow) and VIII (Jump Into The Fire). Rock guitars, drums, drones and soaring synths dominate the first, whilst the second brings scorching industrial dance. Voices and effects dance along in perfect synch to the hypnotic beats whilst echo effects imbue these tracks with a sense of vastness in space and time.Intricacy of arrangement guarantees cohesion among the disparate sonic elements employed. Swirling pulses of percussion are juxtaposed with spaced, emphatic rhythms and slow delivery on track VI (Is This A Portal?) while III (Groundless Humility) offers an exquisite undulating microcosm of chime and chant, drone and drum.Describing or classifying this music is not easy. The closest corresponding historical genre in the western musical tradition might be ‘colossal baroque’. Multiple layers of meaning and mood emerge from repeated listens to this mystical masterpiece. Despite an initial impression of melancholia, the overall effect of Alchemic is reassuring and uplifting.