Two months ago, the legendary Stunned Records called it quits. Six days ago they rose from the ashes to release one final tape—a split between labelhead Phil French’s project Super Minerals and the notorious Plankton Wat (Portland, OR). Also featured throughout the album is a star-studded guest list of M. Geddes Gengras & Caitlin C. Mitchell. It would be a crime not to play this. There’s a reason Stunned rose from the grave to release this tape—it is perhaps the finest album they have ever released. FCC CLEAN

RIYL: No Mind Meditation, Rangers, Eureka, Sun Araw, Magic Lantern

*1. (5:21) Slow-building strummy guitars over a smooth drone that rises out of the mist. Epic.
*2. (4:01) Rangers-style hazy free-fall collage. Gently dripping percussion, muted wah-wah guitar.
*3. (5:07) Ukulele and cosmic outer-space Sun Araw effects. Smooth floating vocals.
4. (4:30) Slow beating conga drums, plucky electric guitars, all swimming in a bed of smeared effects pedals.
*5. (9:59) Metallic wimpers, blustery bird chirping, underlying currents of acoustic guitar, faint pipes in the mix. Later transitions into a majestic metallic shimmer of drone at 2:30, then progresses through a symphony of crowded horns and monkeys at 5:10 and then more jungly madness at 8:20. All in all, great sound effects.
*6. (11:05) Awe inspiring. Wandering pipes, gentle lyre, delicious candy-coated harp melodies. About a bazillion tingly percussive elements, and strange distorted vocals. A breathtaking sunny ending. A definite highlight of the album (and of 2011)