One thing I’ve commented on in a past volume is how sometimes there’s a song that makes the most sense to post, and other times there’s a song that instinctively feels like the better—though maybe not smarter—choice. “(108 Battles) of the Mind” is definitely the latter, and in the second consecutive volume where we’ve moved at a breakneck speed, our instincts seem to be trumping everything else.
So the mix takes a cloverleaf back into the ‘60s, with this track’s shades (or full-on primary colors) of the Beatles, the Who, and the Zombies. It incorporates the “Scooby-Doo organ” from the Bicycles and Spiral Beach but merges it with the confident Western European sound of Jacques Dutronc and heavy rhythmic backing of the American garage bands we’ve loved here. Though it’s much more acoustic and much less sex-obsessed, I see “(108 Battles)” as something of a natural progression of the whole volume—deftly and lovingly combining rock, soul and garage into one pounding, frantic, layered juggernaut. Kula Shaker were never traditionally cool, but this song remains their high watermark and an epic tribute to the psychedelic decade that inspired them most.
And trust me, when you listen to the complete volume, “Get Down”’s feedback buzz going right into the thunderclap will be truly killer.
m. joosse
Filed under: Mixtape, NEIMT, Vol 06, Kula Shaker
