Melodic Energy Commission

Melodic Energy Commission is a Canadian progressive rock band. They came from the mountains of British Columbia with ideas to fill ears with sounds so strange as to entrance the imagination into vivid lucidity.
Their first musical recording released on Earth by Melodic Energy Commission was "Stranger in Mystery" in 1979.
"With these guys, time is a slippery concept. In 1979, MEC sounded like 1971.
In 1980 they sounded like 1971. And 25 years later they sound like 1971!
When I say 1971, I don’t mean production styles and era instrumentation, but rather
a certain adventurous composition style, completely non-linear and skewed,
beyond the scope of rational imagination. Add to that about a baker’s dozen different instruments
and a distinctive psychedelic sound, and you have one of the great modern space rock albums.
Instant classic with plenty of room to grow from there. File Don Xaliman next to John L.
as true modern geniuses who will be discovered long after they’re gone."
"It would be challenging to try and pigeon hole Melodic Energy Commission's music.
Think early 60's/vintage psychedelic meets Mojave 3 and Syd Barret age Pink Floyd,
and then toss in the cadence of Primus. The group states the album is best listened to in
its entirety, as "all songs are joined together with thematic instrumental interludes with
a common effect of taking one on a journey out of time". Perhaps their words describe it best.
"Beehive Jive" opens the album with ambient sounds, funky rhythms and playful vocals
followed by incremental chants. "Moon Surfing" sounds like a wild instrumental
plucked from Tom Waits Mule Variations. "Lifting Wave" is Stereolab on acid caught
in a Grateful Dead space set. "I Be" marries Aphex Twin-style panning effects with
hovering synths and tribal percussion. There is darkness to the music here, a haunted feeling.
"Figure It" waxes poetic on differing perceptions of time and concepts of awareness,
the seeming goal being the listener's detachment from their current state-of-mind.
"Crystal Cave" continues that haunting vibe with floating dark synths and reverbed flutes.
"Underground Summit" caps the album with more eeriness, sounding like
the close of a Michael Stearns album."