Vostok 1

Vostock 1 is 72 minutes, four tracks, each between 16 and 20 minutes long, the second album by the Southern German trio Elara Sunstreak Band. The title is a homage to Yuri Gagarin's first space flight in 1961, whose 60th anniversary coincides with the release, and the concept is just as direct: five musicians, long jams, maximum space.

Nexus opens with a brief raga flair and then plunges into groovy, bluesy guitar riffs with strong solos. Perhaps the vocals remind some listeners of Igor from Stoned Jesus. On A Drink With Jim is an explicit homage to Jim Morrison, complete with organ sounds and extended The End quotes. Vostok 1 itself patiently grows out of a Pink Floyd-esque intro, the Mellotron fitting in exactly where it's needed. It's a 19-minute monument that lingers long after. Orange October, the most melancholic and introspective piece, concludes the album with positive, almost hopeful energy.

Surprisingly mature for a young band and an album that many critics see as a future classic of European psych-rock.

After the quick sell-out of the first transparent blue vinyl pressing, Vostok 1 is now released as a 2-LP on 180 gram yellow vinyl in a gatefold cover made in Germany and limited to 500 copies!

Elara Sunstreak Band are
Daniel Wieland – bass, vocals
Martin Wieland – drums, percussion
Felix Schmidt – guitars, effects;
Christian Wick – Hammond organ, mellotron
Felix Seyboth – guest vocals (Vostok 1)