Let’s start with this: Gaf & The Love Supreme Arkestra, an octet from Tenerife, are nothing if not audacious. Their last album, "Garden Island", was an inspired ode to César Manrique and Lanzarote's surreal beauty, and now, with "Ganzfeld", they’ve decided to take us on a misty, hallucinatory coastal drive through the lowlands of northern Tenerife. Don’t bother packing — you’re in for a ride that’s less "scenic drive" and more “What just happened to my mind?”

Where "Garden Island" evoked a sun-scorched, ecologically utopian Lanzarote, "Ganzfeld" feels moister, murkier, and slightly more sinister - like wandering through fog where the sea meets the volcanic earth and something indefinable lurks in the atmosphere. But make no mistake: this album isn’t some lazy soundscape meant to merely lull you into a trance. Gaf & The Love Supreme Arkestra may be experimenting with a more “ethereal” sound this time around, but they’ve kept their raw, unrelenting energy intact, even if it's shrouded in mist.
Opening track "Ocean Drive" immediately sets the tone — a breezy two-minute tease of what’s to come. It's like the first breath of air you take when stepping out of the car to look at the ocean before things get... weird. Saxophones and marimbas drift in and out of focus, seemingly random yet precisely placed, like watching waves break against rocks in an offbeat rhythm.

"Sound Baja" and "Baracán" waste no time diving headfirst into a jazzy, avant-psychedelic mesh that’s equal parts cool and chaotic. One second you’re cruising through trippy synths and flutes, and the next, you’re hit by blasts of saxophone that sound like they're trying to escape some cosmic free jazz séance. It’s an unpredictable but exhilarating plunge into their sonic vortex.

And then there’s "El Rayo". Oh, "El Rayo". This is the part of the road trip where you wonder if you’ve driven into a parallel universe. The trumpet and guitar combo here is less “expansive jam” and more “daring escape from reality”. It’s almost frustratingly short at just under three minutes, leaving you disoriented and wanting more, but also glad it didn’t overstay its welcome.

"Buenavista Moon Club" and "Windpool of Secrets" both feel like secret rituals held in some hidden cove, deep into the night. The marimba and the Vietnamese flutes add layers of texture, making it feel like you're listening to a soundtrack that could score an arthouse sci-fi film set on a forgotten island. There’s a retro-futuristic vibe throughout, but instead of looking forward to a shiny, utopian future, "Ganzfeld" revels in a gritty, unpredictable one.

The title track, "Ganzfeld", is where the album peaks - eight minutes of transcendence (or madness, depending on your state of mind). This is the sonic equivalent of driving through thick fog, where shapes blur and the boundaries between earth and sky dissolve into nothing. Saxophones, trumpets, and synths come together, stretching time and space until you’re not sure if you’re still on the coastal road or floating in some celestial sound bath. It’s a mesmerizing, immersive experience, as eerie as it is beautiful.

Finally, the two-part "Caleta Wave Galaxy" brings the album to a close. Part 1 feels like a slow ascension, guided by a hypnotic marimba and winds, while Part 2 drops you back into the depths, completing the loop of this surreal trip. It’s hard to say if the drive ends with answers or more questions, but really, who needs answers when you’ve got this kind of auditory escape?

In terms of comparisons, think Sun Ra's cosmic explorations meeting up with Can’s krautrock jams, sprinkled with a touch of Fourth World ethno-futurism à la Jon Hassell. Gaf & The Love Supreme Arkestra clearly aren’t interested in the mundane, and if you’re hoping for a straightforward listen, this album will leave you scratching your head. But for those willing to surrender to the avant-jazz, free rock, and psychedelic unpredictability, "Ganzfeld" offers an exhilarating journey into the unknown. Just don't expect a GPS signal once you're deep in the fog.

So, should you listen to "Ganzfeld"? If you're ready to swap banality for boundless creativity and prefer your coastal drives tinged with mystery, melancholy, and occasional bursts of joyous chaos, then yes, absolutely. But if you’re looking for something more grounded, you might want to take a different route. Either way, Gaf & The Love Supreme Arkestra have crafted an album that defies expectations and leaves a mark - whether it's a peaceful one or a fever-dream is entirely up to you.