There’s a feeling of loss, I think, for the heads whose treasures get uncovered by other heads, and suddenly the treasure is everyone’s, bathed in light, so visible, so shared. That’s what I felt (at first) when I saw that Mort Garson’s cult photo-synth-esis (get it?) 1976 classic Mother Earth’s Plantasia would be reissued physically by Sacred Bones on June 21 — and also made available on digital platforms everywhere, RIGHT NOW: a sense of loss.
But then I realized that I only discovered Garson myself after the world’s best DJ — DJ YouTube Sidebar — guided me to Plantasia one day two years ago, changing my life…so I guess I didn’t discover anything at all; the magic of the thing was only made knowable to me through the wizardry of internet algorithms.
Everywhere in my Brooklyn neighborhood now, there are hand-painted signs advertising the “Floraissance,” an age of great ecological awareness that has apparently reached such a zenith that it needed a name. As I walk by the signs, I wonder, have these “Floraissance” greats heard the wonders of Plantasia? Could Garson be the soundtrack to their calls? Perhaps, in the war against industrial decay, the plants can do more than sit back and hope for human help. Maybe they will rise in harmony with the Plantasia’s first arpeggios, ready grow alongside the “bucolic, charming, stoner-friendly, decidedly unscientific tunes” composed by Garson so long ago!
Stream Mother Earth’s Plantasia now via Bandcamp or your favorite streaming service, and pre-order the vinyl over at Sacred Bones. (Oh, and if you’re in New York, keep your eyes open for Sacred Bones and Atlas Obscura’s Plantasia listening experience and workshop at Brooklyn Botanical Garden on June 18.)
Mother Earth’s Plantasia tracklisting:
01. Plantasia
02. Symphony For A Spider Plant
03. Baby’s Tears Blues
04. Ode To An African Violet
05. Concerto For Philodendron And Pothos
06. Rhapsody In Green
07. Swingin’ Spathiphyllums
08. You Don’t Have To Walk A Begonia
09. A Mellow Mood For Maidenhair
10. Music To Soothe The Savage Snake Plant
More about: Mort Garson
