Sun Ra, Myth Science Arkestra

Much of what was unique about the original Pink Floyd's sound - the use of echo and piercing organ for musical effect - is present here, Floyd fans take note. Wonder if Syd Barrett had been exposed to Sun Ra's music. "Cosmic Tones" sounds like a 20th Century space-inflected chamber music quite unlike jazz, though it contains elements of it. The music attempts to paint pictures in an abstract fashion unencumbered by notions of traditional musical form. Instruments enter, contribute to the picture, and then echo endlessly into the ether. The format works especially well on "Adventure-Equation" which features John Gilmore's sax at length over a shifting backdrop of percussion, and functions as a brilliantly constructed, unique musical statement. "Art Forms" is mostly forgettable; the most unique moments on it are those where Bugs Hunter (who recorded these sessions) experiments with recording echo (the technique later used more subtly on "Cosmic Tones").