Huuuuge Tip! Double LP, 300 copies. In the mid-1980s, the Italian composer and multi-instrumentalist Walter Maioli -renowned for his pioneering work with Futuro Antico and Aktuala- and the Dutch electronic musician John Zandijik converged within the experimental milieu of the Sound Reporters collective. Their initial collaboration, Ethnoelectronics (1986), marked a significant intersection of ethnomusicological research and electronic innovation. Yet, it was in the intimate setting of Zandijik’s Rotterdam studio, during a series of nocturnal sessions, that their most ambitious sonic exploration took shape. These recordings, realized exclusively after 3 a.m., were conceived as both a ritual and an experiment in altered states of perception. The artists intentionally harnessed the liminal energies of the night, seeking to access subconscious realms where inspiration is untethered from the rational mind. Central to these sessions was Maioli’s mastery of ancient and ethnic flutes, whose timbres were radically transformed by the Aureal system-a custom-built device designed to deconstruct and reassemble sound into cascading, spectral harmonies. Zandijik’s electronic manipulations further expanded the sonic palette, introducing textures that evoke both the primordial and the futuristic.

The resulting compositions defy simple categorization. Drawing on ethnomusicological principles, the duo integrates modal structures and improvisational techniques from non-Western traditions, while simultaneously engaging with the aesthetics of psychedelic rock and Berlin School electronics. The music oscillates between Pink Floyd-esque atmospheric passages and the sidereal architectures reminiscent of Tangerine Dream, yet remains grounded in a deep exploration of timbre, resonance, and spatialization. Listeners are transported through a series of shifting soundscapes: ancient pyramids dissolve into phosphorescent nebulae, tropical forests morph into luminous cosmic fountains, and planetary interstices open as portals to archetypal and ancestral visions. The album is both a voyage through imagined geographies and a meditation on the possibilities of cross-cultural sonic synthesis.

In revealing this previously unknown facet of the Sound Reporters project, Maioli and Zandijik offer a compelling contribution to the ongoing dialogue between tradition and technology, ritual and experimentation. Their work stands as a testament to the transformative power of music at the intersection of ethnography, psychedelia, and electronic invention.