SUN DIAL "Other Way Out -this is about the most complete re-issue of the album there has ever been and it has been re-issued on many occasions over the years. This one is about the 10th re-issue and includes a bonus disc of previously unissued tracks ['Other Way In']. Both the 'Other Way Out' and 'Return Journey' re-issues by Relapse are mostly for the US market but I'm sure they will hit Europe too." Founded and helmed to this day by guitarist Gary Ramon, UK's Sun Dial released two seminal psychedelic rock albums in the early 90's. Both "Other Way Out" & "Return Journey" demonstrate how this influencial cult band can alternate between heavy, fuzz-laden space rock and psych jam realms. The band's catalog has been lauded at by the most storied [Mojo, NME, Rolling Stone] and studied [The Wire, Record Collector] publications the world over. "Other Way Out" has been remastered and repackaged -by Relapse to include liner notes and a bonus CD of demos and outtakes from the "Other Way Out" sessions previously available on vinyl only as "Other Way In", while "Return Journey" is re-issued with it's original artwork. Sun Dial have a new retrospective album out this summer, called "Shards of God" [Acme Records], a retrospective of Sun Dial recordings 1990-2006, compiled by Gary Ramon, and 24-bit digitally remastered. Initial copies come with bonus CD disc only available via mail order. Meanwhile Ramon talks to Roadburn about the Sun Dial USA re-issues and "Shards of God." Words | Gary "OTHER WAY OUT / OTHER WAY IN" [Relapse 2CD set, US 2006] This is about the most complete reissue of the album there has ever been and it has been reissued on many occasions over the years. This one is about the 10th reissue and includes a bonus disc of previously unissued tracks. Alot of these unissued tracks were circulated at the time to friends of the band on cassettes, and were lost in time. But a chance discovery in an old box in my loft of some cassettes with these mixes prompted their inclusion. So much stuff was recorded back then during that early period 1989/91 and it would be easy to put out a triple CD, but I think those tracks that make up the second disc and compliment the original concept of the album. Disc one: "Other Way Out" Plains of Nazca Not the original version as some people think, that is found on disc two. This version is alot more structured. We've only ever played this song on two occasions live, once in italy in 1993 and when we did our comeback show at Ocean in london 2002. Exploding In Your Mind Original album version. Rocking out on this one, although slower than I imagined. I prefer the version on "Live Drug", and seems a live favourite along with 'Mind Train.' Magic Flight Unusual in the sense it has lots of changes going off. We've played this song live only once at Ocean. She's Looking All Around I guess our most progressive track perhaps, we've never played this one live. a fan recently wrote to me and explained that the original vinyl album seems to have a longer version on than the later issues. I'm at a loss as to why that was. dont remember. Lorne Blues Originally a very short track, and is two takes edited together. I seem to remember we made our first promo video of this track with lots of girls dancing around to the track. We decided not to appear in it. Other Side A keyboards dominated track. This wasn't on the original album, but was on our first single. We used to rehearse this alot when the band was a short-lived 5-piece. Exploding In Your Mind [Colour Mix] This mix came out as a 12" single, and was aired on national BBC Radio 1 on various occasions. Poster Paint It made its first appearance on the b-side of a Spanish 7" in the mid 90s although recorded in 1990 but never mixed. I seem to remember I used a violin bow on this track and someone nicked it when we had a studio in London a few years later. Still missing. Visitation This song was originally the longest thing ever. Lasting about 20 minutes in total, we decided to chop it down to 3 minutes or something in the end! I seem to remember there's a different mix on the single which is about the only thing not included from that period here. Slow Motion This was originally included in the first 12" single. There are various versions, and I'm sure there's still many more takes unissued. We re-recorded it for "Reflecter" a year or so later and has been played live on many occasions originally and when we first came back. Fountain One of those tracks that we didn't consider at the time to release. As far as I can recall, pretty much a solo track. You're So Real Alongside 'Fountain', we just never thought about its inclusion on the album, but was considered for a b-side at one point. The guitar solo seems to be about the most distorted sounds we've made. Plains of Nazca [edit] It was issued on a 12" single, and this shortened version was included. As far as I remember, is a different mix to the album. Disc 2: "Other Way In" Atom Heart Lover This one was recorded as the last thing we did for possible inclusion on 'Other Way Out.' The guitar sound is fairly mad on this as I recall going through an old 1960s burns amp. Astral Vision We were looking to take this somewhere, but this wasnt it. So was scrapped. I think we attempted few other versions for our unissued second album. A re-titled version as "Through You" turned up on 'Return Journey.' Dark Into Light The only time I used a dulcimer. A version with drums was recorded for our second album at CR studios when we made what became the 'Overspill' EP, but this was soon disgarded. Phaser Song Another solo track as I recall. It seemed to be unfinished, but listening again after all this time, it seems finished now. Carousel This was the original version. We later re-recorded it with various organs [hammond and vox continental] for our aborted 2nd album. I like this basic groove. Plains of Nazca [first take] The first thing Sun Dial officially recorded late one night and I think it shows how late it was... in the same session as a sitar jam as I can remember. We didn't think it was happening at the time, and was re-recorded for the album. Visitation This was another long jam and then edited down at the last moment. The sound effects of footsteps on a gravel surface at the beginning was made by dangling two microphones out the window and Anthony clough walking around. I also seem to remember we had an accident wiping some of the drums on part of the song. I think you can hear an edit where we dub on extra drums. "RETURN JOURNEY" [Relapse, US 2006] Magic Potion This was a track we used to play live alot in the early days and was recorded as possible track for a second album at CR studios. We never stuck to the original version, but made it our own, keeping it brutally simple. All the tracks on 'Return Journey' have been extensively re-mastered and seem to have a power to it missing from the original release. North Eastern This track started out life as 'Cathedral' and was recorded for our second unissued album. I seem to remember that version had tubular bells on. Fireball This was the original raw version and was nearer to what I had in mind. The later single version was just over-produced and lost alot of its rawness by that point. There are other versions knocking around. Through You Later re-recorded for the second album. UV Another solo track. The original version was made for 'Other Way out' but disgarded. Sunstroke / Mind Train Recorded for the second album. We started playing this one live early on and I seem to recall endless takes of this one at CR studios. Slow Motion Another attempt at getting a good version but with vocals. Was considered for a second album, before we scapped all the songs we were working on, and started afresh. Sunstroke [take one] Virtually a sound check before recording, except the tapes were rolling. Outer Limits To Yr Brain Once 'Mind Train' was finished, the tapes kept a rollin and so did we, until the tape ran out. SHARDS OF GOD, ACME Records, 2006 Exploding In Your Mind Previously unissued version. In 1992 we went to matrix studios in london to make some remixes and this track was going to be a re-issued as a single, but instead we re-recorded the vocals. It has remained unissued since that time. Ghost Machine Issued as a single in USA in 1997. The original mix seems to have been lost in time. This was the second version as we did attempt to record it for the Acid Yantra sessions but could never capture its energy. This is a new mix of the track for this album, and i think captures it well. Open Your Eyes Originally issued on the Zen For Sale album, this has been specially edited for this album only. We've never played this one live as yet. Rollercoaster Originally issued on 'Acid Yantra', the album that came out on Beggars Banquet in UK and Atlantic in USA in 1995. When compiling this album, I came across the original demos of this track [and others] and with the album I didn't want to loose the energy of those demos. With this album it worked, unlike the album before 'Yantra', 'Libertine' I felt totally lost all the energy of the original demos. This studio recording captures the song very well. This version has been specially edited for 'Shards of God.' A regular live song from our most recent italian tour. Apollo Issued in Spain as 7" in 1996, but is included on 'Acid Yantra.' We've recently started playing this one live. Bad Drug Another track pulled from 'Acid Yantra' issued as a single. I never wanted this track on the album as I felt it was too long. I'm still not a fan of albums over 40 minutes. However i was outvoted and it was included. Skies Above Previously unissued track from several years ago. Nova Originally released on 'Acid Yantra', and our first use of mellotron, except if you count the odd thing off 'Libertine.' This track was a very loose jammed out song, so every version was different. Seems like we have about 10 different versions knocking around. One we play live alot these days as it gives us the freedom to take it in different directions. Slow Motion This was re-recorded at bark studios in london 1992 and was issued on reflecter and was our final attempt at getting it right, although did make a live apperance on 'Live Drug.' Fairground Recorded around the 'Acid Yantra' album sessions and evenetually made it onto a b-side of 'Bad Drug.' We've played this track live briefly when we we came back. Blue Sugar This was our attempt at playing as little as possible and was recorded and mixed all in one day and we seemed to finish about 7 am in the morning. The heavy bass was achieved using hammond bass pedals. I seemed to remember a version drenched in reverb, but I think this version won out. It has been specially edited for shards of god. Magic Mountain Previously unissued track from several years ago that we planned to issue as a single. Lorne Blues >From the same sessions that produced the 'Exploding In Your Mind Track' [see above], was 'Lorne Blues' that was considered as a b-side. Once again vocals were recorded and has remained unissued since that time. Sunstroke / Mind Train We rigged up 2 marshall stacks facing each other with the volume turned up to 10. Recorded totally live, I don't think we could hear too much after that. Certainly when we play this song live its impossible to follow it with anything. I seem to remember playing a gig in Manchester in the early days where the audience seemed to just want us to play our singles, and we just played this song for 45 minutes, then left. This version comes from the 'Reflecter' album, and seems to capture the track pretty well, although there are other versions around. Sun Dial on myspace. Gary Ramon on myspace.