Audiopile Review: The second of the two releases this week from Goaty Tapes, this one coming from mysterious duo Echardt & Kash. And, as the zen-like, post-hippie cover might have tipped off, Songs of the Soul is a deep plunge into new age mysticism, filled with the hallmarks of the genre—sounds of the forest, minimal hand percussion, buoyant bass, finger-picked guitar and the gaseous billows of ambient synths. Many questions remain after absorbing this–Is this a contemporary duo lost in the sounds of 80s private press new age? Some long lost meditation tape just unearthed? Are Echardt & Kash even a duo?? This is either a lost classic of the genre or a perfectly executed homage. We’re fine with the results either way.

The shadowy duo of Echardt & Kash bring a deep groove mentality to the floating world of New Age music. Plush ambience and tropical birdsong continue in the tradition of sound-as-vibrational-transport, but this is bass music aware of its place in a post-trip hop world. Whether the title is an earnest ode to the inner journey or something more satirical remains open to interpretation. The potent, hypnotic ether of these recordings, however, makes the answer immaterial.

Covers are hand-marbled and letterpress-printed.