'COME DOWN SAFARI' 12" picture disc

"It's about time Arcata, California produced a spacey psych band, don't ya think? It is, after all, the home of drop-out hippies and farmers of Mary J. Wanna. Happily, we report that Humboldt County's sons are just as tripped out on distortion and fuzz as the new wave of other space-rock outfits - Lumerians, White Hills, Sweden's just plain 'ol Hills, and a whole host of other bands whose names may or may not contain the word "owl." But judging by the album art, White Manna don't want to travel space so much as explore the dense redwood forests of their homeland. What has this quartet found in the thick of those gentle giants? 1. Massive volume, on levels akin to that of a Who concert. 2. Crazy wah-wah sounds and spiraling guitar solos, like you just took a hit off a four-footer for the first time since 10th grade. 3. Vocals shouted from the depths of a tunnel. Best of all, White Manna distinguish themselves with their ability to hang a song on the nail of a bluesy hook. Further, they forego slow build-ups and tend to cut to the chase pretty quickly.” - Aquarius Records

"Much of the edge of their set – which takes places amidst a backdrop of retina-burning ink projections of purples, blues and whites – comes from vocalist and guitarist David Johnson. He uses each loop of their psychedelic reel to whip himself up into a frothing at the mouth frenzy, to the point where his repeated mantras become unhinged howls, raging against the bone-hard space rock of his four band mates. In a recent interview, Johnson revealed he didn’t pick up a guitar until his late 20’s, which partly explains the primal nature of White Manna’s wonderfully swampy sound: on the one hand they’re heading towards the cosmos, but on the other they possess the raw punk nous of seminal garage bands like The MC5 and The Stooges.” - NME

White Manna is: David J, Tavan Anderson, Johnny Webb, Anthony Taibi, Michael Dieter

Format: 12" picture disc
Tracks: A: 1. Deathless Guru 2. Hassan 3. The Sound Of One Hand Clapping B: 1. Welcome To Freedom Freeway 2. Hexagram Of Goo 3. Come Down Safari
Edition: 500
Artwork: Alan Forbes

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WHITE MANNA / THE PHANTOM SHIPS split 7"