Sulatron Rec. 
Annot Rhühl : Lost In The Woods /
Wo needs planes or time machines when there's music and daydreams? (N,2007)***°
After another, surf inspired, release, “The Annot Rhül Surf Experience” (2004), the “band” -actually a project, led by one man- released privately, another full release, and had also another EP ready for release. This new CD consists of both of the last mentioned albums, fitting well together.
The EP “Lost In The Woods” was inspired by horror music, perhaps in the same way how the Swedish Anekdoten once did a side project called ‘Morte Macabre’, who used beautiful mellotron, an interesting rhythm section and great bass. Comparable style elements are here, in more smooth and slow songs. The musical influence of Pink Floyd is also noticeable, in the sounds created by smooth and moody organ, soft drums, mellotron, and slides on the guitar (or is it Ebow), and this combined with song, Rhodes, guitars,... Only the last track, “The Dark Lord” is different, and might have a Hawkwind / spacerock beside some other influences, and is sung with a terror/terrifying hard post-psychrock voice, while the guitars improvise, meeting organ/mellotron tensions. A fine release worth discovering, but this is not all.
The full release, also added, has many more varied sounds. The opener “Mirage” sounds like a late Richard Pinhas with electric (glissando) guitar and overtones by Ebow and ES335. This is followed by moody pieces in various worlds, of which “King Arthur” has a great surf influence, while “Stung By A Cactus” has surf guitar mixed with a folk dance tune of some familiar sounding ethnic? origin I canot recall now (Sigurd claims the inspiration came from Mexican mariachi and spaghetti western music). Also influenced by surf music is “the haunted Mansion”, a descriptive instrumental, which might be inspired by the vision of horror houses at a fun fair, but a bit more playful and fairground-like than such places usually are presented. On “Sans Souci”, another descriptive track, can be heard a playful circus-playground barrel-organ like rhythms. Also on this release are various tracks that sound like a successfully simplified early Anekdoten (“Evergreen Forest”, “Planes or Time Machines”, and perhaps “Knife Valley”..). On “Carlos’ Brothers” we hear another Pink Floyd touch, but there’s plenty more like a groovy organ and guitar, and a small exotic touch with sitar and tabla. “Aurora Borealis” uses some sequenced sounds with ebow and such, and is more a spacey psychedelica improvisation.
A resume : There are noticeable Pink Floyd touches. The music sounds often like a successfully simplified Anekdoten, while the circus/playground and horror sequences associated with surf music are some returning themes. And also spacerock is one of the possible directions. A great addition to the Nordish progressive music scene.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annot Rhül or Sigurd Lühr Tonna plays electronica keyboards (Jazzmaster, ES335, Solina String Ensemble), Rhodes, mellotron, Wurlitzer, organ, ebow, glissando guitar, guitar effects, nylon string guitar, electric piano, with the help from three members of Seid (also from Trondheim) : Burt Rocket, Organ and bass ; Organ Morgan : electronica, mellotron, minimoog, Farfisa and Jürgen Kosmos : vocals, as well as Haakon Marius Pettersen (Fuckface, Moving Oos, New Violators), Lene Stakset : vocals (Zetored, Geisha, Radio Saglars), Sven Arne Skarvik : lapsteel, percussion (Love Revolt, Ningun Extremo, Amberville), Stian Gjelvold : harp, vocals, organ, mellotron, percussion (Nopia), Halvor William Sanden : drums (Fritt Fall), and Stale Norum (Tremolo Wankers, Thrush, Funny Farm).
PS. Annot Rühl also played with other Nordish acts like Geist, Hege & Sigurd, Fritt Fall and Monkfish).
