Naxatras III [Raw + Smooth] [DSD Bundle]

TWO VERSIONS OF THIS ALBUM ARE AVAILABLE at NativeDSD, you are now on the “RAW” & “SMOOTH” bundle.

Naxatras have succeeded once again in surpassing themselves, releasing an album containing more than an hour of highly original and authentic psychedelic rock, reflecting their increased level of experience through more complex compositions and remarkable performances! Considering that they actually performed their music live to analog tape, with no technical assistance, it is easy to understand why they do not do multitrack recordings: They simply don’t need it, because they already sound splendid when performing live.

In preparation for the DSD release, we were discussing whether the processing with the equaliser should also be done for the DSD version or not. We realised it might be wise to leave this choice up to the individual user. Thus, the DSD release comes in two versions, the Raw version, and the Smooth version.

The Raw version is a more accurate documentation of the real event, whereas the Smooth version was the processed version, intended to maximise acceptance by a wider audience. It conforms better to norms of how things “should” sound rather than how things “do” sound. If you are curious about the difference between the “should” and real life, just compare the two versions and find out for yourself!

Note: The Raw version is exclusively available in the DSD format.

Naxatras is a hard psychedelic rock band from Greece, formed by John Vagenas, John Delias and Kostas Harizanis. They play a warm psychedelia full of fat grooves, dreamy melodies, heavy riffs and trippy guitar solos all with the vintage touch of the 70’s.

They have been  developing their sound since 2012, and finally recorded their first full-length album at Magnetic Fidelity, Jesus I. Agnew being their sound engineer and consultant, who contributed his in-depth knowledge of analog recording and the independent music industry. Only analog equipment was used in the recording/mixing/mastering stages of the album. Their debut album “LP”, which was released in 2015, became one of the best selling releases of their genre internationally and is already considered a classic. In 2016 they released their second full length album “II” as well as an EP, once more recorded fully analog and performed live.

The band has developed a reputation for high-energy live performances combining elements of psychedelic/progressive rock, stoner, funk, jazz and oriental music with a psychedelic video wall to accomplish full stimulation of the senses.

In summer 2015 they went on their first tour playing 5 countries in the Balkans. In summer 2016 and 2017 they toured all over Europe and the Balkans, as well as the Middle East, playing in more than 10 different countries and many festivals.

Naxatras “III”: Anatomy of an Analog Recording Session