One of the best things about collecting music is the never ending journey, the rabbit holes of discovery that lead you into unexpected places. There’s so much great music out there, much of which slips through the mainstream cracks, never finding the wider audience it deserves. No one knows this better than Eothen Alapatt, who’s made a career out of the perpetual pursuit of the perfect song.
Better known by his alias Egon, he spent a spell as general manager of the great Stones Throw records while simultaneously running his own imprint, Now-Again Records, a reissue label specializing in obscure and under appreciated sounds from the 1960s to mid-1980s. As if that weren’t enough, Egon also partners on Madlib Invazion, a production company he co-manages with Madlib, that’s overseen pivotal releases like the Freddie Gibbs collaboratives ‘Bandana’ and ‘Piñata.’ Needless to say, dude has put in serious work over the years to bring some unbelievable sounds to our ears.
Amidst all this, Egon also spends his days as a hardcore crate digger, undertaking worldwide expeditions to visit with underground music luminaries and uncover rare gems to release on Now-Again. His latest such foray, ‘Tickets For Doomsday: Heavy Psychedelic Funk, Soul Ballads & Dirges 1970-1975,’ dropped yesterday as a record store day release and is an absolutely essential collection. A follow up to the equally stunning ‘Forge Your Own Chains…’ compilation, ‘Tickets For Doomsday’ compiles another batch of rare and barely-heard psych masterpieces. The tracks herein run the gamut from tripped-out folk, fuzz rock, cinematic funk and heart-wrenching soul ballads performed by an eclectic range of artists. Along the way some mind-blowing connections are made; one example – the title track “Ticket For Doomsday” by Chucky Thurmon, who happens to be the uncle of Bay Area rap legend E-40 (top 5 MCs all-time, hands down).
When all is said and done, ‘Tickets For Doomsday…’ is one of the best releases of the year, an album dedicated to those who keep digging.
