Portland, Oregon instrumental surf-garage-psych project Trabants have shared ‘Midnight Bells’, a new track from the upcoming album ‘Mirage’, out June 12.

Trabants are led by guitarist, composer and producer Eric Penna. The project has long moved between surf rock, garage, psych, exotica, soundtrack music and classic instrumental rock. ‘Mirage’ continues that approach while pushing deeper into 1960s inspired tones, fuzz guitar and cinematic atmosphere.

‘Midnight Bells’ is built around Glenn Brigman’s electric harpsichord, which gives the track a haunted, late-night feel. Penna’s 12-string Rickenbacker leads add a bright, jangling edge, but the song also carries a darker pull beneath the surface. It has the feel of a lost mid-1960s instrumental, somewhere between garage psych, early proto-punk and soundtrack music.

“This song is essentially a love letter to 1966,” says Penna. “I’m layering four or five 12-string guitars on the song but they fit together in such a way that it sounds like two, that main distorted riff and an acoustic woven into the rhythm, blending with Glenn’s electric harpsichord, all to create this super ’66 vibe.”

‘Mirage’ was written, recorded and mixed by Penna at Hemstreet Sound in Portland. The album features Dave Berkham on bass, Anthony Brisson on drums, Glenn Brigman of Triptides on Hammond, Farfisa, electric harpsichord and tabla, Pete Curry on drums and bass for select tracks, Ron Dziubla on saxophone and Bryan Murphy on trumpet.

<a href="https://trabants.bandcamp.com/album/mirage">Mirage by Trabants</a>

Oddly enough, ‘Mirage’ completes Trabants’ psychedelic trilogy, following ‘Freakout’ and ‘Mantra’. Throughout the album, Penna mixes fuzzy guitars, surf-inspired melodies, garage and cinematic sounds into a vivid, dreamlike world,

Headline photo: Pamela Garcia Aguirre

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