The Trip Takers Don’t Back Out Now

(The Trip Takers are an Italian band suspended in the limbo between the conservatism of vintage sounds and the genuine and sincere "revivalism". The result is a sound that is clearly recognizable from the point of view of conceptual influences but vividly peculiar at the same time.
Here’s their debut album!!)BEGINNING….

"The Trip Takers" project starts from the bases left in the mid-6os by Anglophone’s freakbeat and garage bands, to incorporate psychedelic atmospheres that expand the sound, making it addictive, thanks to vintage instruments on the front line. The equipment used and a recording technique deliberately far from the digital, but more inclined to the effects produced by the analogic, give a birth to a disc that, even if fresh and immediate, it’s far from contemporary productions to create incredibly authentic vintage atmospheres. This creature is molded by personalities and influences at times heterogeneous to each other, which are well mixed with the common will to get out, from the current canonic sound, in an attempt to romantically preserve a retro style approach, purposely in a simple and genuine way.

FIRST RELEASES….

The first Extended-Play vinyl record named The Trip Takers" was published by "Area Pirata Records" in October of 2017 and it was favorably received by musical connoisseurs and specialized press; in the same phase they started a series of live shows in Italy and Germany. On 3oth of April 2018 was released the single "Jumper Blues" (Side b: Another One) and two weeks later the band was invited to play at prestigious "The Cavern Club", Liverpool, in the context of "International Pop Overthrow Festival"; such significant participation will be the beginning of a series of live appointments around Germany, France, Denmark and Luxembourg on first European Tour. In the same tour the band has entered to the "Voodoo Bug Studios" of Copenhagen for new tracks recording that will be out in the following year.

NOWADAYS….

On the way back to hometown they have organized a psychedelic event called "Garage Invasion vol.1" with others important DJ’s belonging to European sixties scene. The last two months of 2018 was the period of new digital single release called "All I want" and the subsequent Iberian Tour including participation at "Purple Weekend", one of the most important garage/beat events in Europe. In January 2019, at Rec on Black Studio, they have recorded last tracks of the first LP "Don’t back out now" out loth of April, so the group will be involved in a new European tour to promote new album. They’ll be therefore headliner at the prestigious Garage Ville Festival in Hamburg.

The Trip Takers are : Manuel Rotella Lead vocal, guitar, blues harp
Carmelo Gazze Bass guitar, organ, vocals – Morgan Maugeri Guitar, vocals
Simone Di Blasi Organ, drums, vocals – Giuseppe Mangano Drums, percussions, bass guitar

Produced by Giuseppe Mangano, The Trip Takers.
Side A #4 #5 / Side B #2 #3 #4 #5 Recorded at Voodoo Bug Studio in Copenaghen by David Ciccia & David Peter Jorgensen. Side A #1 #2 #3 / Side B #1 Recorded at Ludnica Studio in S. Teresa di Riva (Sicily) by Ottavio Leo. Mixing & Mastering at Ludnica Studio by Ottavio Leo – All songs are composed & arranged by The Trip Takers
Side A #1 "Don’t back out now" lyrics by Bastian Trager.
Cover & Graphic art by Leire Urbeltz. Pic by Francesco Algeri

TRACKLIST

SIDE A
1. Let Me Sail – 2.12
2. Shake Appeal – 2.54
3. Don’t back out now – 2.09
4. All I want – 3.30
5. Gamblin’ gal – 3.38

Tot. 13.43

SIDE B
1. The Knight & The Hag – 3.07
2. Misty Shore – 2.50
3. Another One – 2.27
4. Why Don’t You Come Home? – 3.08
5. Wonder For A Way – 4.51

Tot. 15.43

"The Trip Takers are an Italian band suspended in the limbo between the conservatism of vintage sounds and the genuine and sincere "revivalism". The result is a sound that is clearly recognizable from the point of view of conceptual influences but vividly peculiar at the same time".

Roberto Calabrò – Shindig #94 08/2019

ROBERTO CALABRO’ takes a trip and talks to Italy’s newest psych voyagers about their take on the sounds of 1967
Hailing from Messina, Sicily,The Trip Takers bring the listener into a time capsule. Instead of the island’s sun, deep blue sea, impressive Etna volcano, and ancient Greek temples, the band’s debut LP Don’t Back Out Now moves into sonic territories and psychedelic imagery that could be the perfect soundtrack for movies like The Trip or Psych Out. "The band started almost by accident", laughs guitarist/singer Morgan Maugeri. "We found each other to be similar freaks who all love to find records, obscure ’60s bands and psychedelic and garage music. We dream about living in those incredible years,
it’s a shame we were all born later!" The Trip Takers’ time machine is fuelled by a fascinating mix of British psychedelia, New England’s nostalgic melodies and a slice of Italian beat. "Our sound is spontaneous, genuine, raw," explains Maugeri,"and our attitude is ‘plug in and play’." In each of the Trip Takers songs you can hear echoes of Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd as well as underground UK and USA bands that shaped the late ’60s, and over a short life-span of a few years, the Italian quintet have become a renowned name in the European psychedelic scene. So far, they’ve released an eponymous six-track EP, the brilliant single ‘Jumper Blues’ and now their recently released debut LP, their best recording to date.
Now back in Sicily after a long tour
through Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, and France the band are reflecting on a year of hard work. "The last tour we made, the third in a year, was the longest and most tiring one yet.The stage at Hamburg’s Garageville was something epic for us – we didn’t expect such incredible feedback. Our audiences give us the strongest motivation possible to face the journey of thousands of kilometres to play"

REVIEWS

THEE PSYCHEDELICATESSEN 21/04/2019

We were first introduced to Italian Garage/Beat obsessives The Trip Takers via their self titled 2017 debut EP/mini album. By eschewing modern recording techniques they created an authentic vintage lo-fi analogue sound, revisiting the classic mid 60s proto-Nuggets era of American Garage/Psych with six tracks that channeled the slightly shambolic records by "British Invasion" influenced bands such as The Groupies, The Velvet Illusions, The Inmates, The Cave Men and Satan & The G Men. While side one was firmly inspired by early Beat bands, side two saw The Trip Takers exploring wonky mid 60s Psychedelia and sounding not unlike the acid drenched strangeness of Nashville Psych Pop outsiders The Sufis. You can read our original Strange Things Are Happening review here…………….
Since the release of the debut EP, The Trip Takers have spent the last few years gigging and playing Garage/Psych festivals around Europe, gaining new fans along the way with a brand of Garage Psych that has been described as "suspended in the limbo between the conservatism of vintage sounds and the genuine and sincere "revivalism"" honing their retro Psych sounds ready for their first full length LP. Don’t Back Out Now is a lysergically infused rush of 60s swirling Psychedelia from a band totally at ease with lifting a whole host of influences from the Nuggets era bands and from the parts assembling an excellent LP of songs that any discerning vintage PsychHead will love and cherish. The first thing you notice about this record is that The Trip Takers have really found their groove. The experimental strangeness of the first EP has been stripped back and the 60s Psych Pop influences have been pushed to the fore. Mining the same rich groovy sixties seam as the The Sonic Dawn and other like minded bands, Don’t Back Out Now inhabits the world of the first wave of Psychedelic beat groups inspired by The Beatles, The Byrds and Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann recorded short, sharp, tripped out singles that where laced with a heavy dose of pop sensibility. Opening with the West Coast jangle of ‘Let Me Sail’, The Trip Takers tear through 10 tracks of scintillating sounds, channelling The Chocolate Watchband, The Electric Prunes, The Golden Dawn, 13th Floor Elevators, The Music Machine among others into a collection of songs that relive the first Psychedelic era. For fans of classic 60s Garage Psych, this is more than worth a listen.

Matt – Bananas Magazine #18 / Summer ’19

Italy is a hotbed of action right now and The Trip Takers are clearly one of the leading shakers. This new LP on Area Pirata is freakin’ awesome. It has "Shake Appeal’ that’s for sure. Definitely not paint by numbers garage or psych. There are tons of off-kilter production choices and tasty morsels in here that make it a fab listening experience. Which it should be by gum! Tis a record after all! "Shake Appeal," is super duper awesome. The only thing that comes to mind first thought is ’67 blissed-out Pretties. That’s a fine place to be! Tons of cool organ lines, guitar effects and good harmonies. "All I Want," is another recommended listen with excellent harmonies. "The Knight & The Hag," adds some toytown-psych to the proceedings. "Why Don’t You Come Home?" is another great psych-pop number. This LP really shines. "Wonder For A Way," has an immediate way to my heart with the 5D-era McGuinn guitar break and great atmosphere. The production is great, the songs each have their own feel to make them worthy of a second or fifth spin. Lay down in the grass, be cool and take a trip with the Trip Takers!