AKASHIC

 

As can be seen from the label, Akashic Records was associated with the Guru Maharaj Ji's 'Divine Light Mission'.  As far as I have been able to ascertain, it managed only two releases.  First out of the traps was an EP featuring three tracks by the Anand Band, 'Sweet Bird Of The Morning', 'Walking Satsang' and 'Lila', plus what appears to be an excerpt from a religious address delivered in Montana, Colorado; it was released in 1972 and had an orangey-yellow label featuring a picture of the Guru (1).  Its catalogue number was DLM-1.  Then came the Blue Aquarius single 'The Ultimate Train' b/w 'At The Feet Of The Master' (2).  There is no catalogue number on the label, but the matrix number RGJ-998 in the run-off indicates that it was made through R.G. Jones's Oak recording studios (q.v.) of Surrey.  There's no year of issue either, but comparison with other RGJ numbers suggests around 1974.  Surprisingly, the 'A' side is a long, brassy Jazz / Prog Rock instrumental, with the guitarist and the organist given space for solos.  The 'B' is more the kind of thing you would expect: folky devotional stuff - it sounds as though it was recorded by a completely different outfit.  Crossings-out on the matrix numbers suggest that initially 'At The Feet Of The Master' was intended to be the 'A' side, which would have made sense - it's 'catchier', for want of a better description; neither side is all that commercial.  Pressing was by Pye.  According to Wikipedia 'Akashic' is Sanskrit for sky, space or aether; so now you know.  Thanks to Robert Bowes for bringing the label to my attention.

Copyright 2011 Robert Lyons.