Levitation Sessions

The Levitation Sessions are a series of recordings issued by Austin-based record label The Reverberation Appreciation Society featuring live performances by bands in the psychedelic rock genre.^[1] The definition of this style is very broad, as some featured artists are closer to genres ranging all the way from doom metal to country folk. The performances are also filmed and often take place in unconventional settings. For example, Mint Field recorded its session at the Centro Ceremonial Otomí in Temoaya, Mexico^[2], and Osees in a disaffected industrial warehouse in Los Angeles, California^[3]^[4]. While the performances are recorded live, in most cases there is only a very limited audience present, due to circumstances, but also because the acoustic quality of the performance is paramount. Most of the performances form a career retrospective, with the performers choosing to revisit songs from their entire recorded output.

Some of the bands featured in the series are part of the label’s regular roster, but most are on small independent labels or self-release their music. The recordings are available on vinyl records, in some cases on audio cassette, and as digital downloads through the distribution platform Bandcamp. The series is not produced on audio CD. The videos of the performances can be viewed online. The artwork for each performance bears a common look, based on the traditional design for a cassette insert, with the band name written on what would be the cassette’s spine if folded.

The project started as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, as live concerts in front of an audience or tours were no longer possible and bands were looking for other avenues to make their music available to fans.^[5] The first recording in the series was by the band Ringo Deathstarr, released in July 2020.^[6] Later records came out at a frequency of approximately one per month, until mid-2022.

In January 2021, the label launched a companion series called “Live at Levitation”. The series features more traditional live performances captured at various editions of the Austin Psych Fest, now known as the Levitation Festival. The records can include either a single performance, or a compendium of different performances over time. The first release contained extracts of two distinct performances by Kikagaku Moyo, from 2014 and 2019, and was released in January 2021.^[7] This series is also characterized by a common look to its artwork, with a band photo featured in a large circle reminiscent of a vinyl record surrounded by wavy lines.

Discography