One of the very few things I was hugely disappointed with at Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia, was the three stage set-up which pretty much guaranteed that you would miss a dozen or so bands over the two days.

Sadly for me, Jibóia became one of those casualties as I had already decided I wanted to see POW! – who were playing the Furnace stage, while Jibóia played the Blade stage.

A couple of evenings ago, Sunrise Ocean Bender – those bulwarks of the worldwide sonic gospel, posted the 5 minutes and 42 seconds of aural bliss that is ‘Dvapara Yuga’. Captivated, I followed posting suit and was rewarded with an email from the band’s label Lovers & Lollypops, along with a download for the 4 track LP.

The information provided by Lovers & Lollypops attests that Jibóia is;

“Named after the Portuguese term for boa constrictor, Lisbon-based psych entity Jibóia make good on the attributed description of “Prince of Persia on acid”. Combining casio beats with repetitive bass, guitar and organ riffs and with the help of Ana Miró’s indian influenced vocals delivering some deep grooves. All with a heavy smattering of bizarre invention thrown in for good measure.”

Notwithstanding Ana Miró’s beatific vocals, Jibóia is the one man project of Óscar Silva who has carved out a reputation for himself, whilst cutting his formative and stylistic teeth in the bands, Suchi Rukara, Adorno and I Had Plans.

The four tracks on ‘Badlav’ consider the four Hindu philosophy phases of the world, in it’s unending cycle from birth to destruction and inexorable rebirth…

Satya Yuga, “the golden age of truth and justice”, is joyously playful and notably marked to these ears, with a soaring vocal finale from Miró reminiscent of the Diva Plavalaguna in the ‘Fifth Element’.

Treta Yuga, “the age exhibiting a perceptible deterioration and decline”, is underpinned by a hypnotic beat mantra, accompanied by a north african tinged desert guitar fuzz, which Miró soulfully mimics with her exceptional vocal range.

Dvapara Yuga, “the implacable, unfolding degradation of civilisation”, marks the gradual descent with a heavier vibe as the forces of darkness wrestle for dominion over light.

Kali Yuga, “symbolising the global apocalypse and the current age of mankind”, completes the cycle with an altogether more menacing instrumental undercurrent. Whilst vocally plaintive, the eventual ascent resonates assuredly. The track writhes to it’s climactic tumult, summoning the Ouroboros with tormented Pungi tones.

The constancy, to this intrinsically, authentically delivered message, is that of the immortal phoenix, borne along triumphantly on the rhythmic hips of the desert snake…