Album Review: Khruangbin “Hasta El Cielo” (2019)
If you’re searching for a perfectly chilled-out, uplifting and good-vibes-setting album, my go-to choice continues to be Khruangbin’s “Hasta El Cielo.” While this Texas-based trio is normally already deep in the groove pocket with their dreamy/psych/funk/genre-bending sound, this project takes things to a whole other level. The album is actually a dub version of their previous project “Con Todo El Mundo,” repurposing familiar sonic elements in a slowed down, spaced out and reverb-soaked magic that will always calm things down, boost your mood and tickle your brain. –ADHDDEAD (@adhddead)
Magazine Review: DoubleBlind Magazine
Doubleblind Magazine was founded in 2019 by journalists Shelby Hartman (Vice, LA Weekly and Herb) and Madison Margolin (Playboy, Tablet and The Village Voice) as a modern, upscale approach to psychedelic content. Doubleblind Magazine intentionally eschews the traditional technicolor and tie-dye iconography typically associated with psychedelics in favor of something that might feel more at home on a high-end coffee table. Articles range from listicle roundups of the best treats for tripping to headier pieces spotlighting the impact of decriminalization on underrepresented communities. –Jake Kern (@jake.s.kern)
doubleblindmag.com | @doubleblindmag
Book Review: Paul Stamets “Psilocybin Mushrooms in Their Natural Habitats”
Paul Stamets gifts the world another mycological masterpiece with “Psilocybin Mushrooms in Their Natural Habitats” — a luminous guide through the forest floor of consciousness. With over 300 vivid photos and sacred stories, Stamets illuminates the history, identification and symbiotic potential of psychoactive fungi. Whether you’re a backyard forager, spiritual seeker or psychedelic scholar, this book offers a riveting manual for navigating the mushroom realms. From ancient ritual to modern microdosing, it honors the healing and transformational power of psilocybin. It’s a spore-soaked invitation to expand your mind, respect the medicine and reconnect with Earth’s original intelligence. Readers are guided through the wild world of
psilocybin with practical identification keys, cultivation tips and safety protocols. The pages are laced with breathtaking photography and a deep reverence for fungal wisdom. More than a field guide, Stamets bridges psychedelic exploration with ecological stewardship. This book emanates a vision for a conscious future, where fungi become allies in mental wellness and planetary awakening. –Angela-jordan Aguilar (@aj.og)
Coloring Book Review: “Ayahuasca Jungle Visions: A Coloring Book” by Alexander George Ward
Created by U.K.-born visionary artist Alexander George Ward, this is more than a coloring book — it’s a portal into the soul of the Amazon. Created after a series of transformative ayahuasca journeys, this book blossoms with divine insight gathered from ancient tribal cultures that live in harmony with Pachamama. As Ward traveled from the river’s source into the emerald heart of the jungle, he was gifted visions that now come alive in these hand-drawn illustrations. Each page is a psychedelic invitation to co-create with the spirit of nature, a visionary offering of plant wisdom, tribal harmony and Mother Earth’s divine beauty. Flowers, animals, ancestral beings and cosmic symbology wait for your colors to awaken them. Coloring becomes medicine — a psychedelic journey without leaving your home. This coloring book is a must-have for seekers, artists and cosmic explorers alike. –Angela-jordan Aguila
Comedy: Craig Conant
Anyone who’s been paying attention to the intersection of Cannabis, psychedelics and comedy would probably recognize Craig Conant’s face, even if they didn’t know his name. Over the past year, the lanky, long-haired Los Angeles-based comedian has ridden a rocket through the Metaverse stratosphere by sharing hilarious stories of his experiences with weed, Ayahuasca, LSD, mushrooms and psychedelics in general. His reflections on his 11-year sobriety from “alcohol, pills and powders” prove to be particularly potent PSAs delivered with a laugh, as well. If you’re looking for something to throw on post-peak when the giggles set in, Conant can’t miss. You can also catch his laid-back, lackadaisical style in person on his tour across the U.S., with roughly 40 stops between now and the end of the year, or on the go via his podcast, “Community Service.” –Tom Bowers(@megabombtom)
craigconant.com | @craigpconant | @communityservicepod
Movie: “Destino”
In the world of psychedelic cinema, a handful of films exist that tower above as high-water-mark classics. The animated French masterpiece “Fantastic Planet” is often credited with inventing the intentionally psychedelic film genre. The 1968 Stanley Kubrick benchmark “2001: A Space Odyssey” more or less popularized the concept of tripping at the cinema, with theaters going so far as to market screenings designed for immersive LSD experiences, labeling the film “the ultimate trip” on promo posters.
More modern films have taken the reins, with epics like the “Dune” and “Lord of the Rings” series and family fare like “The NeverEnding Story” and “The Lego Movie” perfectly repositioned as trip-friendly classics (beware of the scene with Artax and the swamp).
But it’s a blend of modern filmmaking and classic cinematic art that we’d like to highlight here, with the surrealistic short Disney film, “Destino.”
The journey of this artistic triumph began in 1945 as a collaboration between Walt Disney, surrealist master Salvador Dalí and Walt Disney Studios animator John Hench. Originally shelved due to budget constraints, the storyboards for the film were unearthed at the turn of the millennium, and a team of animators completed the vision using traditional and computer animation.
The result is a mind-bending, romantic and breathtakingly beautiful piece of cinematic art. At only seven minutes, it’s not something you can settle into for the duration, but if you’re looking for something to bridge the intermission amid a mind-melting movie marathon, this is a must. –Tom Bowers
Streaming on: Disney+
