Taking their name from Vesta, the largest and brightest asteroid in our solar system and nodding to Spaceman 3, Asteroid No. 4 originally formed as a quartet in Philadelphia, PA; however, by the time the band relocated to Northern California, they became a quintet. 

Over the 15 years or so of their existence, the now-quintet has recorded and released eight full-length albums, made over a dozen compilation appearances, several digital-only rarity releases and multiple single releases. And during that time, the Northern California-based quintet have developed a reputation for a sound that meshes different genres closely associated with psychedelia – krautrock, shoegaze, folk, and others. However, as much as they’ve been known to clearly point out their various influences, they’ve also developed a reputation for experimentalism, often a key component of psychedelia. 

“Back of You Mind,” the latest single from the band’s forthcoming ninth full-length, self-titled effort is buzzing, hypnotic track, which seems as though it could easily evoke a trance-like state thanks to a tight, motorik-styled groove, flute ethereally floating about in the background and peals of guitar pyrotechnics. In fact, the song manages to be trippy and yet propulsive in a way that reminds me a lot of TOY’s Join the Dots – in particular, that album’s opening track “Conductor."