Arcadium

An enigmatic psychedelic outfit from the late sixties released a solitary, hard-to-find LP titled Breathe Awhile during 1969, embodying the somber, heavy atmosphere typical of that style. Central to the ensemble stood Miguel Sergides, who handled songwriting duties, served as lead vocalist, and played twelve-string guitar. Influences from acts like the Doors, Iron Butterfly, and Vanilla Fudge shaped the threatening, amplified, church-like keyboard sounds, warped six-string work, and tormented singing, with traces of Bay Area psychedelia evident in the melancholic vocal blends. Nevertheless, the combo lacked the uniqueness of those reference points, and the atmosphere of melancholy torment showed little melodic or lyrical variation throughout the album. Akarma put out a compact disc edition in 2003.