You don't really need the drugs. With over 25 releases available from cult geniuses the Legendary Pink Dots, all you need is a turntable and the desire to have your mind kneaded into ponderous hypnosis and tricked down dripping halls of epic psychedelia. Not that a doobie won't help you sink further into the wandering, goblin house of the Pink Dots' repertoire--the mix of machines employed at gothic atmosphere with retro pop easement is a true adventure into "eat me, drink me" country.

The career of the Pink Dots spans roughly a quarter-century, during which they steadily produced an astounding repertoire. Each record has its own mood and motives, but with the Pink Dots you're guaranteed to find yourself in a dreamlike place, one where all the bad trance DJs in the world could only pray to someday cop to. But their dreams include the shadowy end of subject matter, a fascination with technology and its developing relationship to art, and a loyalty to beauty in sound.

Despite many lineup changes, the ringleader has remained. Edward Ka-Spel cuts one of the most enigmatic figures in modern music history. Known for his seemingly single-minded career directive of perfecting his Syd Barrett impersonation, his poetry can be credited for much of Pink Dots fans' devotion. On the most recent release from the Pink Dots, The Whispering Wall, the music is rolled back a bit to allow Ka-Spel's half-spoken lyrics more of a platform. Delivered in a lazy, almost sinister, but rakish and likeable tone, Ka-Spel's poetry is eerily infused with everyday references to crackers an old girlfriend left behind, mixed with witchy, sing-song lines about bloody towels.

Meanwhile, the music itself leads you into absorption, remaining constant just enough to get the listener accustomed to one particular tack before veering into a new direction and snapping you newly awake. Stoned or not stoned, the effect on the close listener is a sense of vague profundity, like, "Yessss... the old girlfriend's old crackers..." as if you've stumbled on some small piece of sagacious wisdom in a detail--which, of course, you have.