Michigan space rock duo Windy & Carl initially self-released their debut album on cassette in 1994 before Ba Da Bing picked it up for a CD release in 1995, adding three lengthy, exploratory tracks. (Kranky eventually reissued Portal in 2026, including its first vinyl pressing.) The duo pretty much established their blissful, expansive sound right from the beginning, though the album noticeably sounds a bit rougher, and at times stranger, than their later recordings. “Preparation” augments its magical thrumming with trippy, vibrating keyboards, and “Sound Ignition” is unexpectedly noisy, though it feels like fog is trying to wash out the scorching distortion. “Ode to Spacemen” is an appropriately cosmic drift featuring Windy’s hushed, poetic…

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