The Legendary Pink Dots – it’s never too late to have your mind blown.

Depending on your epicurean leanings, this could be a great lunch time accompaniment or a truly bizarre one. In either case, it won’t leave you guessing.

The Legendary Pink Dots – in concert at Dolce Vita in Lausanne, Switzerland on February 13, 1987.

The Legendary Pink Dots are a Anglo-Dutch experimental rock band formed in London in August 1980.  In 1984, the band moved to Amsterdam, playing with rotating musicians and having, as core members, singer/songwriter/keyboardist Edward Ka-Spel and keyboardist Phil Knight.

The Legenary Pink Dots were originally called One Day… but subsequently changed the name to The Legendary Pink Dots. In the 1980s, the band released albums on Mirrordot and InPhaze; in 1985 they signed with Play It Again Sam for the release of The Lovers. The line-up became stable by 1988, with Niels van Hoornblower (horns) and Bob Pistoor (guitar) joining for the band’s 1988 US tour. Pistoor died of cancer and his place was filled by Martijn de Kleer; drummer Ryan Moore completed the line-up live and in the studio. Their appeal has always been relatively small—a 1995 show in Mexico in front of 2,500 fans was described as “massive (by Dots’ standards)”.  In 2004, Erik Drost replaced Martijn de Kleer on guitar, and the album The Whispering Wall was released.

Their music touches on elements of neo-psychedelia, ambient music, electronic music, tape music, psychedelic folk, synthpop, post-punk, progressive, jazz, noise, pop, and goth rock, with a distinctly experimental/avant-garde bent; their sound has evolved over time and remains distinctive, making it difficult to place the group into a concise style or genre. The group’s overall sound combined with Ka-Spel’s distinct lyrics and singing have earned comparisons to Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett; the group also has links to the sounds of krautrock bands such as Can, Faust, Brainticket and Neu! (whose “Super” they covered on the 1999 tribute album “A Homage to NEU!”), as well as the music of Magma.

That should give you some idea, if you aren’t already familiar. Previous experience has told me The Legendary Pink Dots fall into two categories with listeners; you either adore them or deplore them. But you won’t be bored with them. Ambivalence is a non-starter.

Welcome to Friday.