Codex Serafini (Mother, Give Your Children Sanity)

3 days ago
4 min read

Released: 2025

Genre: Psychedelic rock,

Sounds Like: Acid Mothers Temple, Sun Ra, Goat

Homeland: UK

What makes Mother, Give Your Children Sanity elite and sit atop OHMs Peak?

Codex Serafini has released one of this year's most exciting psychedelic albums to grace our speakers in a long time.
The vocals possess a distinctive and psychedelic operatic style that truly sets them apart.
The production showcases the distinctive style of each band member: complex bass lines, ethereal saxophone, consistent drumming, and celestial riffs elevate this album to new heights.

Track Listing:

Pitying Them For Giving Life 3:25
Cause And Effect 6:59
Keep The Mask That Fits 9:07
Alpha Sista With The Heel To The Mouth First 6:17
Mother, Give Your Children Sanity 6:11
Marching Like A Toad 8:36

Dive deeper into Mother, Give Your Childern Sanity with our Q&A with Codex Serafini.

OHMs Peak: Our site features a Q&A format and we have a few questions are below:

The integration of saxophone harkens us back to the days of Blodwyn Pig and King Crimson yesteryears. It adds a unique dark edge. We would love a glimpse into your biggest influences of sound from days past.

Codex Serafini: Of course the first King Crimson record is a touch stone in progressive music utilising sax, Blood Quartet, Five the Hierophant, and Zu are great examples of that continuation of bands taking that and pushing it in a darker direction.

OHMs Peak: While the entire album bleeds a majestic tribal atmosphere, ‘Cause and Effect’ has one of the most infectious melodic chants. Take us through the meaning and making of this track.

Codex Serafini: As with most of our output this track was born out of extended jam sessions that grew quite organically into what you hear on the record, having the time to experiment and then taking the most interesting parts into the finished compositions. Keeping the bass simple and leaving room for the sax and vocals to weave themselves around it. A lot of the melodies from each of those elements inform each other, like a conversation.

The lyrics explore the cycle of habitual addiction and the constant struggle between giving in and trying to stop. The lyrics reflect on how destructive patterns repeat themselves, even when we recognise their consequences. They also touch on the dynamic of couples who share the same addictions, sometimes reinforcing each other’s habits while finding it difficult to break the cycle.

OHMs Peak: What was Codex Serafini's most memorable live performance? Where was it held and why was the night so special?

Codex Serafini: There have been a few that have felt very special, getting invited to play at ArcTanGent in 2024 was amazing as it’s a festival very close to our hearts, and playing under Slift who we love and the same day as Mogwai was incredible. Next to that, playing at the Legendary 100 club last year with sonic psych heroes Acid Mothers Temple was a real honour, they have been doing what they love for so long and the atmosphere was electric.

OHMs Peak: What band NOT in the psychedelic rock genre would you love to tour with that would most compliment your sound?

Codex Serafini: We have a real affinity with The Mars Volta, they are a band we all agree is amazing and they span lots of genres and have crafted out their own sound which is something we aspire to. Their energy is outstanding and if we can exert just half of that we will be very proud. Another band would be Fire! - a Nordic experimental supergroup formed in 2009 by the core trio of Mats Gustafsson (sax), Johan Berthling (bass guitar) and Andreas Werlin (drums) who joined together to develop a fresh approach to improvised music drawing on influences from free jazz, psychedelic rock, and noise. As well as those groups, we would love to play with Terri Gender Bender’s band La Butcherettes . She is an incredible artist!

OHMs Peak: The album cover is wildly intriguing and elaborate. landscape. We see Ana-Maria Bordei Terr championed this. How did the concept come about to tie into the album?

Codex Serafini: The album cover reflects the chaos and insanity of the world through intense colours and sprawling tentacle-like forms that surround the central figure. In the middle, the mother figure is trapped inside a box-like structure, unable to move, while two protectors stand on either side. The image represents a world where chaos grows when sanity is absent, and the struggle to regain clarity within that confusion.

OHMs Peak: Codex Serafini is stranded on an island with only a solar powered turntable and majestic powered solar blue tooth speakers. The band collectively can only choose one album. Which album to you agree to?

Codex Serafini: I don’t think we could ever agree to listen to just one album, each of us devour music and it’s a constant soundtrack to our lives and an inspiration for our output, just the process of choosing just one could spell the end of Codex Serafini.

Codex Serafini are:

Matt, Ana, Weez, Oli

Follow Codex Serafini: Facebook

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ftj3cPE8sI