Swim Through the Darkness ― My Search for Craig Smith and the Mystery of Maitreya Kali

Craig Smith was good looking, charismatic, outgoing — a gifted musician whose songs were recorded by some of the biggest names in entertainment. His future success seemed assured, but the clean cut Craig Smith became the schizophrenic Maitreya Kali, a self-proclaimed psychedelic Messiah. Mike Stax spent fifteen years piecing together one of the most tragic stories of the 1960s and

Mike Stax: Editor of the highly respected 60s/’70s music magazine, Ugly Things. He has written liner notes for hundreds of reissues, and contributing to other publications, including the Oxford American and Shindig, and has also co-authored two books, Don’t Bring Me Down and I, Unseen (with Rick Brown).

Since 1983 UGLY THINGS magazine has brought its readers unparalleled coverage of WILD SOUNDS FROM PAST DIMENSIONS: the best lost, unknown and overlooked music of the 1960s and beyond. Published twice a year, each issues features 160-200 pages of in-depth features, exclusive interviews, rare photos and more, as well as a massive review section sifting through hundreds of vinyl and CD reissues, music-related books and DVDs. UGLY THINGS is not a hobbyist publication for trainspotting elitists, it is a high energy rock & roll fanzine about the music and the stories of the people that made it happen.
UT RECORDS was started as a sideline to the magazine, presenting high quality vinyl and CD releases of rare and previously unreleased garage, beat and psychedelia from the 1960s.