The musicians of the British progressive rock band Egg, who were under contract with Decca, were offered the chance to produce a „psychedelic“ album for another label. Arzachel (the name of a lunar crater) was not just a fun project; for legal reasons, a new band name was also required and the musicians’ anonymity had to be preserved. This is also shown by the pseudonyms on the back cover: the organist Dave Stewart as „Sam Lee-Uff“’, the guitarist and singer Steve Hillage, also known as „Simeon Sasparella“, the bassist and singer Mont Campbell, alias „Njerogi Gategaka“, and the drummer Clive Brooks as „Basil Dowling“. The self-titled album was recorded and mixed in just one day in 1969.

It contains psychedelic blues rock from the late 1960s, enriched with many weird and crazy organ solos, space-rock-style guitar and a few strange, mystical-esoteric lyrics, predominantly on the first side. Side 2 features extended instrumental jam sessions with some rather experimental, psychedelic improvisations. It was released in England and the USA in the same year. A year later, in 1970, the German pressing followed on the Vogue Schallplatten label, featuring the same cover artwork but with a deeper shade of blue. However, as in other countries, the record went completely unnoticed. But no one could have guessed at the time that not only the English original on Evolution would become one of the most sought-after and expensive vinyl collector’s items today.