In the good old days of prog there were progressive musicians who could everything they touched, mutate into gold. Take for instance drummer extraordinaire Bill Bruford, who always did interesting things with Yes, King Crimson, UK, Genesis and his own fusion bands Bruford and Earthworks. It is a separate category; many are called, but only a few are chosen. Luckily the newest generation of prog musicians has its wizards too. Like American bassist William Kopecky, famous for his unique and expressive playing. That Parallel Minds debut in 2005 proved to be a more than succeeded album, was perhaps not only his merit, but still. I still put this CD into my player because of the wonderful bass lines. In Wisconsin-based Far Corner, Kopecky is of great value as well. This quartet, operating in a far corner of the musical universe, brings us top-notch instrumental chamber and classical rock that - from afar - reminds us of mid-seventies King Crimson and Univers Zero. But its definitely not a copycat. Classically trained composer and keyboardist Dan Maske fuses rock with Stravinsky and Bartok, and with jazz and zeuhl.
Far Corners second CD Endangered is a small miracle, because although complex and of instrumental virtuosity, it still is accessible music. The menacing, quasi improvised soundscapes are the least accessible, but the albums backbone are the four adventurous compositions. The basic sound is layed down by multiple percussion, cello, fretted and fretless bass and a variety of keys. The cello is sometimes electrified, which adds to the sonic heaviness; the instrument then sounds like a guitar riffing! Compared to the debut, the colour palette is expanded with violin, melodica and trumpet, providing surprising moments especially in the twenty-minute title track. The CDs title refers not only to the planets endangered species, but to adventurous music of artistic integrity. With Far Corner, our sector has gained yet another warm-hearted advocate.
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen) Tags:Progressive, Cuneiform, Far Corner, King Crimson
NeBeLNeST: ZePTO ( * * * * 1/2 )
It seems the adventurous Cuneiform label owns the rights on the dark side of prog in its most complex appearances (Far Corner, Present, Univers Zero). Considering the degree of difficulty, French instrumental quartet NeBeLNeST shines no less, and they act in the same sinister way. Their music is inventive, dark, angular. ZePTO is already their third record, and again it is a challenge, especially considering the relentless pace the listener has to keep up with. The complexity demands concentration, which leads to our emotional involvement. The songs with heads and tales are strong enough that they dont require vocal input. The last two tracks are rather unstructured free jazz improvisations clearly an acquired taste. Either way, all performances are rock solid. Each musician shines in his own right and demonstrates a stylistic versatility that reminds us of King Crimson. Olivier Tejedor delivers inverted melodies, and otherwise he juggles with some weird synthesizer flights. Drummer Michaël Anselmi acts like a Spanish fury and yet plays with admirable discipline. In guitar and bass you can hear some distant echoes from the Crimson king as well. Yet NeBeLNeST is far from being a copycat of the British masters. In other words, NeBeLNeST succeeds in creating a believable post-Crimson sound.
