Issue 2024-097
Frant1c — A Brand New World
Frant1c is the new project formed by Anne-Claire Rallo. With her other band Nine Skies she already contributed to some fine progressive rock. The album The Lightmaker is one of my favorite albums of 2023. Her husband Eric Bouillette was the main man behind Nine Skies. Eric passed away in 2022. The album A Brand New World contains parts from demos Eric was working on, so he can still be heard on A Brand New World.
Several musicians on here were also present on the albums by Nine Skies: Alexandre Lamia (guitars, keyboard), Alexis Bietti (bass), Johnny Marter (drums), and Laurent Benhamou (saxophone). The album tells the story of fictional characters Charlie and Hope. After spending their life together, Charlie wakes up alone. He starts searching for Hope in a devastated world. Helen Tiron provides the vocal part of Hope and Martin Wilson sings the part of Charlie. The latter is known for being the vocalist of Grey Lady Down and The Room.
The music on A Brand New World sounds a lot like Nine Skies, which was to be expected. Because of Martin Wilson's voice, it also reminds me of Grey Lady Down. At first spin, I did not read who was on this album and for a couple of seconds I thought this was some new Grey Lady Down music. Prologue - The Awakening is an atmospheric opener, the song Come Back To Earth must fit perfectly to fans of Nine Skies and/or Grey Lady Down. To me, it immediately felt very comfortable, like an old pair of shoes. People In Their Cages is a bit heavier, a strong emphasis on the neo-prog style follows in Where Have You Been. Where Have You Been has a very fine saxophone solo by Laurent Benhamou.
To me, the best song on the album is The Ballad Of Peggy Prat, a nice epic with some wonderful guitar solos. For someone who likes neo-prog a song like this is just part of a daily prog diet. More wonderful guitar solos on the heavier Sweet Confusion and A New Path. On The Run has some singalong points in there with a lot of Arena influences. Take A Little Time - The Encounter is more piano-orientated. With Epilogue - A Brand New World closes as atmospheric as the opener.
A Brand New World is a very interesting progressive rock release. Officially a debut album, but with so many familiar musicians it is also very much a continuation of Nine Skies. Wonderful neo-prog album and a must-listen for fans of Nine Skies and Grey Lady Down.
Myth Of Logic — Light At The End
Although new to DPRP, this is the third album by Myth Of Logic. It is also the third and final chapter in a trilogy. Part 1, Surrounded By Ghosts, and part 2, Pictures From A Previous Dream are also available from the Myth Of Logic Bandcamp site.
Myth Of Logic is a one-man band from Florida, USA. Scott G. Davis is credited for vocals and all yet unspecified instruments. From the music it is easy to conclude he is most proficient at keyboards.
The limitations of a one-man band are the usual. I've not heard really great drum samples yet, even with very good programming. It just sounds programmed instead of human. Being on your own also limits you in bouncing off ideas or letting in other influences. Davis has a nice style for keyboard solo and melodies, and I think a different and contrasting style from another musician could add to the feel and result in a more-dimensional sound.
Davis' choice of sounds and different keyboard instruments gives a lot of variation though, making it a very keyboard-oriented and still diverse album. From melancholic piano, via neo-prog synth lines, to an attack on the organ — it's a broad spectrum. The bass playing also really stands out throughout the album.
Song-wise there is a lot to like here. Super-melodic modern prog that refer to bands like Saga and Kansas mixed in with a dose of neo-prog. Not too complex, but many different parts in different tempos and long instrumental sections. That complexity does not apply to all tracks. Purple Heart and especially Prior Somnium show influences of later Saga. Probably because I recently reviewed them and the music is still fresh in my head, I also feel a musical connection with Pangaea as well.
The overall feel is a little dark, which happens to be something I like. Many parts are multilayered, which tells me Davis is aiming for a full sound. In there, I sense a lack of a proper distorted guitar, which is another cry for getting together a group of people instead of going at this alone. Lord Of The Ashes has some guitar lines, but never as virtuoso or varied as the keyboards. It is the shortest track but because it's arguably the heaviest and darkest, it's probably my favourite.
The recording, mixing and production are of high level. I really hope Davis can find some people around him to make his music fuller and more alive. The musical ideas are there, he knows how to play, and has a very pleasant voice with the warmth of someone like John Wetton. This type of music and telling a story deserves it.
It's funny how life takes us at times. Up to a few years ago I never imagined myself to attend a concert with only electronic music for instance. Let alone a whole festival involving this type of music. Yet to my own surprise I found myself driving towards Eindhoven on the 20th of April to eagerly sit in on the E-Day 2024 live event at CKE.
The reason behind my enthusiasm? The opportunity to meet up with drummer/percussionist Tommy Betzler of P'Cock and P'Faun fame, who together with Laurent Schieber (aka Sequentia Legenda) would be headlining the event. To make a long story short: after exchanging conversations and pleasantries all throughout the day I returned home with plenty of impressions and newly discovered EM music to explore. And in the months after, I received three consecutive releases by Sequentia Legenda. Let's explore those in sequence.
Jan Buddenberg
Sequentia Legenda — Alcyone
The first album to arrive in a beautiful shining glossy digipak marks Sequentia Legenda's twelfth album Alcyone. A title either referring to one of the seven sisters of the Pleiades in Greek mythology, or to the brightest star in the Pleiades cluster located in the constellation of Taurus. Or both, seeing the two are symbolically linked.
Completed in appeal with an 8-page booklet that contains individual liner note declarations towards the deeper meaning of the compositions, Alcyone also comes along with accompanying words of guidance by Schieber:
ALCYONE is the expression of my Heart and my Soul, it is a sharing from Heart to Heart. I hope that this opus will nourish your dreams, your hopes and will allow you to travel and rise towards a celestial world bathed in a soft and radiant light.
This Zen-like mindset is transported to perfection when Schieber engages his multiple synths, Moogs and sequencers for Around The Great Central Sun. This meticulously crafted cosmic soundscape is reminiscent of Berliner Schüle greats like Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze. At first, however, it does not carry me towards the spherical journey around humanity's life source, but rather immerses me into the imaginative tranquil surroundings of a wellness spa. Here, while perfectly afloat and reassuringly at ease and peace, I find myself gazing up at a marvellous cloudless sky that twinkles with hypnotising light. A scenery which dreamy sequences and Schieber's gentle melodic approach progressively massages into a welcoming galaxy of breathtakingly transfixing stars that express a wonderful spacious cinematic attraction. Bathing in luxurious sound and embraced by energetic positivity, the uplifting soundscape then starts to truly shine with ambient Pink Floyd and perpetually glow onward with ethereal radiance. An animated coda chirping with abundance of life finalises this first journey.
The voyage of The Ring Of Golden Light showcases the same enchanting Berliner Schüle characteristics, apart from the Pink Floyd impressions. It begins slightly more ominous and mysteriously dark in atmospheres. Soon after this lengthy celestial soundscape also begins to delicately glow and rhythmically pulsate with intricate warming melodies that perfectly soothes and calms the senses. This composition also effortlessly opens up a portal to a spiritual world, to finally ascend into heavenly divine grand atmospheres that provide touching transcendence.
The final epic-length composition Bon Voyage shows equal inventive songwriting, and presents cosmic movements that elegantly shift in brightness, intensity, and intricate melodic arrangements. This composition also manages to steer my inner thoughts towards the delightful moistness of a spa experience. Mainly thanks to the oxygen-rich effervescence and revitalising droplets of energy bubbles that Schieber infuses into his wonderfully developed composition in a style akin to Jean-Michel Jarre.
Love Feeds Love finally, also subtitle to the album, showcases that Schieber also handles short song formats exceptionally well. Beautifully harmonious and expressive, this last concise song also impresses through warmth, affection and feeling of eternity. An excellent conclusion to this wonderful EM album.
All of the above leads me to a relatively short conclusion: if you like to bathe in the luxurious warmth of Berliner Schüle EM music that meets the likes of Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze and Jean Michel Jarre, then Alcyone is an essential purchase.
Sequentia Legenda — Galactic Crystals
Galactic Crystals:
An Opening of the Heart, a Musical Sharing, A Vibratory Union,
A subtle Connection to open up to the Intangible
This, together with the Adamantine Vibrations Of The Universe subtitle, denotes the spiritual resonating symbolism behind Galactic Crystals. An album released a little over two months after Sequentia Legenda's concert with Tommy Betzler at the E-day festival in Eindhoven. It is presented once again in a nicely shining package with captivating photo art and exquisite fantasy drawings. Together with the reflective declarations mentioned within the booklet, this strengthens the thoughtful musical vision of Schieber. It features three traditional long-form (think vinyl-length) compositions in the style of the Berliner Schüle.
Without exception, these three compositions all brilliantly showcase Scheiber's deeply grounded love and affection for this particular electronic music style that was once pioneered by Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Temple, and Klaus Schulze way back in the 70s. Now fifty years later, the excellent Galactic Crystals most impressively proves that the future of this beloved EM subgenre lies safely secure in the masterful hands of Laurent Schieber.
Offering an invitation to expedite and let imagination roam free, it is the beautiful voyage starting point of The Songs Of The Orion that sings this message strongest to me. Its high frequency opening sequence captivates with a revitalising energetic sensation of uplift. It soothingly projects me into the far regions of our known cosmos. Shining brightly with relaxingly meditative melodies positioned en route to the Orion belt, it is thanks to the tiniest of magical regenerative pitch shifts that this star comes ever closer and closer. While in the meantime a comforting tapestry of elegant harmonious melodies and dreamy atmospheres wraps me in a warm blanket of peaceful serenity.
Crystal Of Light, a song featuring Tommy Betlzer and that was premiered at the E-Day festival in Eindhoven (see also Live In Eindhoven below), follows a similar bright configuration crowned with perpetually growing sequences and spaciously layered atmospheres that increase in intensity and warmth. It is Betzler's subtle harmonic high-hats and intricate drum patterns that brings an enchanting fourth dimension to this that echoes with P'Cock, P'Faun and from afar Pink Floyd. The sequenced melodies leisurely drift off into higher ethereal atmospheres that resonate with Mellotron choirs.
The final journey on offer is Return To Meshalea. It starts of spaciously with impressions of Jean-Michel Jarre. And then bubbly navigates its way through a vast ocean of tranquil pureness that perfectly invites for meditation and self reflection. Resonating with heavenly showers of alleviating bliss while being atmospherically elevated by dreamy melodies awash with electronic vibrant energy, this harmoniously revitalising composition also features marvellous Mellotron choirs that captivate the heart and sooth the senses. It beautifully manages to float on decoratively until finally the absorbing soundscape after twenty-three replenishing minutes fades away into quiet completeness.
After all these unusual esoteric words on my part, I have to say that I find Galactic Crystals to fully outshine Schieber's previous effort Alcyone. An opinion I'm not alone in seeing Sequentia Legenda's recent short-list nomination for "Best Ambient, Berlin School, Drone and Soundscape Electronic Music album released in 2024" by Cyclical Magazine. It's truly a gem of an album and comes highly advised, if not obligatory recommended, for all those who support and cherish the art of Berliner Schüle. Feel free to add point(s) to my rating if you're amongst those fans!
Sequentia Legenda featuring Tommy Betzler — Live In Eindhoven
This finally brings me to Live In Eindhoven, a perfectly honest live registration of Sequentia Legenda's concert at E-Day on the 20th of April 2024. Performing together with drummer/percussionist Tommy Betzler of P'Cock/P'Faun fame, as mentioned previously my sole reason for going as I wasn't acquainted yet to the music of Laurent Schieber or any of the other artists performing at the festival yet, this DVD features the three tracks played during their concert. A bonus section is added that shows various sound-checking highlights and fan-provided footage that captures both Schieber and Betzler in action at angles differing from those used for the actual DVD content.
Curiously, the DVD menu doesn't include the option to watch the performance fully uninterrupted. Instead, one has to select one song, watchfully enjoy it, and then from the returning menu select the next track. In itself this isn't majorly disturbing because with compositions of 25 minutes length you only have to do this twice. But personally I would have liked to have the option to witness the show without having to reach for the remote again. It's somewhat unhandy if you want to close your eyes and just listen to the music all in one go.
In light of visuals I have to say that these are ten times more attractive and interesting than what I myself witnessed at the event, front-row seated. This can actually be seen from my own supplied footage in the bonus feature between 15:48 and 17:51 of me recording their first track from a slight upward angle towards the stage. This perspective meant that everything Schieber fiddled, touched, pushed, lifted, played and otherwise engaged during his performance, stayed fairly in the guess-work department for me. The various alternating stage cameras and angles used for filming now provide great insight to this. It results in clear perspectives of the concentrated efforts that Schieber puts into the recreation of his wonderful Berliner Schüle compositions.
This clarity of view also applies to the whole of Betzler's performance. Perfectly visible behind the drum kit for the audience showcasing his rhythmic finesse and devoted improvisations as he played, he was however not facing the audience but for most parts played faced sideways towards Schieber. Upon playing hand percussion he even switched position with his back facing the audience, which rendered it completely impossible to make out what he was actually doing. The many close-ups now reveal all and make it a much more enjoyable experience from a visual point of view.
That said, I would have liked quite a few more overview shots of the beautiful backdrops that were used during performance. For these images enhanced the storylines and apart from a fair few shots presented in Crystal Of Light now remain somewhat underexposed. This is unfortunate because they were a real visual appeal during the show. A final remark on the visuals is that I don't specifically remember the stage lighting to be so brightly colourful blueish.
Sound-wise it's all marvellously represented. Apart from a poorly audible spoken introduction, the crystal clear sound shows even more depth and dynamics than what I experienced during concert. Schieber has also succeeded in keeping the technical glitches encountered during opener The Return, a track from Schieber's 2017 album Over There, to an unnoticeable minimum. And to my surprise, Betzler's hand percussion that was partially drowned out in the venue sound are now also more up front, which all together makes this package a very rewarding audio experience.
In light of previous efforts, I was sure Schieber to create and produce the most perfect mix possible out of all the various sound sources available to him. What I didn't count on though is that the filming would still show a passionate and completely performance-absorbed Betzler miss a few cymbal hits during The Return. Personally I applaud this human quality to be represented actually, for not everything has to be flawless to be enjoyable. I also find that it brings sincere authenticity to the overall captured performance.
With Betzler altogether supplying an improvisational and tight-driving force into Schieber's rich melodic soundscapes in the style of Tangerine Dream and Klaus schulze, it is finally a moved Schieber who, prior to Au Revoir, shortly takes to the stage to dedicate the final song of the evening to Edgar Froese, Klaus Schulze, and his dearly departed mother. The spaciously infinite vastness of Au Revoir, in beautiful interaction with the growing colour palette of background images and the heavenly Mellotron choirs, creates an intensely enchanting final chord.
As an excellent memento for all those who attended this fine performance by Sequentia Legenda featuring Tommy Betzler at the Eindhoven E-Day festival in 2024, this DVD comes especially recommended for lovers of Berliner Schüle and those generally interested in EM music.