Issue 2026-006

Dewa Budjana & Czech Symphony Orchestra — Praguenayama

Owen Davies

Sometimes dissimilar features and distinctive styling might complement each other. On occasion, they can combine in a fascinating and satisfying manner. Take Prague for example, a place full of contrasts, but full of charm.

The bustle of the city and the calming waters of the Danube timelessly balance each other in symbiotic harmony. Modern buildings and landmarks like Masaryčka, and the Žižkov Tower, stand shoulder to shoulder with historic architecture such as, the Municipal House (Obecní Dům) and the Rudolfinum.

These juxtapositions should not work, but they do!

Just as Prague can rejoice and bask in its differences; Praguenayama similarly offers music that does just that and much more.

In his latest project, Dewa Budjana's compositions celebrate the beauty to be found in difference, contrast, and opposites. Overall, the music has a meditative quality where recurring melodies induce a reflective air amid an ever-evolving tapestry of musical textures and a colourful prism of shifting harmonies.

The release offers a refreshing orchestral backdrop that is balanced and countered by the striking harmonic qualities of Budjana's ethereal guitar tones. The music is by turns, reflective and exuberant, melancholy and uplifting, peaceful and on occasions fleetingly aggressive.

Praguenayama features the Czech Symphonic Orchestra and was recorded at the Czech Television Studio Prague. The orchestra's contribution was completed in less than a day with a minimum of overdubs and takes. Consequently, the album has a fresh spontaneous feel. It flawlessly combines carefully spun orchestral parts with Budjana's inventively fashioned guitar hues and melodic timbres.

Several of the tunes offer new arrangements of pieces that Budjana has previously recorded. The use of the orchestra enriches these tunes and offers a different set of tonal colours. These are utilised to great effect. The release also features two new tunes composed specifically for this project.

The sound quality of the album is excellent. The clearly defined mix gives satisfying clarity and a distinctive sense of separation between the instruments. This creates a spacious and expansive experience, where each instruments subtle shades and colours are easy to identify.

Pranayama opens proceedings. It is delicately shaped and formed. It bathes and gently clasps the senses with a gorgeous resonance as it fills the room with a captivating concoction of inviting tones. Repetition is used to good effect, but its use of identifiable phrases is never predictable. This creates a gripping familiarity that is instantly appealing.

The tunes memorable motif has a cathedral tower elegance that lodges itself in the mind and stubbornly refuses to leave. Its rich textures shift, and tumble like a crested wave purposefully drizzling the sanded splendour of an empty Bali shoreline.

Pranayama magnificently sets the albums contemplative tone.

During Dreamland the rhythm section quivers and pulses like a living organism. The fretless bass of Shadu Rasjidi has a significant role in the pieces evocative opening section. The Kendang played by Cucu Kurnia, and the finely struck Handpan of Aji Sangajie add to the tunes amalgam of Eastern and Western musical styles. The music proceeds to envelop the listener in its fresh sounding embrace creating a vivid triptych of colourful images featuring the guitar, orchestra, and exotic rhythmic elements.

In the lush soundscape of Karma, the orchestral strings interweave with the guitar to create a sense of a purposeful and evolving journey. It is a piece that has many dramatic swells, and dynamic shifts. The razor-sharp interjections of Budjana's lively guitar travels through several vibrant changes on route towards its conclusion and marvellous crescendo.

Distinctive features and dissimilar stylings can complement each other; they consistently do in Praguenayama!

Undoubtedly, the combination of guitar and orchestra works remarkably well in the albums expressive and expansive arrangements. Certainly, the skillful mixture of east and west stylings is indicative of how divergent components can coexist and be successful.

Without doubt, Praguenayama is a thoroughly rewarding, stimulating and spiritually enriching experience that succeeds on many different levels. It's an album full of contrasts, but full of charm!

Peter Goalby — Don't Think This Is Over

Edwin Roosjen

In the late seventies and early eighties Peter (Pete) Goalby was the vocalist for Trapeze and Uriah Heep. After his stint with Uriah Heep in 1985/1986 he recorded solo material which was released on Easy With The Heartaches.

In 1987, Goalby was offered a record deal and recorded an album. But after the recording the master tape was lost. Over thirty years later, the poorly labelled tape was found at a storage facility. The album was finished when in 2025 his Uriah Heep bandmates Mick Box and John Sinclair added overdubs and Don't Think This Is Over was finally finished. The currently retired Goalby can now finally release his music in which he put his heart and soul so many years ago.

The music on Don't Think This Is Over was written in the eighties and was meant to be a commercial album in that era. From the first bar of music in I'll Be The One this is very clear.

Instantly I am transformed back into a teenager with a mullet trying to discover all kinds of music. just like on his album Easy With The Heartaches this one is filled with melodic AOR. The eighties were filled with this kind of music and Don't Think This Is Over would have fitted perfectly back in that time.

Listening to this album brings me back to the music of Magnum, Foreigner, Winger, Tesla, etcetera. Don't Think This Is Over is an album I certainly would have picked up when I was young. The vocals of Peter Goalby are excellent and the music sounds very good. The overdubs, and probably some polishing, have made Don't Think This Is Over a very pleasant sounding album. It was meant to be a commercial album and it sure sounds like a smooth polished melodic rock album from the eighties.

Whether you will like this album depends on your personal taste. If you like melodic rock from the eighties then this is certainly an album to check out. I was instantly hooked and enjoyed every minute of this album. I had a great time discovering the music of Peter Goalby. What a wonderful thing that this tape was found in a storage container. Now thirty years later we can enjoy this wonderful music made by Peter Goalby.

Highest Primzahl On Mars — What???

Jerry Kranitz

Highest Primzahl On Mars are a German dual guitar, bass, synth, theremin and drums quartet. What??? is their latest album and my introduction to their music. (I Googled "primzahl" and learned that it's German for "prime number".) The band play all instrumental heavy space rock and psychedelic acid-drone, mostly long stretched out jams that clock in around the 10-20 minute range. These guys blast right off and rock hard in space for a punishingly satisfying two hours.

It's not just aimless jamming. These Martians do an impressive job of forging a determined path, creating a free-form improvisational feel yet maintaining a sense of direction. The music rocks hard, at times traversing the most militant regions of space while imbuing the music with a potent hypnotic quality. The bass and drums form an assertively propulsive foundation over which the guitars and effects explore. Tinkly notes, serpentine, soaring, piercing and liquid acidic guitar licks, caustic chords, and simple but alluring melodies are served up in heaping doses.

Path Of Peace is representative. The drums lay down an incessantly tribal pattern, conjuring up images of an army on the march. The guitars leave smoldering scars, meandering snakelike amongst gurgling effects and creating a foreboding sense of corrosively cosmic tension. Timescape lays down a motorik groove, with the guitars sharing exploratory melodic duties. It soon develops into a jam that blends stoned acidic space rock and melodic psychedelic dreamland.

Throughout the set we get all manner of space rock, psychedelia and heavy exploratory Krautrock. At times, I'm struck by space jamming takes on the minimalism of early Circle, and at others by a sense of Neu! meets free-form jamming Amon Düül II. I love the passages where guitar leads hook the listener as they soar through space along with chunky rhythm guitar over a commanding rhythmic pulse.

One track that surprised me as being very different was the short Dim Nofio Yn Yr Afon, which is like a ska-inflected Discipline era King Crimson in space. The last two tracks edge into Metal territory. One guitar on Curved Nothing has a metallic vibe while the psychedelic second guitar solos over it. And Planet is slowly crushing, atmospheric, symphonic space-doom.

In summary, Highest Primzahl On Mars excel at gradually developing acidic, atmospheric space rock jams with trance inducing melodies. The magic is in the blend of hair-raising intensity and narcotic hypnotism. Give these guys the right live situation and I can see a dance floor full of blissful stoners. In fact, scrolling through their Facebook page I see they've played the Kozfest festival and have a schedule of shows lined up in the UK and Germany. Fans of bands like The Spacelords, Earthless, Litmus, Øresund Space Collective and early Circle will surely dig this band.

Alan Morse — So Many Words

Patrick McAfee

Alan Morse's primary musical output of the last thirty years has been with the band that he co-founded, Spock's Beard. This has resulted in several classic albums and a reputation as one of the best American guitarists in the prog genre. That said, it is perhaps his relative lack of an identity outside the band that makes So Many Words such a pleasant surprise.

Whereas Alan's one previous solo release (2007's Four O'clock and Hysteria) was an all instrumental, niche guitar album, this one is quite different. His guitar work is still front and centre to a large degree, but he employs a more traditional song-based structure this time. Compositionally strong, there is an old school prog/rock album vibe at play here. Alan even provides a majority of the lead vocals, with his unique voice bringing an added grit to each track.

With a guest list that includes Tony Levin. Simon Phillips, and many current and former Spock's bandmates, the performances are uniformly excellent. Alan's children, John and Julia, also lend their musical talents, as does a certain brother named Neal. His duo vocals on I Don't Want to Travel Time and the effectively Spock's Beard like, Shadow of the Sun are both album highlights.

There is a range of styles to be found throughout, including bluesy, hard rock (Make Me Real Again, It's Never Enough, So Many Words), funk/fusion (Bass Solo), anthemic rock (Everyday is Insane, This Is Who We Are, And It's Time, Behind Me) and pop/rock (Making Up My Heart). Each song is scattered with a prog splendour that consistently takes the material to a next level of quality.

Alan Morse may not be notably prolific as a solo artist, but he has definitely made the wait worth it. So Many Words is a confident and tremendously entertaining album. He should definitely try this more often.

Albert Rigoni, Michael Manring & Stuart Hamm — Dystopia

Greg Cummins

Alberto Rigoni is an Italian bass player of extraordinary talent and has managed to perform with some of the best known musicians from right around the globe. Apart from fellow bassists, (Michael Manring and Stuart Hamm), his solo work alone sees him trading licks and drum sticks with the likes of Bryan Beller, Adam Nitti, Gavin Harrison, Marco Minneman, Kevin Moore, Nathan East, Leland Sklar, Thomas Lang, Marco Sfogli, Tony Franklin, Jordan Rudess and Mark Zonder to name a few.

My first introduction to any of these 3 masters was about 25 years ago when I stumbled across a CD in Bali by Michael Manring called Thonk for about 3 bucks! Bargain! Since then, I have acquired a few more of his solo albums but then became aware of Stu Hamm via his work with Steve Smith and fellow Aussie, Frank Gambale. Following on from that I discovered Alberto's solo work but have not heard any of his music from Twinspirits. On this outing, the triad have been accompanied by Tim "Herb" Alexander on tracks 4, 6, and 9, and David Menoudakis on tracks 1, 2, and 7, who provide an exceptional level of complex drumming that needs to be recognised for its creativity and sheer brilliance. Stunning!

One might easily question the sanity of putting 3 talented bass players into the same studio to see what magic can be concocted and surprise, surprise, what results from those sessions, has turned out to be quite remarkable. From the first moments, Dystopia unfolds like a carefully designed sonic environment rather than a collection of tracks. Across its runtime, the trio conjures up everything from ambient soundscapes and cinematic tension to moments of rhythmic insistence and near-orchestral layering. Additionally, the drumming is incredibly tight. Check out the opening track for proof of that.

There's a sophisticated use of counterpoint, with bass lines occupying different registers and roles simultaneously — one acting as a pedal tone, another outlining shifting harmonic centers, a third offering melodic commentary. At times, it feels almost like a study in extended-range orchestration, except the orchestra happens to be made of wood, wire, and magnets. And yet, despite the technical depth, the album never collapses into academic excess.

What makes Dystopia especially compelling is how clearly you can sense three distinct musical personalities, even when they're tightly interwoven. Michael Manring's presence brings an unmistakable sense of elasticity and fluidity. His approach to pitch, sustain, and timbre often feels less like “playing notes” and more like shaping sound itself. Anyone familiar with his long history of redefining fretless bass, including his landmark work with Michael Hedges and his influential solo recordings, will recognize that uniquely vocal, almost gravitational phrasing.

Stuart Hamm contributes clarity, propulsion, and an innate sense of structure. There's a rhythmic confidence to his playing that recalls his work across jazz-fusion and rock contexts, including his long-standing association with Joe Satriani. Even when the music becomes abstract, there's often a subtle pulse or architectural logic anchoring the moment.

Alberto Rigoni acts as both instigator and curator. His compositional sensibility, familiar from his solo albums such as Three Wise Monkeys, EvoRevolution, Overloaded and Odd Times, shines through in the way themes are introduced, developed, and re-framed. Listeners who know his work with elite progressive musicians like Gavin Harrison and Marco Minnemann, will recognise his knack for blending emotional accessibility with progressive complexity.

What's striking is that no one dominates. This album isn't about spotlight trading; it's about collective intention. It's also hard not to smile at how un-heavy this bass-driven album often feels. For an instrument so often associated with sheer mass, Dystopia frequently floats. It proves, politely but firmly, that low end doesn't have to mean low levels of imagination.

Naturally, bass players will find this album irresistible — it's practically a field study in tone, touch, and extended technique. But Dystopia reaches far beyond that niche. This album will resonate with fans of instrumental progressive music, especially well constructed jazz fusion excursions, listeners drawn to ambient, cinematic, or experimental soundscapes and musicians interested in counterpoint, texture, and form. What more could you want?

Dystopia feels less like a conventional album and more like a carefully balanced ecosystem of sound. It challenges assumptions about what the bass guitar can do, not by shouting about it, but by calmly demonstrating it across an entire record. While one member of the team provides a dominating bass line in the background, another is applying some compelling, pseudo lead guitar licks on top. This is perfectly demonstrated on the track, Born From The Ashes. In a musical world obsessed with excess — more tracks, more volume, more layers, this album succeeds by doing something quietly radical. It challenges the listener to use their concentrate skills well beyond what the musicians have originally created. It's a case of never mind the length, feel the width.

This was an album I really enjoyed, not so much because of its melodies (of which there are almost none) but because of its depth, daring and adventurous creativity. Highly recommended if you need a fix in the Brand X direction (sans Allan's guitar of course).

Robert Schroeder — Relaxesizer

Jan Buddenberg

During one of his trips, EM pioneer Robert Schroeder noticed a vintage piece of sporting equipment named a "Relaxesizer" when he visited an American pawn shop. Realising this would provide the ideal title for an album in regard to style of electronic music he frequently makes -soul soothing synthesizer music made for relaxation - he has now adopted this name for his 48th solo album Relaxesizer.

Spot on in his judgement that this word perfectly encompasses the relaxing nature of his music, Schroeder's talent for thoughtful correlation doesn't end there. Because his songsmithery also perfectly aligns with the song titles. The self-explanatory, dreamily sedative calmness of Relaxesizer being a prime example in itself.

In conjunction with the album's futuristic artwork, this indicative connection is also established in Somewhere In Space. This composition is in likeness to Klangwelt and offers a bright sound collage of spacious atmospheres, rattling sounds effects, and intricate rhythms, with soft twinkling streams of Mellotron choirs.

And again in Floating State, which conveys a sense of microgravity thanks to gracious melodies that shine with Pink Floyd. Elegant rhythms and appeasing synths create an momentum of imaginary space flight. Likewise in Weightlessness where calming synth flows and absorbing rhythms also generate a wondrous gravity-defying experience.

Touching upon Berliner Schüle in Planet Pasyrius, a spacey soundscape crafted with chill-out percussion, it is in Foreign Voices and Unlimited Universe hwere Schroeder explores more traditional EM. The latter nicely brings memories of Enigma created through Mellotron choirs and melodies shrouded in mystery.

In Hidden Signs, he offers carefully constructed arrangements with wealthy synth tones and earthy rhythmic textures. A clear manifesto of sonic effects can be detected. In the end the industrial beating machinery of Space Delivery adds a beautiful echo of an active loading dock positioned somewhere in space.

Thoroughly engaging, Relaxesizer offers a fine cross-section of Schroeder's composing talent. There are no major musical surprises like those encountered on the recent reissue of Mosaique 2025. However, the album does fully convince and showcase an appealing expressiveness that both soothes and stimulates the senses. Fans of Schroeder, and those in favour of immersive electronic music with the calming strength of transportation, will find much to be enjoyed here.