Lost In Kiev

Hello once again fellow progheads!  The calendar has almost run out of pages as we prepare to say goodbye to 2016.  With excitement for the future of the prog garden and a bit of pride in all the new growth thus far, I have loaded the Concert Closet for a journey to France; a land I have not spent enough time in this year.  Gotta change that going forward, but right now let's just focus on taking the search for all things prog to a band that understands what it means to follow your own path.  Time to check in with Lost in Kiev...

Lost in Kiev refers to themselves as "...a four piece band with visual effects on stage...write and record their own texts...progressive energy leads to oneiric post rock while emitting massive energy..."  No way I can pass up that introduction!  Let us wander into the "dreamworld" of Lost in Kiev...

My initial stroll to the buffet as we open this feast brings me to "Narcosis," an intricate "mind-bender" from their latest release, "Nuit Noire."  This first cut stays true to the album title; it is an extremely dark piece.  The percussion is reminiscent of a tribal beat as a narrative creeps in gently from behind. Different sounds come at you from all sides...your head is almost overloaded with deliberate, forceful thumping.  The guitar and keyboards work in tandem to keep you off kilter until you are unsure whether you are traveling in a parallel universe or simply wandering the outskirts of your own psyche...

Lost in Kiev has a keen sense for the abyss that is the imagination; an almost macabre approach to orally illustrate the inner workings of the mind.  My second selection for review, "Somnipathy," hits right at the epicenter of my point.  The song starts out hurling dark colors at a canvas sitting blank on the easel; the ominous grays, blacks, and dark hues running down slowly, creating an eerie
still-life...like a distorted caricature of normalcy.

The music of Lost in Kiev encourages you to take a deep introspective of the musical landscape and all that you fill it with.  They emit top notes of Beardfish, Atlas Volt, and Tool on a mild day.  I remember when deejays were not sure what to make of Talking Heads when their music first came out; way far off the beaten path of corporate radio...so too Lost in Kiev challenges those who prefer life in pre-labeled compartments.

Liner Notes...Lost in Kiev makes their home in Paris, France and is comprised of Maxime Ingrand on guitar and synthesizers, Dimitri Denat on guitar, Jean Christophe Condette on bass and synthesizers, and Yoan Vermeulen on drums and samples.  The band formed in 2007 and dealt with all the usual growing pains of life in the music world; namely personnel changes.  "Motions," their debut, was released in 2012, followed by "Nuit Noire" this past September.

Lost in Kiev tills ground in the prog garden where sun and water aren't necessarily plentiful--but strong healthy growth is vibrant.  Think Radiohead with David Byrne and Brian Eno adding a new slant while Robert Fripp does the mixing...eclectic and reality-changing all at once.  This is a band capable of putting together concept albums with imagination, time travel, and different states of mental awareness as the central focus.  Lost in Kiev is progressive rock that tips its hat to the standard bearers of the genre while foraging through virgin jungle at the same time...

My final serving from this celestial, other-worldly buffet is from their debut release, "A Mere Shift of Origin."  The bass and guitar open the song with guarded trepidation as the drums methodically move through to take control, working in tandem with that steady bass line.  Lost in Kiev manages to wander into your subconscious and get "lost" as they pierce the veil separating thought and action. The narrative floating over the top is but a subtle blade that cuts as smooth and delicately as a surgeon's scalpel through cartilage.

Learn more about Lost in Kiev and add to your music collection at Lost in Kiev Bandcamp and
Lost in Kiev Instagram.  As is the custom these days, the band has a Twitter account @LostInKiev and a Facebook page  https://wwwLost in Kiev FB.  Lost in Kiev can also be found on YouTube and Spotify, but my loyal followers know my plea at this juncture--please purchase their music and support this band!

The cut posted below, so as to whet your appetite,  is the aforementioned "Narcosis." Using just dark colors, Lost in Kiev manages to paint a vivid picture of the machinations of the mind.  Blacks and grays come to light as bright as the sun on a summer picnic as Lost in Kiev breathes life into the song.  Stay to the end and then play it back one more time...you want to be sure to squeeze all the life out of it...

                     

Once again the calendar seems to be turning pages much too quickly...the sand is flowing through the hourglass at much too rapid a rate as 2016 looms much larger in the rear view mirror than on the horizon...and yet despite the the mind-numbing speed with which it all is happening, the search for all things prog did manage to uncover many absolute gems hidden about.  Lost in Kiev is but one crop in an astounding haul from the prog garden this year.

Lost in Kiev tills acreage in a section bordered by bands that expand the width and breadth of the entire garden; King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Genesis, Tool...and allowing new growth is what keeps the prog garden relevant and thriving.  Of course the search for all things prog must continue--if for no other reason than it is necessary for the survival of the entire genre...until next time...

Il Rumore Bianco and the release of "Antropocene"

Eastern Stand Time greetings fellow progheads!  Setting the clocks back is always bittersweet for me; while I love the extra sixty minutes Sunday morning lying prone and unconscious, the pre-dinner sunsets get me feeling melancholy for summer.  The best cure for the "lack-of-daylight" blues
is--what else--a prog music album review!

Although I asked you to adjust your reading habits to a bi-weekly format, I am (as usual) going off script and posting a new entry in this, my "off week."  My loyal followers will recall a review I wrote  in March 2014 for Il Rumore Bianco; a band with but one EP at the time, "Mediocrazia." Dedication to their craft has paid off  as the band--just as I predicted-- will be releasing their second album, "Antropocene" November 11th and asked me to write a new review.

Having been on the search for all things prog over three years, it is still personally gratifying when a band or artist asks for my humble opinion of their work; a responsibility I never take lightly.  So join me in the Concert Closet as I set the GPS for a return trip to Verona, Italy and embark on some quality time listening to "Antropocene."

First serving on the buffet platter is a calorie laden serving of ""Al Crepuscolo Dell'anima."  In keeping with complete transparency and full disclosure, Italian is not my mother tongue.  However; in the prog garden, music speaks to your heart and soul...and the depth and emotions are bursting through loud and clear.

The song opens with a jazzy, "Transatlantic meets Jaco Pastorius" feel to it.  The bass line draws you in throughout the entire piece while drums and guitars work in harmony to create a sturdy yet fragile foundation to relay a message of hope.  There is an urgency permeating the music as it enters your auditory canals and runs the length of your spine.  Not intended to be a spoiler alert--but the gunshot following the spoken word at the end will chill you...and make you want to go back and right the injustices the world never seems to run out of...an extremely moving piece...

Going back for a second serving, I find "Tempio Pallido" flowing gently through the headphones. The soft piano opening belies a gentler, softer side to the band...top notes of Under the Psycamore and Sir Chronicles waft through the air like cotton candy threads at the county fair.  Il Rumore Bianco plays with an understated intensity...the ability to strike so many affecting chords and thrust so many conflicting colors at the canvas while maintaining a sense of calm and serenity is rare and appreciated.  Il Rumore Bianco shares acreage in the prog garden with Seven Impale, Gentle Giant, and Gekko Projekt.  This is a band that, while seeming to prefer the rain, can have a lot of fun in the sunshine as well.

Liner Notes...originating in the aforementioned  Verona, Italy in 2012, Il Rumore Bianco is Allesandro Zara on lead vocals, Giacomo Banali on guitars, Michele Zanotti on guitars and saxophone, Thomas Pessina on keyboards and synthesizers, Allesandro Danzi on bass, and Andrea Sbrogio on drums.  If the studio is not crowded enough, the band includes additional musicians Federico Lonardi on guitar, Eddy Fiorio on synthesizer, Umberto Sartori behind a second drum kit, and Carlo Cappiotti on backing vocals.

Il Rumore Bianco released their debut EP "Mediocrazia" in 2013.  Having poured forth a solid foundation of sound, the band supported the album with extensive touring throughout northern Italy. Three years after the fact, "Antropocene" is the band's sophomore release and first full length album.  Il Rumore Bianco stays mainly in the deeper, though-provoking section of the prog garden, but they are quite capable of straying "outside the lines" and pushing a button or two in your limbic system.  You may be tempted to focus on the smoky haze that seems to have settled over their sound but just keep walking...the lens clears as the big picture comes into focus.

My final selection for review this week is called "Tephlon."  This particular cut hits harder and strikes deeper as Michele's saxophone comes right at you from the start.  Top notes of Weather Report, Chick Corea,  and Traffic flow through the headphones like an electric current firing up an amplifier.  The sound comes at you from all directions...building layer upon layer with keyboards and drums that underlie the sax as the bass keeps you mesmerized from just outside the light's bright arc...Il Rumore Bianco is a band well worth expanding your music library for.

"Antropocene" will be available November 11th and I ask all my loyal followers to peel back the curtain and check it out for yourselves.  You can learn more about Il Rumore Bianco at the band's website Il Rumore Bianco.  Their debut release is available now at IRB Bandcamp in case you cannot wait for  "Antropocene" to drop Friday.  As always, social media makes it easy to contact and follow the band at IRB Facebook  and get the latest musings and rumblings from Twitter @IlRumoreBianco. The band also has a YouTube channel at IRB YouTube where I suspect additional videos will be posted following the release of "Antropocene."

Since the new album is not out yet, I cannot post a clip...but rest assured that when the clock strikes twelve Friday morning, it will have been well worth the wait.  Il Rumore Bianco is adding an impressive entry to their resume, which will continue to grow and expand as the band reaches a wider audience and extends their reach through the prog garden.  Following a band as they grow, watching and listening as their sound evolves and matures (like a fine Italian wine), is really why I started the search for all things prog in the first place.

Those of you who have been following my journey know that prog rock is the center of my musical universe, and discovering new and lesser known bands and artists are the driving force behind why I do what I do.  The search for all things prog is more than just a catch phrase; for me it truly is a journey that been as fun as it has been educational.  Il Rumore Bianco is but a snapshot of the ever growing paradise that is the prog garden.

Now the search for all things prog continues on its global quest to bring to you my loyal followers the latest editions to the prog garden.  Updates such as this make it especially rewarding; I hope you enjoy the success stories as much as I do.  But now is not the time to wax philosophic; there is too much undiscovered acreage in the prog garden.  The search for all things prog marches on...until next time...

Seven Second Circle

Hello and thanks again for traveling with the Concert Closet fellow progheads! Hopefully the new posting format agrees with you; I know it has given me the opportunity to expand the search for all things prog and explore more intricately newly discovered bands and those that have made an impression.  Peeling back the layers takes time and allows me to find out more about the machinations behind that curtain, under that rock, and buried in that soil.  While I have been traveling the globe--and the search for all things prog will continue on that worldwide quest--I have also been enjoying some great progressive rock right here in these United States.  This particular fourteen day adventure has brought the Concert Closet back to the "left coast" for a listen in with Seven Second Circle.

Seven Second Circle refer to themselves as "...cognitive and ethereal progressive rock...Thinking Man's Prog..."  That description  paints a vivid picture that I want hanging in the Concert Closet, so I set the GPS for Oregon and start the journey.

First cut served up on the platter is one from the darker side; "Fracture."  Seven Second Circle wastes no time; they go right for the jugular once the laser touches disc.  Guitars begin to hammer at  the inner lining of your skull with precision as drums work to peel the soft layers away.  Deliberately and with just a hint of subtlety, the tempo drops back and begins to stroll through the headphones like a hiker crossing the Mount Olympus Trail--with careful determination.  Top notes of Dream Theater with hints of King Crimson emanate from the headphones, and I detect aromatics of Beardfish wafting through the air as well.  Seven Second Circle tend some rich soil in the prog garden...

Going back for more, I find a tune a bit more cerebral yet still walking the dark edges of the garden; "The Great Depression."  The acoustic guitar breaks in first, accompanied by vocals smooth like a blank canvas...and then Dr. Jekyll makes way for Mr. Hyde.  The tempo picks up, the atmosphere gets a bit ominous, and the song delves deeper into the crevices of the mind.  No metal explosion for those so inclined, but the mood does segue down a dark alley...Seven Second Circle underlines cerebral with a permanent marker; I sense a bit of Vanilla Fudge wafting in through the open window....

Liner Notes...originating in Salem, Oregon, Seven Second Circle is Brian Forster on vocals, Jarrett Holly on keyboards and guitars, Rich Clinton on guitars and vocals, Thom Tessandori on bass, and Doug Cramer on drums.

Seven Second Circle released their debut album "Divide" just a year ago, so they are newcomers to the prog garden--and laying some hearty roots that I expect will take hold and grow deep as they draw from very fertile soil.  Tending to acreage in the Beardfish/Genesis/Transatlantic section, Seven Second Circle likes to hit hard and creep around the dark edges--but don't get complacent with the gloomy colors of the pallet...this is a band that can throw loud, bright colors at the canvas as well...they just dip the brush in the darker hues first for emphasis...

My final serving for review is another cut that dabbles in the dark outer reaches of the garden while standing firm under the examination light; "Nothing Less Than Nothing."  The acoustic guitar that opens the song lays a soft foundation, much like carpeting the basement allows for a little rough housing.  But the head slams and body punches are mainly analytical; Seven Second Circle hurls intellectual bombs rather than excessive use of guitar amps--and it is quite refreshing.  Top notes of Psicolorama and hints of Atlas Volt permeate the soundscape here...the headphones wrapped like caramel around a fresh macintosh, luring you closer and deeper.  There is a Pink Floyd depth to the sound...the way "See Emily Play" laid the necessary cobblestones that led to "Run Like Hell."  Seven Second Circle is the nerdy kid in math class who manages to catch the eye of the homecoming
queen--and takes her to the prom.  Brains, style, and just the right amount of chutzpah...

The song clip posted below for your listening pleasure is called "Bitter."  Another piece that cuts as deep lyrically as it does musically; the keyboards meld seamlessly with the guitars while the drums sit gently below the surface...with a grip just tight enough.  Seven Second Circle seem to enjoy making the listener think--not just hear. You can't help but listen intently, and the cerebral challenge the band poses with each song on the disc invigorates the mind...

You can learn more about Seven Second Circle and  purchase "Divide" at the band's Bandcamp site, Seven Second Circle Bandcamp and their website Seven Second Circle.  A few spins in the CD player may lead you to wanting more, so check out the Seven Second Circle Facebook page
Seven Second Circle FB and Twitter @SevenSecondCir.
Feel free to stay in this section of the garden a while...no need to rush the thought process...


                   

And once again fellow progheads new growth in the prog garden is unearthed and exposed to light. Seven Second Circle, while perhaps not as widely known, echoes with early Genesis, Gentle Giant, and the initial work of Kansas because they don't swamp you with layer upon layer of sound built up to be just that--lots of sound.  This is a band that prefers to drill deeper  into your thought process and consciousness.  Another example of why progressive rock stands apart from other genres; the ability to transform something simple into complex art--without making you feel inadequate about what you're listening to.

The Closet Concert Arena continues the search for all things prog with the hope of discovering more bands that make you listen--and make you reflect.  The prog garden may be crowded, but there is always room for healthy growth and new discoveries.  So the journey continues...until next time...