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...
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ReplyDeleteThe on stage visual effect is very important but they are doig an ok job at it.
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