Rise Twain

Welcome once again fellow progheads!  I have been trying to keep up with all the prog garden has to offer, but with so much new music out there I may never get ahead of the curve--not that I'm complaining.  The Concert Closet has been open 24/7 lately and it seems the new crop of music continues to fill all the available space.  This week I dove headlong into an album released in September by Rise Twain. 

Recording on the Inside Out Records label, Rise Twain brought two prog greats together to create something uniquely their own.  Not exactly a new practice in the prog garden, but it does usually result in some great prog music...

The Concert Closet opens with "Death of Summer," a song that starts out quite poignant; floating on a serene lake reflecting moonlight in early autumn.  The guitar sits just outside the perimeter and tugs at your inner ear while the drums underscore full vocals that penetrate deep.  This is the type of song you leave on a loop and let wash over you repeatedly all night...a soothing balm for all the ails the day manages to hurl at you.

Moving along the disc I found "Into a Dream."  The solitude that pours from this song is striking.  Vocals harmonize beautifully in front of a guitar pulling emotions from every note.  Rise Twain take up acreage in the thought provoking section of the prog garden; I sense top notes of Echolyn (no surprise) lolling about on this cut.  The music enters your soul via the headphones and quietly permeates your entire being, slowly flowing out through your pores...let it flow...

Liner Notes...hailing from the metropolis known as Philadelphia PA, Rise Twain is the duo of Brett William Kull on guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion and vocals, and Jeremy David Beck on piano and lead and backing vocals.  Having worked together previously, they both knew that a joint project was inevitable and bound to be something special.  Both artists have extensive solo and group work in their respective catalogs; this debut is but another feather in two well defined caps.  They remind me of Eno and Byrne in that their sound draws from each of their careers yet takes a somewhat  different trajectory.

One more song in the queue; "Falling Skies" is the right elixir to end the evening on.  Jeremy's vocals are smooth like corduroy and soothing like a single malt.  The canvas displays an ever-so-genteel colorscape of moods; the bright lights fade to subtle hues before washing into soft pastels.  There is an intimacy on this album that echoes Jonny Lang and Atlas Volt.

You can find this album and more releases under the Inside Out label at Inside Out Music.  The band also has Facebook  and Twitter @RiseTwain for those so inclined.

Please enjoy this week's musical interlude, "Golden."  The guitar opening here is a bit racier than other cuts on the album; just another example of the vast range Rise Twain has.  The tempo reins itself in quickly and the mood settles into an AOR experience.  There are hints of latter-day Peter Gabriel; thought-provoking music that the prog garden never gets too much of.  A brooding throughout rises deliberately and with just enough force to fill your spirit with positive energy.  Dim the lights, settle in, and fuel your mind...


                          

Alas my fellow progheads, we have reached the end of another incredible week one ore time.  Rise Twain is a wonderful blend of two stellar artists, each that much better for the collaboration.  There are many great bands and artists in the prog garden, but it is a select few that inspire the way this album has...at least for me.  Rise Twain is music to get lost in, much the way Robert Fripp's soundscapes just take you away.

Of course the Concert Closet is always happy to keep the search for all things prog on the move, so the journey continues...until next time...

Oceanica "One Dark"

Hello once again fellow progheads, and welcome to another leg of the journey on the search for all things prog!  This week the Concert Closet took the intensity up a notch or two as I decided to spend time with my friends over at Progressive Gears Records.   Recently, Ben Harris-Hayes, who many of you will recognize from Enochian Theory, released his debut solo album "One Dark" under the name Oceanica.  There is always something afoot over there at Progressive Gears, so I was very eager to give this a spin...

Being somewhat familiar with Enochian Theory, I am expecting nothing short of a wild ride through emotions, tempos, time changes; just another day in the prog garden you might say...

I open things up with "Start From The Start" and the  immediate imagery is striking; a carnival ride to chaos perhaps.  The guitars start out slow but quickly pick up the tempo as drums fill the song out and lead the listener across the many emotions of the prog garden.  Ben's vocals are strong enough to ride the current, but his guitar work shines the brightest on this cut...stings you right at the base of your auditory canals.  I get the feeling Will Geraldo has his fingerprints on this album somewhere...

Next up is "The Rose, Abloom." Right away the canvas bursts with bright colors that run pale as emotions pour through the headphones...guarded for a split second--then leaving nothing behind.  The "leaping all over the prog garden" style reminds me of Gentle Giant.  Oceanica takes you crazy high and gloomy low; it is an extreme mood elevator ride--an experience you will relish. The keyboards on this cut are like a veil between two worlds; delicate and soft as you ride a gentle wave of serenity, then screeching through the headphones as you fall into a boisterous abyss...

Liner Notes...Oceanica is Ben Harris-Hayes, hailing from Brighton UK.  This really is a one-man show; Ben wrote the songs, played the instruments, laid down the vocal tracks, and even did the mixing and mastering.  I believe the only thing Ben didn't do was design the album cover...but I could be wrong...

When he isn't setting the standard for what it takes to make a solo album, Ben also plays guitar and keyboards for Enochian Theory.  He even handled vocals and song  writing for the band's swan song album in 2013, after which  Enochian Theory took an indefinite hiatus.  Following that, Ben put all his effort into creating this solo album.  You can follow Ben on
Facebook and Twitter @BenHarrisHayes and find the link to purchase his music at the Progressive Gears Records website PGR Oceanica.


Third in line for review this week is another song that fills your head with wonder, "Oubliette."  There are aromatics of Opeth laying atop this song, blending nicely with hints of Porcupine Tree  and New Order.  Ben is very good at leading the listener down a path lined with so many alternate routes and allowing you to lose yourself deep in the music...enjoy the free fall...

The ear worm this week is "The Oblivion Tree," a song that opens with a dark canvas gently bleeding.  The keyboards and strings flow so delicately, like ribbons of sound floating though your head.  There are top notes of Under the Psycamore in this piece...let them caress your spirit...


                             

Once again fellow progheads we've reached the other side of the rainbow.  Oceanica was seven days awash in abundant waves of emotion.  Ben Harris-Hayes crossed so much of the prog garden with this album; striking a gentle chord one minute and snapping a guitar string with ferocious intensity the next, all the while keeping the listener enthralled with music that runs miles deep.

If Enochian Theory returns from hiatus I will be very intrigued as to the journey their sound takes...if not, Oceanica is sure to keep Ben busy for the foreseeable future.  The ability and desire to strike out on another path made this album--at least for me--a must listen.  Having allowed the music to wash over me, I am grateful for the opportunity.

And once again the Concert Closet takes the search for all things prog onward.  The journey (hopefully) never ends...until next time...

Sir Chronicles "Who?"

Welcome back fellow progheads! After setting the clock back one hour, I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that summer is over--but the campfire is still burning strong in the Concert Closet.  This week I took the search for all things prog to one my favorite places in the prog garden...that section where fusion meets jazz meets contemporary prog; Italy.


It seems there is a never-ending export of great experimental  and cutting edge sound emanating from the Italian section of the prog garden.  This makes visit #3 with Sir Chronicles for me as I check out their new release, "Who?"  Here's hoping the third time is at least half the charm the first two were...
                                               
I feel the need to post a disclaimer here; first for Sir Chronicles fans familiar with their sound...this is not a "rank and file" album.  By that I mean the band really stretched themselves--so be ready.  For those of you hearing Sir Chronicles for the first time, leave your preconceived notions at the door because you are in for a treat.

 I begin with "What," a piece of music that puts the focus on fusion.  As the song opens I immediately hearken back to Can and their freestyle approach to prog.  Sir Chronicles leans a lot more on some incredible sax than Can ever did, but the vibe is there.  I pick up a touch of Flim & the BB's also; perhaps a bit more energy here but again, that sultry vibe.  This is the song you'd play in your '59 Cadillac Eldorado with the rag top down, gliding down the interstate...good times...

This album moves across the prog garden as smooth as  single malt in a dark, smoke filled nightclub.  And to set that mood my next choice is "When."  Once again Gabriele haunts you with his masterful sax playing; this time some wily keyboards slither in and wrap themselves around each note.  I sense aromatics of Eno in his ambient days with Moebius melding into his later work with David Byrne.  There is a hint of Happy Graveyard Orchestra  wandering through as well...

Liner Notes...still calling Italy home, for this project Sir Chronicles is a quartet comprised of founder Alessandro Bordino on electric bass and keyboards, Andrea Sartore on keyboards, Gabriele Borgogno handling that amazing saxophone, and Efrem Nota on drums.  Ettore Coraglia does the mixing and mastering.

Showing signs of maturity, Sir Chronicles seems to have grown up with this recording.  Their music always had a dark edge, that raging storm just on the perimeter that teases you with it's alternating fury and beauty.  To me this is a coming of age album for the band; their moment not so much in the sun but rather under the silver hue of a full moon.  Call it prog fusion, experimental, ambient,
avant-garde, jazz fusion...this album is a lesson in blazing your own trail.

Third time around I chose "Why." There is an amazing simplicity to the music streaming through the headphones.  Not to say it's basic--quite the opposite.  Sir Chronicles lays out simplicity quite beautifully, in an intricate kind of way...like how da Vinci painted a simple Mona Lisa...

The percussion work is refreshingly gentle.  There's the scat-like jazz lead-in you get while sitting in that smoke filled nightclub I mentioned earlier,  a hot spotlight illuminating the stage.  Once again Gabriele's sax mesmerizes like a siren at sea as keyboards ride the undercurrent.  I am reminded of Dave Brubeck throughout the entire album; it's almost a throwback to an era when music was appreciated for the bare bones, stripped down elegance that permeated the room.

Purchase the music of Sir Chronicles at Amazon and follow the band at Facebook and Twitter @AlessandroRiche.  The music can also be found on YouTube and Spotify, but the sound is so much better when you purchase the music and support the band... 

The sounds emerging from the clip below are the song "Where," and Alessandro's opening bass line is a groove even Tony Levin would be proud of...then Gabriele opens his saxophone case and once again magic flows through the headphones.  This cut is a bit funkier as Sir Chronicles shows their ability to fill the canvas by going back to basics.  Splashes of bright color intermingled with the grays you expect from a jazz fusion project.  Think Weather Report having an informal jam session in studio with Pat Metheny and David Sanborn, and off to the side Jaco Pastorius is just doing his thing...enjoy...


                        

Once again fellow progheads, we have reached the other end of the tunnel--and the focus is on the music.  Sir Chronicles took a minimalist approach to their latest project and the result is an album to truly appreciate; allow yourself to marinate in sound.  The music is clean and the images take you all over the fusion section of the prog garden.  What the album lacks in flash and glitter it more than makes up for with dedication to the art of making great music; and isn't that the objective after all?

Now the journey begins anew as the search for all things prog explores another untrod road...until next time...