Review – Looped Squares – s/t – by John Wenlock-Smith

Was there something in the water last year? There seemed to be a resurgence of progressive fusion arriving at various points of the year, from the utterly exceptional ‘Quadrivium’ album from Nick Fletcher and the extremely promising debut of Tribe3 to the excellent Z Machine and their ‘Merging Worlds’ opus. There was definitely someone going on and when this first album from Looped Squares emerged online then the die was cast as this is a bold, fresh and satisfying first album that mixes progressive elements with jazzy fusion in an utterly immersive manner.

Looped Squares hail from Germany and came to be when four individuals who were working at Thomann (A large German music store) bonded over their shared love of prog and fusion elements and began working together on what would become this very versatile collection of songs. It is all fully instrumental in nature with each musician offering a solid platform where they could all shine in their own right. The music is extremely tight and proficient with a great sense of melody and spacing. A lot of the tracks have lots of keyboards, synths and organ and, to a lesser extent, piano holding it all together and their name comes from a computer shortcut when programming keyboards!

The album reminds me very much of 1990’s GRP Records output from the like of Dave Grusin, Larry Carlton and the like, which is not a bad thing by any means, it gives a reference point for the sound of the album really. The band comprise of four members; Dave Mola who plays the guitars, Jan Essantam, who provides keyboards throughout and the rhythm section of Adrian Sardi on bass and Frank Tinge on the drums. Together these four make a formidable sound, very hard hitting but also fully able to handle the intricacies the music requires with grace and style.

The album consists of eight tracks, each running around the five to six minute mark so nothing overstay it’s welcome by any means. There is a fair amount of unison playing with the guitar and keyboards copying each others lines, this is especially so on Aquafied Spheres, which also has a strong bass presence to it, along with some very fluid guitar soloing. Cactus Recovery is a standout for me as it has a great running bass line that echoes and drives the track along most pleasingly, this one sizzles with rhythmic delight. In addition the track features some really atmospheric organ parts along with a fiery guitar break. Add in some fine fretless bass lines and it really makes a strong impression to these ears. It is very satisfying to hear a new group really making a mark and when the heavy riffing guitar section begins you are captivated by the dynamics the group have and use to really commanding effect making it definitely the albums standout track for me. Elfendertigste is another strong track with great piano and synth sound to it, more fretless bass and a thunderous drum beat, again most impressive indeed. Title song Looped Squares is a funky, brisk sliver of virtuosity played extremely proficiently with a great groove and soaring synths amongst the overall sound. The track gains in intensity half way in before a surging guitar line take the track to it conclusion.

New Life is a lot calmer although it still has that stunning fretless bass. Delicate piano lines tinkle before an emotionally laden guitar line plays over everything. It is all rather beautifully delivered and you find it hard to believe this is their debut such is both the strength of the material and also the confidence of the delivery, it’s remarkable really and all very excellent sounding. Rockdown is played in a similar vein with more fine bass and some fiery guitar amidst the strong keyboard performances. Tall Order brings the album to a more restrained close, full of growling bass, great piano and more fiery guitar lines, all carried by the sturdiness of the rhythm section who deliver in real style throughout the whole album. The great funky bass and electric piano make this track another strong showcase for this excellent band who really play with intelligence and a hell of a lot of skill.

That’s it, a wonderful, if short, album that, sadly, is only available as a download at the moment but fusion fans will find much to salivate over here. You must have a listen for yourself and see if you agree with me about this extremely good release that is hopefully just the start of many more great things to come for Looped Squares.

Released 8th December, 2023.

Order from bandcamp here:

Looped Squares | Looped Squares (bandcamp.com)