Big Big Train share live performance of “Atlantic Cable” in advance of upcoming tour

Big Big Train will be on tour this summer and to celebrate and promote the forthcoming ‘The Journey Continues’ Tour this August & September, the group have been sharing videos of songs filmed on tour last year. The band recently shared the videos for “The Florentine” and “The First Rebreather” recorded in September 2022 at The Boerderij in The Netherlands.

The band is pleased to share the performance clip of “Atlantic Cable” recorded live at Friars, Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury, UK in September 2022. The live audio recording of the song is included on the band’s forthcoming Ingenious Devices album to be released on 30th June 2023 (full details below).

You can see the video of that performance here:

Bassist Gregory Spawton says: “One of the recurrent themes we’ve explored in Big Big Train over the years is how humans have been able to harness technology to make the world a better place. Atlantic Cable is a song about the laying of the first telegraph cables across the Atlantic Ocean in the 19th century. It was a mighty endeavour which helped to bring people together. We really enjoyed playing Atlantic Cable at the legendary Friars, Aylesbury last year and are pleased to share this film of the performance.”  

Keyboardist Oskar Holldorff adds: “Following a warm-up show the night before, the gig in Aylesbury was my first official performance with Big Big Train, and what a night it was! Atlantic Cable was positioned early on in the set, and it felt great to work our way through a proper BBT epic in the beautiful Waterside Theatre. I particularly enjoyed the instrumental section starting at the 11-minute mark, in which Rikard Sjöblom’s brilliant clavinet solo was followed by Dave Foster shredding the house down!”

Watch the video for “The First Rebreather” here:
https://youtu.be/cMMlag0uPRE

Watch the video for “The Florentine” here:
https://youtu.be/tOEd18p0iwA

You can see a short, recent message from Gregory Spawton about the tour and the next BBT studio album here https://youtu.be/cwbgqkjudME .

There are also new messages from a few of the members which you can see here:
Alberto Bravin: https://youtu.be/rtoVceCWqc4
Oskar Holldorff: https://youtu.be/VcTAE5T3uuw
Maria Barbieri: https://youtu.be/bTgmUSRbGGQ

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2023 DATES

Saturday 26th August – Cultuurpodium Boerderij, Zoetermeer, The Netherlands
Sunday 27th August – Markthalle, Hamburg, Germany
Monday 28th August – Stora Teatern, Gothenburg, Sweden
Tuesday 29th August – Cosmopolite, Oslo, Norway
Wednesday 30th August – Fryshuset Klubben, Stockholm, Sweden
Thursday 31st August – Viften, Copenhagen, Denmark

Saturday 2nd September – 2 Days + 1 Festival, Revislate, Italy
Sunday 3rd September – Z7, Pratteln (Basel), Switzerland
Tuesday 5th September – Neuberinhaus, Reichenbach, Germany
Wednesday 6th September – Carlswerk Victoria, Cologne, Germany
Thursday 7th September – Colos-Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany
Friday 8th September – Mozart-Saal, Stuttgart, Germany

Sunday 10th September – The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, UK
Monday 11th September – Town Hall, Birmingham, UK
Tuesday 12th September – Cadogan Hall, London, UK
Wednesday 13th September – Cadogan Hall, London, UK

Support at all shows except Wednesday 13th September comes from rising Norwegian stars Dim Gray, who feature BBT’s Oskar Holldorff. There will be no support at the Wednesday 13th September show.

Please see www.bigbigtrain.com/live for ticket links to all venue box offices.

Big Big Train will release the album titled ‘Ingenious Devices’ on 30th June 2023 on CD, double vinyl (black and sky blue vinyl) and hi-resolution (24/96) Bandcamp download. ‘Ingenious Devices’ will be available on all major streaming platforms from 28th July 2023.

‘Ingenious Devices’ features 59 minutes of music, including new versions of “East Coast Racer”, “Brooklands” and “Voyager,” which prominently feature an elite 17 piece string section recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London and have been re-mixed for this release.

Additionally, ‘Ingenious Devices’ includes a previously unreleased orchestral piece called “The Book of Ingenious Devices”, which links “East Coast Racer” and “Brooklands”, as well as a live version of “Atlantic Cable”, which was recorded on the band’s tour in September 2022.

Ingenious Devices is available to pre-order here:
https://burningshed.com/store/bigbigtrain
https://thebandwagonusa.com/collections/big-big-train
https://bigbigtrain.bandcamp.com
 

Norwegian progressive rock group AVKRVST reveal video for “Arcane Clouds”

Norwegian progressive rock group AVKRVST will release their debut album ‘The Approbation’ on 16th June, 2023.  The Approbation is a concept album about a bleak soul who is left solely with his thoughts, isolated on a cabin deep into the dark forests, far away from civilization. The 49 minutes long concept album contains 7 songs, which take the listener though the thoughts of a man struggling towards the acceptance of death, being hauled into the abyss.

Previously released as a single on streaming services, the haunting new video for the album’s second single “Arcane Clouds” is out today and can be seen here:

The band had this to say about the track: 

“Arcane Clouds is the second single off the concept debut album The Approbation, and the anthem of forsaken hope. An inner voice trying to convince you to fight back and keep your head above water, while the ghosts are hunting you down.” 

Pre-order the album here:

https://avkrvst.lnk.to/TheApprobation

Tracklisting:

1.Østerdalen 0:26

2.The Pale Moon 6:15

3.Isolation 5:41

4.The Great White River 6:30

5.Arcane Clouds 6:05

6.Anodyne 10:15

7.The Approbation 13:37

At the young age of 7 years old, Martin Utby and Simon Bergseth made a pact that they would form a band when they got older. Now, 22 years later they’ve created an album inspired by everything they grew up listening to from Mew, Anekdoten and Porcupine Tree to Opeth, Neal Morse and King Crimson, yet unique in its own right.

The Approbation was written and recorded at a cabin in Alvdal (Norway) during a rainy, cold fall and winter. Simon (composer, guitars, bass and vocals) and Martin (composer, drummer and synths) were later joined by Øystein Aadland on bass/keys, Edvard Seim on guitars and Auver Gaaren on keys.

Sonically, The Approbation is a massive sounding piece of music. It’s everything from lush, melancholy moods to heavy, more aggressive atmospheres capturing the feeling of a cold, gloomy fall – a dark sky, filled with gazing stars above the mist.

Watch the video for the first single “The Pale Moon” here:

The band have shared a video on how to pronounce “AVKRVST” which you can see here:

YES Announce UK Dates For The CLASSIC TALES OF YES Tour 2024

Progressive legends YES have announced UK dates for the Classic Tales of YES Tour 2024. The 9 UK dates includes a visit to London’s Royal Albert Hall and the Bristol Beacon together with 7 dates rescheduled from the 2023 UK tour, for which all tickets remain valid.

YES are delighted to include the Royal Albert Hall among their 2024 UK tour dates having first played this prestige venue in 1968 and many times since through their illustrious career. Tickets for the Royal Albert Hall show (Tuesday 4 June 2024) and Bristol Beacon (Friday 31 May 2024) go on sale on at 12noon on Friday 12th May 2023.

The tour will feature Steve Howe (guitars, vocals), Geoff Downes (keyboards), Billy Sherwood (bass guitar, vocals), Jon Davison (vocals and acoustic guitar) and new drummer Jay Schellen. Jay began playing with YES, in 2016, when long-serving drummer Alan White was beset by health issues. Following Alan’s untimely passing in 2022, it is with Alan’s blessing that Jay has permanently joined the band.

The Classic Tales of YES Tour 2024 promises to include many iconic tracks from the YES back-catalogue covering fifty-plus years and, possibly, music from the new album Mirror To The Sky (to be released on InsideOutMusic/Sony Music on the 19th May 2023).

Looking forward to the Classic Tales of YES Tour, Steve Howe said:  “We’re putting together a great setlist covering the length and breadth of YES’ career.”

“As always, we are committed to pushing new boundaries and are very excited to be performing another chapter in the rich legacy of the band,” added Geoff Downes.

The Classic Tales of YES Tour 2024 dates are as follows: 

Thursday 23 May                 Manchester               Bridgewater Hall*

Friday 24 May                      Glasgow                    Royal Concert Hall*

Sunday 26 May                  Liverpool                    Philharmonic Hall*

Tuesday 28 May                  York                            Barbican*

Wednesday 29 May             Southend                   Cliffs Pavilion*

Friday 31May                       Bristol                       Beacon

Saturday 1 June                   Birmingham               Symphony Hall*

Sunday 2 June                     Gateshead                The Sage*

Tuesday 4 June                  London                     Royal Albert Hall

*Show rescheduled from 2023, all tickets remain valid.

Bristol Beacon and London Royal Albert Hall tickets go on sale on Friday 12 May 2023 at 12noon.  Buy tickets fromhttps://bookingsdirect.seetickets.com/tour/yes/

About YES

Steve Howe: guitars, backing vocals (1970 –1981, 1990–1992, 1995–present)
Geoff Downes: keyboards (1980–1981, 2011–present)
Jon Davison: lead vocals, acoustic guitar (2012–present)

Billy Sherwood: guitar, backing vocals ((1994, 1997–2000), bass guitar, backing vocals (2015–present)

Jay Schellen: drums and percussion

Formed in 1968 by Jon Anderson and the late, and much-missed, Chris Squire, YES have been one of the most innovative, influential and best-loved bands in rock music history. Their 1970s albums The Yes Album, Fragile, Close To The Edge, Yessongs (a triple live album set), Tales From Topographic Oceans, Relayer and Going For The One were ground-breaking in musical style and content. Their music also became synonymous with artist Roger Dean whose distinctive YES logo design and artwork adorned the lavish gatefold presentation sleeves of many YES albums.

With sales of over 50 million records, the Grammy-award winning YES were inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017 where they performed Roundabout from the album Fragile and the FM radio-friendly Owner Of A Lonely Heart from the 1985 album 90125.

YES released their 22nd studio album in 2021, The Quest, produced by Steve Howe and which went to No. 1 in the UK Rock Albums Chart and entered the Official UK Album Chart at No. 20.

In 2022 came the sad news that drummer Alan White, ever-present in the YES line-up for 50 years, had passed away. The news came shortly before the band embarked on their classic, genre-defining album Close To The Edge 50th Anniversary Tour which they dedicated to Alan.

In February 2023, ahead of the news of the new studio album Mirror To The Sky, YES confirmed Jay Schellen as the new permanent drummer with YES, hand-picked to step into his mentor and friend Alan White’s role. “I had done the 2016 tour on my own for Alan,” says Jay. “From late 2017 onwards, we had a beautiful partnership. I learned and discovered so much about Alan’s style. His passion and creativity was phenomenal. The new album has Alan’s presence all over it. It is inside of us. So, this is still, in my heart, Alan just being present and with us, and with me, in a big way.”

Review – Djabe & Steve Hackett – Live in Györ – by John Wenlock-Smith

I guess most musicians have the need for another outlet for their talents, whether that comes via guest appearances, collaborations or side projects. Think of projects like GTR or Squackett ,which both feature Steve Hackett in a role very different to his own solo career. Steve has always looked for such opportunities and, when he guested on an early album by the Hungarian jazz/rock band Djabe, ‘Sheafs Are Dancing’, in 2003, Steve enjoyed the experience so much that he was happy to appear with Djabe in 2004 in London. Their friendship continues to this day with both acts working together to create a whole raft of excellent releases, a lot of which are live sets captured in Djabe’s native Hungary and Sardinia, among others. This meeting of kindred spirits extends to Djabe band members appearing on Steve’s own albums regularly, with their own world jazz stylings helping Steve explore different sounds and textures.

Djabe are all very accomplished musicians in their own right and their work with Steve Hackett is certainly a symbiotic relationship with both parties benefiting. This new 2CD & Blu-Ray set ‘Live In Gyor’ certainly proves the point, containing, as it does, several tracks from the ‘Back To Sardinia’ and ‘The Magic Stag’ albums, alongside selected Genesis songs and Steve Hackett solo tracks. What is very apparent from the start is just how this outside role elevates Steve’s own playing, with some very tasty, expressive and fiery guitar on show, the band are on excellent form and all seem to be relishing the experience.

The album that accompanies the Blu-Ray is a very fine one too with three extra live tracks that round the set out. For me, the one noticeable difference is that, on this show, Steve is playing a Fernandes guitar with a floating bridge/tremolo so he can really hit the whammy bar vigorously, which he does to great effect throughout. Normally Steve uses his Gold Top, so this change is an interesting one, the sound is immaculate and enjoyable to hear and watch, the visuals being equally as strong. If you have ever wondered if Steve can repeat the epic solo on Firth of Fifth on a strategy style guitar the answer is here, you can watch him do it with style, alongside seeing his famous tapping style, a skill that Eddie Van Halen utilised and elevated to an art form.

Also worth of note is the extremely dextrous bass playing of Djabe’s Tamás Barabás, whose playing is the anchor on which everyone can pivot, along with Gabor Olah on drums. Together they hold everyone together and give them a perfect solid platform from which to soar and fly. Seldom have I witnessed such sheer joy like this excellent and skilled performance. It’s such a strong set with  chance for everyone to shine, the music is world jazz music with Hungarian touches and instrumentation. This excellent set offers lots of extra features and extra music and I can’t recommend it enough as it really is an excellent set of performances with songs played by musicians who are at the top of their game and not afraid to let the music do the talking. This music certainly talks loudly and demands your attention.

As with a lot of these Djabe/Hackett sets there is a degree of overlap but, even so, there is enough new stuff to make this an essential and worthy purchase. As always the packaging and attention to detail is very impressive as, of course, is the sound which is exemplary with great separation and clarity. The whole show is beautifully captured and must have been truly magnificent and unique.

No doubt there will be more to come from this union and I personally  am very hopeful for further magic from these hugely talented parties. So, my advice is to get a hold of this great set as soon as possible and appreciate seeing some masters at work. Play and enjoy it in the confines our your own home and let the music tell its own joyful story for you. This really is a most worthwhile album especially if you like world music, jazz/fusion, Steve Hackett or even all three!

Released 28th April, 2023.

Order from Cherry Red here:

Djabe & Steve Hackett: Live In Gyor, 2CD & Blu-Ray Edition – Cherry Red Records

John Wetton book, ‘An Extraordinary Life’, will be published on 19th June

John Wetton An Extraordinary Life will be published on June 19 2023, in two editions. Created with John’s family and management, both the Classic and black-jacketed Signature edition (signed by John’s widow Lisa and son Dylan) contain the first-person testimony of some seventy-plus people who knew and worked with John from his school days and throughout his long, illustrious career, including Family, King Crimson, Uriah Heep, Wishbone Ash, Roxy Music, U.K., Asia, the John Wetton solo band and beyond.

The 256-page hardback book Classic edition retails at £39, while the Signature edition costs £42.50 and is only available from Rocket 88 Books

Among the stories of friendship, music and sometimes craziness in this much-anticipated book from Bill Bruford, Geoff Downes, Robert Fripp, Carl Palmer, Rick Wakeman, Phil Manzanera, Steve Hackett, Steve Howe and others, are reflections on what made John such an unforgettable musician, all-round good guy, and prog rock legend. But along with tales of musical success from those who knew him best are testimony from friends and family, who do not steer clear of John’s problems, but rather explain the why, the how, and eventual triumph over them, in honest and touching recollections. 

John Wetton An Extraordinary Life is only available at www.johnwettonbook.com

www.johnwettonbook.com

YES launch ‘All Connected’; second single from ‘Mirror To The Sky’

YES, who are Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Jon Davison, Billy Sherwood & Jay Schellen, are pleased to announce their new studio album Mirror To The Sky on InsideOutMusic/Sony Music on the 19th May 2023. “This is a very important album for the band,”says Steve Howe, Yes’ longest serving member, master guitarist, and producer of Mirror To The Sky. “We kept the continuity in the approach we established on The Quest, but we haven’t repeated ourselves. That was the main thing. As Yes did in the seventies from one album to another, we’re growing and moving forward. In later years, Yes often got going but then didn’t do the next thing. This album is demonstrative of us growing, and building again.” For Yes, that “next thing” is a collection of high energy, intricate, lush and layered new studio songs for an album which adds to the band’s much heralded legacy, while charting a path to exciting future times ahead.

Today, the band are pleased to launch the video for the album’s second single. Listen to and watch ‘All Connected’ here:

Jon Davison comments: “I, along with my Yes band mates are excited to announce that the second single from our new album, Mirror to the Sky is out now. It’s entitled, All Connected, and it’s a longer piece, clocking in at a challenging 9 minutes. Steve added a beautifully poignant instrumental steel part which starts the journey. This section emotionally builds and crescendos into a glorious lead way for the vocals to begin telling their story. Billy composed complex and compelling musical themes which I helped to arrange, and we both composed vocals and lyrics, each of us singing our respective parts, making for a rich vocal tapestry.”

Billy Sherwood adds: “The initial idea came from a musical sketch I’d created using the idea of our “connectivity” in regards to communications in the modern age. It’s very exciting to know YES are maintaining that edge and energy we all know and love, this track is firing on all cylinders. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did creating it.”

You can also watch the previously released video for ‘Cut From The Stars’ here: https://youtu.be/NdEF-vMO8vc

‘Mirror To The Sky’ will be available on several formats, all featuring artwork by long-time Yes artist & collaborator Roger Dean:

Ltd Deluxe Electric Blue 2LP+2CD+Blu-ray Artbook with poster

Ltd Deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook

Ltd 2CD Digipak

Standard CD Jewel case

Gatefold 2LP+LP-Booklet

Digital Album

The blu-ray editions include the album as Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound, Instrumental Versions & Hi-Res Stereo Mixes.

Pre-order now here: https://Yes-Band.lnk.to/MirrorToTheSky

The tracklisting is as follows:

CD1:

1. Cut From The Stars 05:27

2. All Connected 09:02

3. Luminosity 09:04

4. Living Out Their Dream 04:45

5. Mirror to the Sky 13:53

6. Circles of Time 04:59

CD2:

1. Unknown Place 08:15

2. One Second Is Enough 04:04

3. Magic Potion 04:08

As they were wrapping up The Quest, Yes found themselves with song sketches, structures, and ideas that were demanding attention. Yes received unconditional support from InsideOut boss Thomas Waber, who encouraged them to keep going in the studio, months before The Quest would even go on sale. It was like throwing gasoline on their creative fire.

“When we delivered everything, and they were just getting the vinyl and everything into production for manufacturing, we were still very much in that creative zone,” explains Steve Howe. “That belief that Thomas had in us really meant a lot,” he says.

“We truly get along as people,” says Jon Davison. “I feel like everyone’s focused inward to the greater circle, concentric to the core of highest standards that define Yes. It’s a wonderful thing to witness and of which to play a part. I believe this reflects vibrantly in the music and the creative input that each one is willing to apply, not for the benefit of the individual, but for the greater whole that is Yes.”

“There was a lot of material floating around because the band hadn’t done anything in the studio for so long. Ideas were just copious,”says bassist Billy Sherwood. “The pace of it was fast. As soon as we were finished with The Quest, and the mix had come out, we took a couple of little breaks there to catch our breath. But there was still music flowing around in the loop. It was just constantly being looked at and worked on. As we were all home and in that mode, things started progressing quite swiftly. We just went one album into another without really announcing, ‘Hey, we’re working on a second record right now.’ We just continued to work on material. It came about pretty naturally, and then we refined it as the process went on. But the initial bursts — there was a lot of material around!”

Much to everyone’s delight, including that of longtime-fan Thomas Waber, Yes have pushed into territory they practically invented — the prog rock epic — albeit in a thoroughly new and modern way. “I always felt that it would be great to have stuff that’s a little bit more epic,”he says, although he resisted the temptation to push for something that would be too formatted and could come off as contrived. He just gave the band space to do what they do and let things develop. “They were so excited by The Quest and the momentum they had that they went straight back in to the studio. What they were writing, even early on, was obviously headed in that epic direction — what Yes music really is to me. It is almost a genre onto itself. It is ‘Yes Music.’ Mirror To The Sky certainly is Yes Music.”

Mirror To The Sky features not one, but four tracks clocking in at over eight minutes, with the sweeping and cinematic title track coming in just shy of fourteen minutes. What’s more, the tracks, like Yes’ best, take the listener on a wide dynamically ranging journey of soundscapes which also showcase Steve Howe’s dazzling guitars, Jon Davison’s angelic, crystalline vocals, Billy Sherwood’s deftly dancing bass, keyboard wizard Geoff Downes’ impeccable sounds, exquisite melodies and fills, and Jay Schellen’s masterfully controlled explosions, on drums.

Jay Schellen, who has been touring with the band since 2016, was hand-picked to step into his mentor and friend Alan White’s role when White sadly passed away in 2022. “I had done the 2016 Topographic Drama tour on my own for Alan,” says Jay. “From late 2017 onwards, we had a partnership, and a beautiful partnership, I might add. I learned so much, and discovered so much about Alan’s style, and why it was the way it was. It fit his personality so perfectly. This album has Alan’s presence all over it. It is inside of us. So this is still, in my heart, Alan just being present and with us, and with me, in a big way.”

Review – We Came From Space – Overlords – by John Wenlock-Smith

Prog isn’t supposed to be fun is it? Well, if you think that way, you will miss out on this third album from Pittsburgh’s We Came From Space. This quartet are, in effect, also an offshoot or side project of the Neal Morse Band’s keyboard player Bill Hubauer, along with guitarist Dave Buzard, bassist Dave Hawk and drummer Tim Malone who, together, have delivered a really fun and fine release that offers prog stylings, along with a healthy shot of almost fusionesque tones and licks. 

There is so much to enjoy here, strong material and good music, alongside intelligent lyrics with a touch of goofiness that completes the sound. There is symphonic prog in there as well and I also detect touches of bands like Kansas and ELO, among others. Overall the band offer a great sounding set of songs and, like most releases these days, this is primarily available as a download, although physical CD’s can be found online if you look. I also recommend several listens for the music to really sink in. 

The music is generally stirring stuff, especially in the longer tracks like title track Overlords, She’s The Bomb/ Atomic Blues and Seize The Day, all of which benefit from longer running times that give the tracks time to evolve.  

Lets delve a little deeper into what makes this such a great album, beginning with Overlords. This slice of whimsy proposes aliens have previously visited and dominated humanity and that we play music for their amusement and satisfaction. It’s all complete hokum of course, but allows the band to channel their inner ELO, alongside some choppy guitar riffing in which Dave Buzard proves to be a pretty adept player. His descending riffs in the mid section are impressive, atmospherically mixing with the keyboards to deliver something very satisfying, a really strong opening track. On the Radio uses what sounds like early radio broadcasts to set the scene. This track appears to be about how we are manipulated and lied to by the media who want to push their own agendas and products onto us. It is quite a harsh lyrically, although probably well founded and has fantastic Hammond organ throughout. 

Empty Space has a great swing to it and is almost funky at times. The song has a good swagger to its almost LA jazz swing and is a really impressive sounding track, there is also a great guitar solo in the middle section. Again this track certainly impresses highly. This run of quality is continued with the superb She’s The Bomb /Atomic Blues which seems to be about a famous starlet who’s glory days are gone and now she leaves chaos in her wake. There’s an interesting middle section with a plethora of synths playing. Overall it is far more laid back with a funky guitar and synth instrumental part that has lots of atmosphere and some serious chops being played, extremely competent and effectively. It’s all really rather blistering in places and an excellent and engaging track. 

Reputation follows, opening with a very muscular riff. This track has a very radio friendly chorus to it and great vocals. The song details a celebrities fall from grace and his attempts to carry on afterwards. Silent Letters is next and this is a gentler number, possibly about a love never declared. This elegant track is graced with a wistful guitar solo and more strong supporting keyboards with a solid rhythm section, another standout track. 

Facade is another impressive track with a chugging guitar line that reminds me of something that I can’t quite put my finger on. It is a song about projecting an image that may not be true or real, a shorter and yet no less interesting track. Seize The Day sounds like prime Kansas with its strong piano motif really striking home and the vocals capture the sound too. The song is about making the most of what you have around you, time, talents and people. It is a call to make the most of these resources as life can be short. This track is my favourite on the album as it really works for me. I love the lyrics and the performances are certainly impassioned and really work very well. It closes the album on a positive note 

Overall this is a highly accomplished album and is one to return to frequently, I know I shall!

Released 3rd February, 2023.

Order digitally from bandcamp here:

Overlords | We Came From Space (bandcamp.com)

Order physical product here:

We Came From Space – Overlords – Radiant Records (nealmorse.com)

Aberdeen’s Barber Q, announce new single, “Afraid,” set to release on May 5th, 2023

Barber Q is a band that has won the hearts of the Polish community living in Scotland and caught the attention of music editors thanks to their unique sound. The band initially started out as a cover band and then transformed into a tribute band playing songs from the Polish band Dżem.

However, in 2020, the band’s vocalist, Mateusz Psonak, took part in one of the biggest music programs in Poland, The Voice of Poland, where he reached the quarternals under the guidance of Michał Szpak. This success became the impetus for creating their own material which was very well received by listeners.

The band’s first single was the song Dynamite which received great reviews in Scotland and Poland and reached over 30,000 plays on Spotify without the support of music labels. Barber Q also played as a support act for the band Ørganek at a Polish-Scottish festival in Aberdeen, which led to a later musical collaboration, Robert Markiewicz, the band’s drummer, recorded the drums for 5 upcoming singles, including the newest song Afraid, which will premiere on 5.05.23.

Afraid is a song that tackles important topics related to emotional issues and addictions. The song encourages courage, taking on challenges, and pushing one’s own limits, but also reminds us that we are not alone and can count on the support of others. The lyrics also contain a message that mistakes and failures are a part of life and that it’s worth learning from them rather than focusing on them.

This powerful track is an addictive slice of grunge and post-rock with a fantastic, harmonised chorus, some uber-cool riffs and staccato drumming that is full of a youthful energy but has maturity at its core. Mateusz Psonak delivers a commanding vocal performance that grabs your attention immediately and the twin guitar attack of Lukasz Pfeifer and Dawid Kutarnia is edgy, dynamic and exciting. If this is a taste of what is to come from this talented quartet then we are surely in for a musical treat!

Check out the video for their first single Dynamite here:

Review – Kinetic Element – Chasing the Lesser Light – by John Wenlock-Smith

‘Chasing The Lesser Light’ was released a few weeks back, at the end of March, in advance of the inaugural UK live performance from Kinetic Element at the highly acclaimed Winter’s End Festival held in Chepstow. Which, by all accounts, was both well attended and also highly rewarding for the band, significantly increasing their level of popularity along with being financially satisfying.

It is not hard too see why the band were so warmly received, especially on the strength of this almost concept album (or at least thematically linked collection of songs) that is based on the theme of space exploration. The record has merely five tracks in lengths of between six and almost twenty minutes duration. The music is definitely Symphonic Prog which has nods to the likes of ELP, Yes, Asia and many others. The band say that their lyrics have a spiritual touch, however, don’t be alarmed by this it is only mild and is really more about being positive as opposed to the possibly more heavy handed preaching of say Neal Morse or similar.

The album begins with its shortest track, First Stage, which is about contemplating space travel and flight without wings, as it were. The song has a slightly eastern sounding riff in it’s initial section which then becomes more straightforward after a synth section. Once John Coleman’s vocals begin, the bass on this song is very good and fair gallops along leaving space for Mike Visaagio’s piano parts and semi-jazz guitar licks form Peter Matuchniak. I find this very interesting as it deals with the anticipation and expectations of space travel.

Title track Chasing The Lesser Light concerns itself with the moon expeditions already completed and the impact they had globally. Ok, it was over 50 years ago now but it was truly a huge step for mankind and, unlike certain theories tell us, we really did go there and also return safely. When you think that the tablet that this very review was written on has more processing power and capabilities then were available to NASA at the time, it makes the fact that it even happened all the more impressive! The song is another impressive and lengthy one at almost 20 minutes long. Again there is excellent bass from Mark Tupko and lots of atmospheric organ and synths, you definitely hear E.L.P in this track with the descending bass runs and the effusive Hammond organ stabs. Not unexpectedly, there is a lot going on in this track, strong vocals, classic organ sounds strong piano and all manner of synths and rhythm section support, especially from Michael Murray’s superb drums. The latter portion of the song talks of seeing the earth from the moon and the powerful effect that has on the astronauts when first witnessed along with the powerful impression actually walking on the moon had globally when those early television broadcasts were transmitted, capturing the moment for posterity. Those images still evoke awe and wonder today, a fact this song manages to convey very well. For me though even better is Radio Silence which deals with the families left behind and their mix of emotions from being proud but also being fearful for their safety, this gentle song is very heartfelt and very well executed .

The next track We Can’t Forget sees us looking beyond the moon to further destinations like Mars to see if life exists or could survive in such a climate. Already folks like Elon Musk are looking at these prospects seriously and planning ways to get there. This song looks at these possibilities and asks are they realistic or just a pipe dream,? Only time will tell I guess but we are right to be asking such questions and musings. Door To Forever closes the album by musing on reopening the door to space travel, and to become the Starman in the sky. A wistful opening on this lengthy track where keys and guitar combine to give an almost Bowie-like feel to the music. John’s emotive vocals grab your attention and lead you on the journey where Peter’s guitar has touches of Steve Howe at his pomp. It’s an enjoyable, fine way to close what has been a brilliant listen.

Overall, this is an exceptional release with lots of great music and musicianship a plenty, a pumping, driving rhythm section alongside solid guitar and excellent keyboard sounds and solos. This will be especially satisfying to fans of acts like ELP or Yes and, indeed, to anyone who likes vintage prog bands as Kinetic Element have that classic sound and bring their own modern take on prog. The results are very fine indeed and most definitely worth a listen, give it a go and help this long standing US band get wider acclaim, they’ll appreciate it I’m sure!

Released 20th March, 2023

Order from bandcamp here:

Chasing The Lesser Light | Kinetic Element (bandcamp.com)

Review – Lars Fredrik Frøislie – Fire Fortellinger

‘Fire Fortellinger’ is the debut solo album from Wobbler’s Lars Fredrik Frøislie. Fitting perfectly into the 70s prog-rock tradition where the keyboardist makes a solo album between the band albums, this is music Frøislie has been doing, mostly alone, during the pandemic.

Had it not been for the pandemic, much of the material would probably have ended up on a new Wobbler album – but then run through the Wobbler grinder and with English lyrics. In other words, this is unpeeled and raw, as spontaneous as possible without going through too many rounds of processing.

Trying to preserve the impulsive – much of what you hear is improvised, and one-takes (preferably with playing errors and piano strings that break and the like). Trying to preserve the human aspect to a large extent, avoiding click tracks, auto-tune, MIDI or too much technology. Expect lots of old analogue keyboards such as cembalo, Mellotron, MiniMoog, Yamaha CP70 and Hammond organ.

Well, when that cover (marvellous isn’t it?) and that PR blurb arrived in my inbox I was immediately drawn to this album and just had to listen to it. I am so glad I did because this is one of the best releases of 2023 so far, let me tell you why I think so…

Aimed at fans of Wobbler, Yes, Gentle Giant, Jordsjø, Tusmørke and the like, ‘Fire Fortellinger’ is the like the best 70’s scandi-prog album that was never made in that decade. The simply fabulous keyboards, synths, Mellotron and Hammond organ combine to deliver a complete masterpiece of music. Does it matter that I don’t understand a word being said? Not at all, to me, that is what makes this a brilliant record. It was conceived and sung in Norwegian and singing the songs in any other language would take away that immediacy and originality and, to be honest, I love a Scandinavian lilt myself.

Four tunes, four stories, perfectly realised by Lars, this album delivers on every level, not only for the progressive rock fan but for any music fan in the world. The musicianship of Lars, aided and abetted by Nikolai Hængsle on bass, has to be heard to be believed, the music is sumptuous and lush, intense and dark in places but just sublime overall.

The first song, Rytter av dommedag, is themed around Ragnarok, when King Rakne awakens in his large burial mound outside Romerike and, together with the old gods, creates real mischief. This grand, awe-inspiring track opens majestically with an enduring keyboard motif that is all encompassing before opening up into a simply magnificent keyboard-fest where Lars just seems to let everything go and just enjoy himself. It contains moments of reflection and insight, mainly from the precise vocals and delicate piano but, ultimately, this is progressive rock as pomp and circumstance, seventeen minutes of deliciously overblown grandeur, and is even better for it, I just love it! Et sted under himmelhvelvet is dreamy, possibly set in a Renaissance garden near Florence or Arcadia. But in principle it can be anywhere where it feels good to be. It is partly about travelling to a place and feeling that you have been there before – only to find out that you had ancestors who lived there long ago. An almost hushed and wistful opening calms the soul as the lush string-like synths soar high. Once again, a wonderful, haunting motif runs throughout this dramatic, profound piece of music given it gravitas and solemnity and Lars is given free reign again to showcase his remarkable talents during a scintillating, free-form, synth and keyboard section where Nikolai’s base ably supports him. The wondrous music just simply keeps on coming as the song fades out with the outstanding motif.

Jærtegn opens in a frenzy, with a horse and cart speeding through the forest. The wagon overturns at the same time as there is a solar eclipse, and the riders become eternal wanderers in the dark forest, only visible to us now and then like the northern lights, as they vainly stretch their arms towards the sun in the hope of finding their way home. A hectic, chaotic rollercoaster ride of intelligent music that never lets you sit still, this track is like being inside the mind of a genius but one who cannot contain all the schemes in his head. Madcap, sparkling and dazzling at the same time, it certainly put a smile on my face. The travellers seem to find a calm oasis halfway into the song and the vocals take on a calming, almost hypnotic style before Lars goes all John Lord on us, the keyboards having more than a hint of 70’s classic rock allowing this superb track to close out in style.

The final song, and second epic, Naturens Katedral, is a depiction of the Norwegian mountains in winter where the cold is bitter, and blizzards and avalanches abound. It is also a search for bygone times when life was more basic out in the wilderness. It is dark and obsidian at its core with the swirling keyboards and dominant vocals imposing in manner and bringing to mind other Scandinavian prog artists with perhaps a less sunnier disposition like Änglagård and Anekdoten. The music seems to be holding back and building, leaving an anticipatory atmosphere which is only increased by the great vocals. Lars certainly knows how to get a hypnotic keyboard riff/motif into a song and does it again to give an irrepressible, tumultuous feel to this dynamic track. Like all great epic tracks, Naturens Katedral is split into parts and in the middle the music takes over with cinematic charm that totally invokes the harsh reality of a Norwegian winter. As this musical saga comes to a close it almost strays into the land of jazz/prog fusion with a touch of dark humour and leaves me with a knowing smile on my face.

To say I was not expecting how bloody good this album was going to be is an utter understatement. It may be presented as musical musings during lockdown but what Lars Fredrik Frøislie has created is one of the best 70’s influenced prog-rock keyboard albums of recent years. ‘Fire Fortellinger’ is that good that it will have you growing your hair, wearing flares and wondering why there are more than three channels on the TV. 2023 is proving to be yet another fantastic year for music and this record could just prove to be the best of the lot.

Released 2nd June, 2023.

Order from Karisma here:

KAR253 – Lars Fredrik Frøislie – Fire Fortellinger | Karisma Records