Das Rad

For 2023’s transitional Veer, where Das Rad‘s core trio of Martin Archer, Steve Dinsdale and Nick Robinson were supplemented by bassist Jon Short and occasional vocalist Peter Rophone. Clearly, the quintet line-up must have worked for all concerned, because this ever-progressive group has chosen to move forward as five. Somehow with the addition of new members and specifically an unfettered vocalist, more space has crept in, allowing the assembled pieces much more opportunity to breathe. There must have been a surfeit of ideas as the disc squeaks in at just over seventy-eight minutes; but as with all their previous output, those ideas are free range, roaming over whichever distant landscapes you might try to imagine.

There is a sense of impending tension in the opening salvo, Nick’s distorted guitar stretched taut over a lumbering rhythm, speckles of synth work and wounded sax picking their spiky way through the debris. Where the instruments intersect at moments of busy washing uproar, you gather the feeling that each player has their own agenda, coercing and cajoling at the basic structure. Unsurprisingly, the most outstanding addition to the brouhaha is Peter’s voice and with the first words he utters being “Get behind me, Satan”, you can’t help but think here is a journey worth undertaking. The voice is dreamy and has the kind of careful enunciation and soft delivery that reminded me of Tim Bowness, but half heard-across some lost timezone.

Nick’s untamed guitar accompanies Peter’s dreamy interjections, with the longer pieces drifting in a more abstract manner. Compared to previous outings, this loss of moorings sending them into stormy and uncharted waters is a real change of pace. The words move over the surface, somehow holding together until a rhythm might be gently introduced like an absorbing puzzle requiring all your attention.

There are lovely moments where sparse sax notes, diving guitar and textural vocals coalesce to produce a diaphanous covering over the rhythm that breathes life into the song, sometimes shallow and at other times under full load, the delicious bounce of melodic bass shining below the surface. Where the vocals are double-tracked, it lends a pastoral Sixties air, with Steve’s subtleties and Jon’s judicious choice of notes lending an air of portent and Martin’s sax motif the only attempt at structure in another slow build. It takes you by surprise a little when there is an injection of pace; a snappy synth and drum hook-up shuffling the pack and pushing the others into action. The bass is lovely and rich, and it is left to the voice to pick its way carefully, capriciously changing direction and dragging the players with it.

There is a different atmosphere for each track and although the group refers to itself as ‘improg’, it is more the ideas that are progressive. They never allow themselves to become bogged down or for the songs themselves to become saturated with bombast. I mean, there is a medley of four pieces and some of the tracks do run up to the eight- to ten-minute mark; but nothing outstays its welcome and there are tracks where they are held together by the barest wisp of structure, the sense of the disparate sounds travelling enormous distances to eventually meet under the watchful eye of an oozing, pulsing mellotron.

Towards the end, you really have the feeling that there is so much more to give; a deep, sinuous, adventurous bass groove eventually giving way to a picked acoustic guitar pitted against a bluster of electric. Other avenues are clearly there to explore and a sense of unfinished business hangs a little over the final moments, as if the group has discovered an unknown avenue and are desperate to explore it, but have run out of time. I have really enjoyed the way that Das Rad have evolved over the last six or seven years, always finding new means of expression yet managing to sound like themselves. This latest chapter is a perfect continuation and a thrill right to the end. – Mr Olivetti, FREQ https://freq.org.uk/reviews/das-rad-funfair/

Martin Archer’s Discus label has been very active lately, and we’ve covered quite a few of their releases, ranging in style from wildly experimental (Matthew Bourne) to free or near-free jazz (Paul Dunmall) to all sorts of places beyond and in between. Das Rad is a band that self-identifies as “improg,” and the term means exactly what you might think: a combination of progressive rock and improvisation. Archer himself is on woodwinds and keyboards, Steve Dinsdale plays drums and occasional keyboards, Nick Robinson plays guitar, Jon Short is the bassist, and on vocals they have Peter Rophone. Funfair is their fifth full-length release since their inception in 2016. I’m unfamiliar with their previous work, but on this release they hit a sweet spot for me, at times presenting composed sections that are more or less song-like (a bit like a gutsier version of No-Man), and at other times drifting off into jazzy space (not far removed from Bitches Brew). They are also not interested in coddling listeners — Funfair kicks off with a continuous medley of four pieces that runs just under 31 minutes. The progressive rock side of their sound does not derive from symphonic rock, so you’ll hear no Genesis or Yes in the mix; there might be some Pink Floyd, but references like Camel and David Sylvian are more on point, with an occasional hint of King Crimson (especially if you think of Lizard or Islands). Each track presents a different aspect of the band’s sound, with some ranging more into the floating improv and others tending more towards the song-oriented side, be it a melodic ballad or an upbeat workout. “Dream of Golden Sun” is a particular standout; its quirky rhythm is built around a loop of staccato notes, and Rophone sings a languorous melody over the busy backing, and I’m reminded a little of David Bowie’s Blackstar. “One Star Away,” on the other hand, puts breathy vocals over jazzy guitar chords and subtle strange echoes, maybe a bit like a Scott Walker tune with a different style of singer. “Grimbling” is built on a dissonant riff and features some great sax arrangements plus a fun interlude for bass with effects. There’s another multi-part suite, this one leaning towards the jazzy side, and they finish off with “The Empress at Home,” a gentle, stuttery improvisation. Das Rad is highly recommended for anyone looking for a very human and artistic take on progressive rock. – by Jon Davis, EXPOSÉ http://expose.org/index.php/articles/display/das-rad-funfair-2.html

The album is titled Funfair but this ain’t no helter skelter. It is the fifth, carefully constructed album, in Sheffield based Das Rad’s discography, all of which have a different but improvisational electronic, jazz rock,progressive focus. There is a familiar Das Rad sound of strong drum and bass holding it together whilst driving the rhythm and beat with guitar, synth effects and an arresting sax but it is new vocalist, Peter Rophone that adds a surprising and affecting dimension. His initial vocals on the immersive opener ‘The kindly ones’ hold court with “get behind me Satan, join the queue” which hints of the menace ahead. His carefully pitched whispery vocals pause and hum with a slow deliberate cadence almost drawing out the syllables to chilling effect which sets the tone throughout. Vocals that rumble, drone, speak, often hypnotically and eerily so. The sax murmurs and chirps and an almost scat like searching long note takes the first track out. The dark voice is definitely more ghost train than funfair carousel. Second track ‘Look in’ starts to up the ante and asks “Are we ready?” whilst it builds with its piercing guitar and gentle but goading vocal warbling. Martin Archer’s short, sharp sax snippets start snapping at the heels in “Steps out of line” whilst the song moans and turns in all its dense, nicely weird and textured variations. The album is kind of subtle in parts but filled with nuances and a sinister affect. Favourite track is the intoxicating and melodic “Dissolving in the mirror” with a catchy guitar riff capturing the essence of the piece. Nick Robinson has a knack for venturing into sonic places others might not with his guitar soundscapes and inventive phrasing. Impressive guitar precision with a range of effects including distorted tone and knowing when to put the brakes on allows Peter Rophone’s vocals to rumble like distant thunder and linger in the memory long after the finish. Important mentions go to John Short on bass providing a solid foundation and Steve Dinsdale on drums and clattering cymbals who both play a convincing rhythmic role, the driving force, keeping it all cohesive. Martin Archer and Nick Robinson always idiosyncratic in their composition. It is Improvisational but with restraint making for a fluent and fluid delivery. The sax elements maintain a level of abstraction in the songs and keep a foot rooted in free jazz fused amongst the rock and electronics which keeps the music of Das Rad distinctive. They ramp it up in the penultimate track “Warfair” and as conflicting as the other ‘so called’ correct spelling of the word you can sense the discord as they let rip with “Let’s start a war”. I was expecting a big blow out finish with the final song “The empress at home” but just as you think you are reaching the precipice and about to plunge through in daredevil fashion it is not so much grandiose or bombastic but an atmospheric fade out with eerie vocals and spacey reverb backed by clever instrumentation. Hardly predictable but that is what you come to expect from the consummate explorers of all things avant. Chilling, foreboding, ominous. Not an album about exuberant good feeling more a trickle of sweat between the shoulder blades. Funfair is more an emotional rollercoaster than a Merry go round. Take the thrill ride, it just might be NOT what you imagine. – Paula Mcadam, online review.

This version of Das Rad features Nick Robinson on guitar & mellotron, Peter Rophone on vocals & Portuguese guitar, Martin Archer on keyboards & woodwinds, Jon Short on electric & acoustic basses and Steve Dinsdale on drums & keyboards. This appears to be the fifth disc from Das Rad whose personnel has included Mr. Robinson, Mr. Dinsdale and Mr. Archer since the beginning. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve heard from them so far, so I was intrigued when this disc showed up in the mail last week. ‘Funfair’ begins with a medley of 4 pieces connected together. The first piece, “The Kindly Ones”, has a great space-rock groove/sound with the effects-laden guitar and sax both playing together on top of the strong hypnotic groove. The sound here reminds me of early seventies prog before it became too serious or silly. Mr. Rophone’s voice in the last section of this piece has a fine, thoughtful, inviting sound. This piece melts into “Look In” which features Mr. Rophone’s haunting voice(s) over a slow, simmering hypnotic marching beat. Robinson adds a layer of Frippish guitars to this piece. Instead of dealing with complex written material, the music here deals with more atmospheric sounds and effects. I like the sound of Mr. Rophone’s voice since he never over emotes or screams, singing more plainly in his own unique way plus the vocals are often kept to a minimum. “Dream of Golden Sun” has an uptempo drum machine like groove with Mr. Archers adding several layers of saxes peppered with sly effects. At times, Mr. Rophone’s voice radiates a forlorn sort of grace. I love the sound of Robinson’s space/rock guitar on “Dissolving The Mirror”, which contains an impressive Steve Hillage-like guitar solo. “Grimbling” has one of those great repeating riffs which just makes me want to dance around to its infectious groove. The sax and guitar trade lines which is another delight. The second medley starts off with mysterious floating sustained guitars and dreamy vocal sounds. The end of the medley is called “Warfare” and it builds to a dark, somewhat ominous conclusion. The last piece is called “The Empress at Home” and it has a strong blend of acoustic and electric guitars working seamlessly together. Since I have not listened to very much contemporary prog rock in recent times, I am not so sure about what has been released along those lines. Aside from the Cuneiform label, which used to specialize in varied progressive sounds, the UK-based Discus label has been spotlighting the better side of creative/jazz/rock/prog, which this impressive disc is filled with. – Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery NYC

There are now five of the “wheels”. While Jon Short was hired as a bassist for “Veer”, Peter Rophone is now a permanent member of the band on the fifth album “Funfair”. He was already heard as a guest on the but still mainly instrumental “Veer”, but now there are ‘real’ vocals in most of the numbers. As with the four previous albums, the CD is adorned with a reminiscence of a once prominent prog label. The silver disc copies the venerable logo of Charisma, not the ‘Mad Hatter’, but the original pink design. But here you can read ‘The famous Discus Label’. Otherwise, the typical Discus cardboard sleeve in the “Funfair” is quite modern, which is also increasingly true for the music of the band. “Funfair” also offers a kind of mixture of jazz rock and prog, but the retro-modern instrumental prog of the previous albums has now become retro-modern prog with vocals, which doesn’t sound so retro anymore. Rather, the music turned out to be quite timeless. “Funfair” offers an often melodic, but quite complex rock with jazzy tendencies, but also folky moments and passages almost squinting in the direction of post-rock. Sometimes it gets a bit bulkier or slightly slanted, as for example right at the beginning of the first medley. Electronic, jazzy horns, a pithy bass, all kinds of electric guitar howls, retro georgel, also some mellotron, and the drums form a densely interwoven music that is often very rocky, but often also rather relaxed or mysteriously floating. Sometimes, also because of the similar timbre of the voice, this murmuring-smoky sigh, I have to think of pieces by Gigi Masin and Percy Howard (see “Meridiem”). When Rophone doesn’t sing, the music goes more in the direction of stick prog, i.e. modern prog from the extended Crimson environment, but is more retro-oriented and provided with occasional solemn folk excursions. “Funfair” is thus not inferior to its four predecessors and offers new perspectives and a further development of the concept. In short: Die Rad continue to do their very own thing, but now with quite a lot of voice. This makes “Funfair” probably the most mass-friendly album of the project so far (well, the ‘mass’ of prog listeners I mean). Listen! – Achim Breiling BABYBLUE SEITEN https://www.babyblaue-seiten.de/album_21838.html#oben

The Improg trio DAS RAD – Martin Archer on keyboards & Woodwinds, Steve Dinsdale on drums & synthesizer, Nick Robinson on guitars & Mellotron – had set new accents on “Veer” with Jon Short on bass guitar and vocals by Peter Rophone. Funfair (DISCUS 180) now shows them as a quintet that flatters the Furies as well-meaning people (‘The Kindly Ones’), so that the ‘Grimblings’ don’t cause even more chaos and the fairground fun doesn’t degenerate into ‘Warfair’. With a pithy old-school sound, perfected by post-production – hence the two-part vocals, the Reeds in the plural… – they convey, psychedelically brooding, growling insights and dreamy prospects. Ethereal and yearning on ‘One Star Away’ and ‘Dissolving in the Mirror’, acoustically fragile on ‘Impossible Picnic’, sovereign on ‘The Empress at Home’, funky animated in between on ‘Dream of Golden Sun’. It is not to be sneezed at if the National Health Service and the Great Western Railway function as they did before the neoliberal furor. – Rigobert Dittmann, BAD ALCHEMY

Das Rad once again refuse to stand still with this fifth release. Since recording Veer in 2023, the sublime voice of new member Peter Rophone has become fully integrated into the music, and bassist Jon Short consolidates his position by being in at the ground floor on these new pieces, forming a flexible and dynamic rhythm team with drummer Steve Dinsdale. “Das Rad once again refuse to stand still with this fifth release. Since recording Veer in 2023, the sublime voice of new member Peter Rophone has become fully integrated into the music, and bassist Jon Short consolidates his position by being in at the ground floor on these new pieces, forming a flexible and dynamic rhythm team with drummer Steve Dinsdale. All the basic tracks on this new release were recorded live in the studio, followed by the band’s trademark careful editing, refinement and further orchestration of the top line music – Rophone’s haunting and intimate multi tracked voice, Nick Robinson’s incisive guitars, plus mood + mystery from Martin Archer’s overdriven keys and multi instrumental woodwinds. This process gives the music a very organic basis without any sacrifice of complexity or variety. Improg – progressive music based in improvisational practice – in the truest sense of the word, moving from hard hitting to pure abstraction. – Phil Zampino, SQUID’S EAR

Firstly though there is Das Rad, something of a flagship group for Discus, more rockier than most on the label and having just released a really excellent 5th album, ‘Funfair’. Das Rad describe themselves as ‘improg’ and this neatly encapsulates their apparent indescribability: searching, expansive, brooding, veering between the razor sharp (propelled by excellent drummer Steve Dinsdale) and the downright messy, melding crashing guitar, the occasional sharp sax incursion and various electronica. The newest element however, is vocalist Peter Rophone, magnificently clear of voice and operating high up on the register (he reminds me a little of Jakko Jakszyk in that regard) but somewhat incongruously hidden behind a pinstrip suit, John Cooper Clarke style, with starred sunglasses and a mobile multi-coloured lighting unit which he used to illuminate various aspects of his and others’ contributions. I’ve mentioned elsewhere that I was questioning at the Crescendo Festival whether I was a natural prog fan, given my slight bristling at the more sanitised fayre produced there, but if Das Rad do sit within that rather broad church, then I’ll happily continue my allegiance. – Phil Howitt, live review CANTERBURY SCENE

It’s probably safe to say that given the experimental nature of the music Discus produces, jazz purists would never rush to experience any of its releases. This, the fifth recording from Das Rad, will please them even less, offering a stylistic smorgasbord more akin to prog-rock than jazz. This is one for open ears, with prejudices suspended. Apparently all the tracks, which include two medleys, were recorded live in a studio, then treated to some judicious editing and technical wizardry to give us a finished article that mainly consists of multi-layered textures. These aren’t necessarily mellifluous but constantly demand attention in their boldness. Electric keyboards and mellotron are important to the overall results. Yes, there are rock rhythms but often the pulse of the music is collectively dictated by the five group members, not necessarily by invasive bass and drums (though the latter do come into their own on the pacier items). One review of a previous Das Rad album suggested there were strands of psychedelia in the mix and that element can be heard on the ethereal One Star Away, carried along by the voice of Peter Rophone, a major contributor to the band, whether delivering lyrics or wordless vocals. Apart from the singer, the major solos come from the ringing guitar of Nick Robinson, an exciting performer when in full flow, and Discus boss Martin Archer, supplying some of the jazzier moments on various reed instruments against a dense backdrop. Your reviewer approached this CD with trepidation but came out unscathed by the experience, courtesy of a group of musicians on an adventurous path. – Peter Gamble JAZZ JOURNAL

Today we make a new visit to the British avant-garde of the moment and we come across the new album of the collective DAS RAD, which is entitled “Funfair” and was released at the end of last August, as always, by the label Discus Music. The group, which had started with the trio of Nick Robinson [guitars and mellotron], Martin Archer [keyboards and horns] and Steve Dinsdale [drums and keyboards] became a quartet with the addition of Jon Short [bass and double bass] for the album “Veer” (May 2023), and now continues to grow to become a quintet with the entry of veteran Peter Rophone contributing his peculiar singing along with the Portuguese acoustic guitar. This fifth phonographic work by DAS RAD is, in fact, the first with vocal interventions by a specific member; everything has been growing little by little in the sound scheme of DAS RAD in recent years. All the basic tracks were recorded live in the studio, followed by a series of editions that generated a certain order and some additional instrumental interventions that allowed the musical foundations of the day to be enriched with a more orchestrated color. Let’s now look at the details of the repertoire of “Funfair” itself.

The album begins with the medley of ‘The Kindly Ones’, ‘Look In’, ‘Steps Out Of Line’ and ‘Lookout Later’, which extends over a span of almost 31 minutes. It all starts with a mid-tempo groove whose subtle sophistication fits nicely with the lugubrious tones used by the guitar and bass from the starting point, but as the contributions of saxophones, guitar effects, and synthesized bits add up, the matter veers fluidly from the gloomy to the mysteriously dense. Shortly after the border of the sixth minute, he enters to carve the song to add a ceremonious tenor to the matter. At some point, everything is deconstructed to turn towards the shelter under an inscrutable nocturnal atmosphere, which forces the ensemble to retreat to the introspective facet of its musical strategy. This passage is consistently expanded to patiently sow the most extroverted direction of the third section, which gets into the prog-psychedelic area with a space-rock mood while flaunting a stately groove. The guitars are powerful enough to exhibit a genuine rock musculature, but their presence is weathered with enough elegance to allow the bass to shine. Around the border of the nineteenth minute, the instrumentation returns to the area of systematic introspection, but this time, with a slightly more sumptuous approach, gestating a lyrical context suitable for Rophone’s singing. What happens in this instance is that the ground is being prepared to put together an avant-jazz-progressive atmosphere with random mysterious nuances and a twilight mood, something not far from what was done by bands like FJALL and LED BIB. The epilogue of this great marathon consists of a return to the groove with which things had started, closing the musical circle with solvent ingenuity when some guitar strumming sets the thing together. The next item is ‘Dream Of Golden Sun’ and its work scheme is located in a hybrid terrain of nu-jazz and prog-ambient, so the mechanical agility of the cybernetic ornaments contrasts very well with the arcane magic of the singing and the graceful phrasing of the saxophones. ‘One Star Away’ is a ballad ostensibly marked by an introspective languor very much in line with Nick Drake’s legacy through an experimental filter that adds fluidly dark textures, the same ones that determine a strange surreal aura for the minimalist thematic focus. There is something mysterious in the way in which the emotion of the moment emerges.

The mission of ‘Dissolving In The Mirror’ is to explore a jazz-progressive impressionism bold enough to handle the emotionally tense indices of the melodic base and singing with the utmost elegance. The moment when the electric guitar takes center stage enhances the vigor inherent in the song’s dominant pathos. It’s like an unprecedented and suggestive cross between the worlds of UNIVERS ZERO, the KATE BUSH of the first half of the 80s and the ART BEARS of the last album with some post-rock nuance. The next topic is ‘Grimbling’ and begins with a blues-psychedelic jam with slight Crimsonian overtones that advances steadily on a measuringly agile swing. Further on, vitality gives way to a minimalist bridge marked by a calculated cosmic languor, a secluded reverie that soon engenders a new moment of vitalism, this time with a design more in line with the jazz-rock pattern. Now it’s the turn of another medley, which lasts just over 18 minutes: its respective sections are titled ‘Lookout Again’, ‘Funfair’, ‘Impossible Picnic’ and ‘Warfair’. It all begins with a stealthy attitude wrapped in a sunset mist, but it doesn’t take long for the instrumental ensemble to decide to promote an animated jam that is guided by a renewing and bewitching luminosity. The affair extends far enough to leave a shocking mark on the listener’s mind before they are shown another weightless inspection marked by a cosmically random Dadaism. Little by little, a ballad with avant-jazz foundations is defined under the guidance of Rophone, which, although it maintains its expressive autonomy, also operates as a seed for the following instrumental section, the same one that is marked by a contemplative parsimony in a prog-psychedelic key with added nuances of krautrock (whatever this label means). The floating coda concludes things with a strong sense of subtlety. The closing of the repertoire comes with ‘The Empress At Home’, an exercise in crystalline tones that is gradually invaded by a flurry of electric guitar textures. At first, it seems that these crystalline effluvia have been demolished, but in the last seconds they resurface to complete the coexistence of light and mist.

After all, the renewed staff of DAS RAD has created a great musical work with “Funfair”. This British collective continues to surprise us with this magnificent new contribution to the validity of avant-jazz-progressive music within the current scenes of the United Kingdom and the whole world. Totally recommended!! – César Inca, AUTOPOETICAN https://autopoietican.blogspot.com/2024/11/nuevas-voces-para-la-feria-vanguardista.html

On their fifth CD under the name Das Rad, Nick Robinson (guitar, mellotron), Martin Archer (keyboards, woodwinds), Peter Rophone (voice, acoustic guitar), Jon Short (bass) and Steve Dinsdale (drums, synthesizer) deal in long prog-related improvisations, recorded live in the studio but afterwards reworked with adapted arrangements and orchestrations. It sounds like a meeting between Syd Barrett and Miles Davis at the time of ‘Bitches Brew’. The opening track alone, a medley of half an hour, is worth the trip. A post-rock soundtrack for the Apocalypse. With beautiful matching cover photos. – Georges Tonla Briquet, JAZZ HALO

A constantly surprising and engaging album .. it truly feels like improvised prog. Featuring the extraordinary talents of Nick Robinson on guitar, this churning, slithering beast of an album has a charming and challenging looseness, held together by the rock-solid Steve Dinsdale on drums and Jon Short on bass. Martin Archer’s woodwinds and keys are, as always, unsettling yet full of intriguing harmonic movement. And the introduction of Peter Rophone on vocals has taken Das Rad onto another Level ….. beautiful unconformity – Dave Sturt, GONG

Das Rad describe their music as “improg” and their fifth album moves between abstract freeform explorations to more structured passages, often with vocals coming to the fore during the latter. There are two multipart suites plus five standalone piece. Impossible Picnic and One Star Away find the group at their most avant-garde, exploring unformatted soundscapes and experimenting with textures. Grimbling nods towards krautrock, while Martin Archer’s saxophone taps into Pharoah Sanders or late Coltrane, pushing at the limits of the instrument’s sound and timbre. Nick Robinson applies the same philosophy to his guitar, drawing out feedback or long, droning wails in The Empress At Home. Dissolving In The Mirror has a dash of Floydian gloom, and there’s an Afrobeat meets Talking Heads vibe to the groove of Dream Of Golden Sun and Steve Dinsdale’s tom-tom patterns in Look In. Funfair will likely alienate listeners who prefer traditional song forms, but it should entice anyone who enjoys watching ideas emerge from the void to either coalesce or disintegrate back into nothingness. – David West, PROG

FUNFAIR est le 5e album versé dans la musique jazz, rock, rock progressif, vraiment le cœur de cible du rock progressif comme on aime, notamment le premier morceau Medley 30:56, se découpant en quatre mouvements, The Kindly Ones 8:11, Look In 10:43, Steps Out Of Line 2:46, Lookout Later 9:06. Riffs de basse audacieux, racés, s’achoppant et en dialogue avec la grandiose guitare frippienne. Musique liquoreuse, cristalline crimsonienne, tempo long, lent, truffé de fabuleuses improvisations cuivrées également ciselées d’instruments à vent, sonorités célestes orientales chaloupées interprétées dans l’aisance. Le chant mi parlé, fait penser à celui de David BOWIE à la fin de sa vie sur son dernier album, BLACK STAR. Contrebasse élégante et basse grondante impressionnantes, à souhait, s’échappant du temps produisant un rythme consistant. Les synthétiseurs coulent à flots, les effets électroniques sont emportés. Voix enchevêtrées s’empilant de mystère dans l’abîme impenetrable bowien. Les Vents aux sonorités sucrées fusent, dans un style léger, fascinant. Chants magmaiens réussis se rapprochant de la voix lumineuse de Stella VANDER. Dream Of Golden Sun 5:55, pièce moins originale, chant lancinant, allongé de syllabes, chœurs féériques, soulèvements de notes arabisantes. Batterie hachurée, magnétique frappant par petites secousses systémiques se répétant dans des couloirs d’échos avec le chant se collant aux parois, tombant sur les résonances générées par les chœurs et l’orchestre. One Star Away 4:31, voix toujours intéressante pour l’oreille, globalement languissante. Percussions raffinées de clochettes sous la voix langoureuse, susurrée dans la veine de Tim BOWNESS et de David BOWIE. Effets électroniques inquiétants, frottements acoustiques de petites vibrations ombrageuses. Dissolving In The Mirror 7:36, majestueux solos de guitare guidant la voix, puis guitare d’accompagnement. Revêtement sonore puissant de lyrisme, claviers en fond, emportement de lyrisme surréaliste. Voix de fausset ou voix grave, emplie de connotations bowiennes, guitare brumeuse aux effets saturés et aux sonorités post-rock. Batterie tranquille, tempo long. Grimbling 8:00, instrumental magnifique, davantage rock progressif, davantage original. Ardent saxophone, ferveur enjouée, passionnée, qui séduit si fortement par son versant doré, enchanteur et irrésistible. Au premier plan on entend la guitare aux sonorités trafiquées et les claviers en fond. Section rythmique saccadée, toujours ce sublime saxophone rebondissant dans les profondeurs surnaturelles… comment résister à cet emportement à ce flot éblouissant, bousculant tout jusqu’à en perdre pied? 2e Medley 18:08 avec Lookout Again 1.27, Funfair 4:38, Impossible Picnic 5:45, Warfair 6:16, Medley en fièvre attirant comme un aimant. Forme exceptionnelle de la composition sous l’apparence de fragilité, notamment Sur Funfair, le chant explose, les cuivres grincent dans les aigus, virevoltent comme des toupies. Le tempo conserve ses étirements amples, mélodie harmonieuse, les contraires réconciliés convergent. Ce que seuls peuvent et savent faire ces grands artistes. Une belle leçon de musique. Impossible Picnic semble s’effilocher dans les dédales sensibles du chant doux et sinueux, la guitare acoustique délicate. Exceptionnelle qualité musicale décousue, avec des spasmes dans les lignes qui s’entrecroisent sans cesse, cherchant un carrefour d’improvisation et d’échappées de lumière. Des plages de clarté, perdent ainsi les maléfices et gagnent en spiritualité, subjugation de la guitare acoustique. Magistrale force de technique, sublimée par une interprétation d’une rare acuité de l’orchestre. Warfair, le chant bowien flegmatique, haché revient avec le délicieux saxophone, un chef-d’œuvre de la multiplicité, un lieu de métamorphoses incessantes, un feu d’artifices de la joie et de la souffrance. Tant de contrastes rassemblés en cette plage. On en pénètre les moindres secrets du côté des basses, chant, claviers, batterie. Véritable splendeur, coups de ressacs à la fois comminatoires et bizarres. Percussions sonnant dans les vents, comme des appels de sirènes via l’au-delà, extrême attention requise devant la complexité du tissu musical unique de saveurs. The Empress At Home 3:22, élans juvéniles des instruments à vent aux sonorités exotiques, atypiques japonaises, solos de guitare incantatoires donnant le frisson, échos d’effets vertigineux, moments de grâce, toucher hypnotique des instrumentistes d’une valeur exquise, finesse veloutée, courbe mélancolique accentuée des claviers. Guitare acoustique où se trouvent rassemblées les couleurs de la partition, les fresques de son âme se reflétant dans les cordes, les bois, les claviers, les cuivres dans les sortilèges de l’écriture ; rythmes, accords, plusieurs mélodies en une. Une image spectrale recomposée pour générer à l’ensemble son unité prodigieuse. FUNFAIR offre une recherche intéressante, cet album est un enchantement libre et contenu, une distinction musicale jamais démentie où l’on a des frissonnements constants, élans nostalgiques, désirs enfiévrés, indicible poésie, délire organisé, hallucination fatale. (****½)  – Marie MESMER, HIGHLANDS

FUNFAIR is the 5th album to be released under the umbrella of jazz, rock and progressive rock, really getting to the heart of progressive rock as we like it, especially the first track Medley 30:56, divided into four movements, The Kindly Ones 8:11, Look In 10:43, Steps Out Of Line 2:46, Lookout Later 9:06. Bold, racy bass riffs, in dialogue with the grandiose Frippian guitar. Luscious music, crystalline in the King Crimson field. Long and slow tempo, riddled with fabulous brass improvisations also chiselled with wind instruments with celestial oriental sounds swaying interpreted with ease. The vocals, half-spoken, are reminiscent of those of David BOWIE at the end of his life on his latest album, BLACK STAR. Elegant double bass and rumbling bass guitar, impressive at wish, escaping from time producing a consistent rhythm. The synthesizers flow like water, carrying the electronic effects. The intertwined voices are entangled with mystery in the Bowiesque impenetrable abyss. The  sweet-sounding wind instruments stream out in a light and fascinating style. The songs in a Magma style are perfectly done, coming close to Stella VANDER’s luminous voice

Dream Of Golden Sun 5:55, a less original piece, haunting vocals, lengthened by syllables, fairytale choirs, lifting of Arabic notes. Chopped drums, magnetic, striking in small systemic jolts, repeated in corridors of echoes with the vocals sticking to the walls, falling on the resonances generated by the choirs and the orchestra.

One Star Away 4:31, voice still interesting to the ear, overall languid. Refined percussion from bells under the languorous voice, whispered in the vein of Tim BOWNESS and David BOWIE. Disturbing electronic effects, acoustic rubments of small, shadowy vibrations

Dissolving In The Mirror 7:36, majestic guitar solos guiding the voice, then accompanying guitar. Powerful lyrical sound coating, keyboards in background, surrealist lyrical outburst. Falsetto or deep voice, filled with Bowie kind of overtones, dark guitar haze with saturated effects and post-rock sounds. Quiet drums, long tempo.

Grimbling 8:00, a magnificent instrumental, more progressive rock, more original. A fiery saxophone, a playful, passionate fervour that is so seductively golden, enchanting and irresistible.
In the foreground we hear the guitar with its tampered sounds and the keyboards in the background. A jerky rhythm section, and always the sublime saxophone bouncing in the supernatural depths… how can you resist this dazzling flow, shaking things up until you lose your footing?

2nd Medley 18:08 with Lookout Again 1.27, Funfair 4:38, Impossible Picnic 5:45, Warfair 6:16, feverish Medley attracting like a magnet. Exceptional compositional form beneath the appearance of fragility, particularly in the inspired threads, stretched to the enchanting filters of the song. A magical church organ. Religious recollection, poetry. Astonishing matter in fusion revealed by the masterly hand of the composer, the exalted sonorities of the orchestra. Unusual brass instruments for the ears, contributing in large part to the extreme interest of the disc.
On Funfair, the vocals explode, the brass screeches in the high notes, twirling like spinning tops. The tempo keeps its ample stretching, the melody harmonious, the opposites reconciled and converging. This is what only these great artists can do. A fine music lesson.
Impossible Picnic seems to unravel in the sensitive maze of soft, sinuous vocals and delicate acoustic guitar. The musical quality is exceptionally disjointed, with spasms in the lines that keep criss-crossing each other, searching for a crossroads of improvisation and escapes of light. The acoustic guitar’s subjugation of these areas of clarity lifts the curse and makes them more spiritual. A masterful technical force, sublimated by an interpretation of rare acuity from the orchestra. Warfair, the phlegmatic, choppy Bowian song returns with the delicious saxophone, a masterpiece of multiplicity, a place of ceaseless metamorphoses, a blaze of fireworks of joy and suffering.

So many contrasts come together on this beach. The bass, vocals, keyboards and drums reveal every secret. Genuine splendour, the backwash is both commanding and bizarre. Percussions ringing in the winds, like siren calls from the beyond, extreme attention required in the face of the complexity of the single musical fabric of flavours.
The Empress At Home 3:22, juvenile surges of wind instruments with exotic, atypical Japanese sounds, chilling incantatory guitar solos, echoes of vertiginous effects, moments of grace, the instrumentalists’ hypnotic touch of exquisite value, velvety finesse, accentuated melancholic curve of the  keyboards.
An acoustic guitar that brings together the colours of the score, the frescoes of its soul reflected in the strings, woodwinds, keyboards and brass in the sorcery of the writing; rhythms, chords, several melodies in one. A spectral image recomposed to generate the prodigious unity of the whole. FUNFAIR offers an interesting research, this album is a free enchantment and contained, a musical distinction never denied where we have shivers. Dream Of Golden Sun 5:55, less constant piece, nostalgic impulses, desires original, haunting vocals, elongated fevered, unspeakable poetry, organized delirium, syllables, fairy choirs, uprisings fatal hallucination. (****½)  – Marie MESMER, HIGHLANDS