13 May 2025: Curved Air "Phantasmagoria"; Garybaldi "Astrolabia"; "Solaris" Music Inspired by Andrei Tarkowsky's Movie

 Be sure to follow KMXT FreeForm Radio on Facebook and Bandcamp and Spotify.  

You can now listen to the livestream of the show through the KMXT app; it's available through the Mac App Store or Google Play. The stream is also available at www.kmxt.org

Please support FreeForm Radio and KMXT by going to www.KMXT.org and pledging your support.

The music you hear on tonight's show is available on the artists' Bandcamp pages and websites. (links below) 

We urge you to support the musicians you hear on FreeForm Radio.

 I'll also be hosting Rural Electric right after the Island Messenger at  7 pm until 9 pm.

This week's Rural Electric spotlights country songs about cheatin' and lyin'     

Curved Air are an English progressive rock group formed in 1970 by musicians from mixed artistic backgrounds, including classical, folk and electronic sound. The resulting sound of the band is a mixture of progressive rock, folk rock, and fusion with classical elements. Curved Air released eight studio albums, the first three of which broke into the Top 20 in the UK Albums Chart, and had a hit single with "Back Street Luv" (1971) which reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart.^[1

 Phantasmagoria is the third studio album by Curved Air. Released in 1972, it reached No. 20 in the UK Charts^[2] and is notable for its early use of the EMS Synthi 100 synthesizer to process lead singer Sonja Kristina's voice on the second side. Unavailable for many years, the album was reissued on CD in April 2007.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Allmusic called Phantasmagoria "the culmination of all that Curved Air promised over the course of its predecessors" and "the band's grandest hour by far". Their review praised the vast majority of the individual tracks, especially complimenting the blending of musical styles and absence of pretentiousness.^[1]

Review by Trotsky
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator

The sound of Sonja Kristina's heavily accented vocals singing "Fire in their hands/Steel in their eyes, they rise chanting "Revolution, Vive le Nation!"" remains my abiding memory of Curved Air's outstanding album Phantasmoria. This follow-up to The Second Album, which spawned a great single Back Street Luv, contains many of Curved Air's finest compositions and most progressive moments. I heartily recommend it.

Of course, the bloodthirsty, (ahem) majestic Marie Antoinette is one of those essential art-rock songs, with rollicking piano, chants, fuzz guitar from Francis Monkman and eerie synths from Darryl Way, and Sonja Kristina presiding over it all. The beautiful folk ballad Melinda (More Or Less) is also unforgettable. With Kristina on acoustic guitar (let's not forget that this former folkie initially replaced Sandy Denny in The Strawbs!), Way's violin, Monkman's harpsichord, Mike Wedgwood's understated bas and a notable guest flute appearance from one Annie Stewart, also succeed in transporting listeners back a couple of centuries.

As great as both songs are, neither is the album-defining classic, an honour that belongs to Monkman's classic Over And Above. Oustanding moments abound in this song that resembles some of the work that Annie Haslam and Renaissance would craft in subsequent years. A swirling, multi-dimensional mini-epic, it's fuelled by astounding guest performances from vibraphonists/xylophonists Crispian Steel-Perkins, Paul Cosh and Jim Watson and also features stellar contributions from Way and Monkman, both with an otherworldly synth solo and some earthier wah-wah guitar (which is largely absent on this record) to close off the piece. With symhonic dashes, jazzy runs and even the yet-to-be-sacred tubular bells, it is arguably the most progressive song Curved Air ever recorded.

The rest of the album is not quite in the same league as this masterpiece, but is generally very strong. Not Quite The Same begins with medieval brassy sounds before evolving into a bouncy folk-jazz with a melancholic chorus, and an unusual Canterbury- influenced synth solo (both Way and Monkman play synth on this one). Cheetah is an upbeat Darryl Way instrumental sees him starring on violin, with just enough unpredictable changes to keep the piece fresh. The title track is another one of those eerie, theatrical Curved Air cuts, although I don't really like the chorus.

The one real downer is Ultra-Vivaldi, a sped up sequenced version of a song that has already been performed twice before by the group on Air Conditioning). The sequencer idea may have seemed worthwhile back in 1972, but it really stinks now. Of the three Curved Air Vivaldi pieces (Vivaldi, Vivaldi With Cannons and Ultra-Vivaldi) the original Vivaldi track is the only one I consider worth listening to. Luckily the damage is over in just 1:24! Whose Shoulder Are You Looking Over Anyway? is another experiment that sounds cool but ain't entirely convincing. The track consists of Kristina vocal tracks fed through a "PDP8/L computer and a Synthi 100 Synthesizer", and it's all edited to create a ghostly atmosphere. It's not as tacky as Ultra-Vivaldi, but does go some way towards making the album feel dated.

The totally wild, unpredictable feel of the album is emphasized by the concluding track Once A Ghost, Always A Ghost, a strange brassy cabaret song that isn't a personal favourite, but does end the album on an offbeat, yet stimulating note, thanks in part to another incredible vibraphone solo. You have to give this album and its creators marks for not resting on the laurels of the previous year's hit single, and going on to craft a daring album despite the increasing friction that developed between the group's two main songwriters.

Unfortunately, the band imploded after this excellent album, losing both Way and Monkman ... and things were never the same. But should you ever need to convince anyone of Curved Air's greatness, kindly direct them here. This is something else. ... 85% on the MPV scale 

Astrolabio is the second album by the Italian progressive rock band Garybaldi. It was produced by Maurizio Salvadori and published in 1973 by Fonit^{. 1]]}

There are only two songs, one on each side of the disc. It is a Long Playing much appreciated by fans of the genre, present in the selection of the book "The 100 best records of the Progressive Italiano", of 2014, written by the critic Mox Cristadoro.

Review by Sean Trane
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Folk

The second album under the Garybaldi name (but the third overall from the group) is maybe their best, but be prepared for a very short track list as only two of them lasting each their own vinyl side. With this album, they only confirm the direction they had taken with the sidelong suite from their debut album. Rumours has it that keyboardist Lio Marchi played on this as a session man - he does not get any writing credits, although he is very present.

Mother Of Lost Causes starts off as a very spacey-sounding exploration, but soon develops superbly what they had promised with the Moretto Da Brescia pinnacle of Nuda. Simply superb double-tracked guitar wailing somehow reminding more of Robin Trower (another Hendrix-ey connection) and very abruptly ended by an almost sonar- echoed repeating key that is reminiscent of a great Argent track. Astounding stuff, you proheads!!! In Italy only Flea (with their Topi O Uomini album) approaches such a complete feast of guitars at the time.

The second track is recorded live and is kick-arse rock'n roll (sometimes sounding a bit like Hendrix's Voodoo Chile played by Trower) and some wild KB-guitars (Purple-like) call and response. This track is not quite as proggy as the previous one, but shows another facet (improvising) of the group. Pity these guys stopped so soon, even if Fossatti will make further records.

Easily their better album, this lengthy solo feast is never over-indulgent or gratuitous heroics and in its genre is a textbook example of its own. 

 

Few films in the history of cinema have achieved the haunting, meditative power of Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris (1972). This masterpiece of science fiction transcends the genre’s typical preoccupation with technology and speculative futures, reaching instead into the depths of human consciousness, memory, and the aching poetry of the unknown. Adapted from Stanisław Lem’s novel of the same name (in turn, one of the greatest masterpieces of speculative science fiction narrative), Solaris eschews the cold rationalism of many sci-fi narratives in favor of a contemplative, almost mystical exploration of grief, love, and the elusive nature of reality. At the heart of the film is the enigmatic ocean of the planet Solaris, a sentient and inscrutable entity that manifests the subconscious fears and desires of the scientists who orbit it. This premise, simple yet profound, serves as a canvas upon which Tarkovsky paints his philosophical inquiry into the human condition. For Tarkovsky, Solaris is less about the alien and more about humanity’s inability to reconcile with its past. The ocean reflects not only the characters' suppressed traumas but also the ineffable longing that resides within all of us, a longing for lost time, for the return of loved ones, for redemption.

Solaris unfolds slowly, its deliberate pacing inviting viewers to sink into the vast silences and lingering imagery that define Tarkovsky's cinematic language. Long tracking shots through rain-soaked landscapes and the dim corridors of the space station evoke a sense of isolation and introspection. The film's visual and aural textures work in harmony, crafting an atmosphere where memory feels as palpable as the physical environment. This immersive quality is heightened by the sparse yet evocative electronic score by Eduard Artemyev, whose droning soundscapes and abstract compositions mirror the psychological disorientation experienced by the characters.
Tarkovsky himself described the film as an attempt to explore "the moral problems of man in a space environment," but its implications extend far beyond that premise. Solaris ultimately reflects the timeless struggle to understand ourselves and our place in the universe. For this reason, Solaris has left an indelible mark on artists across disciplines, from filmmakers to musicians and writers. Its dreamlike ambience and philosophical depth resonate deeply within the world of sound art and experimental music. The sonic landscapes of Solaris have inspired countless musicians to explore the emotional terrain between the cosmic and the intimate, crafting compositions that echo the film's ethereal and introspective essence.

This compilation is a tribute to Tarkovsky’s vision, an attempt to translate the enigmatic beauty of Solaris into a sonic experience. Each track, like the planet’s ocean, reflects fragments of memory and imagination, evoking both wonder and melancholy. The music contained here draws from the textures of ambient, drone, and experimental electronics, mirroring the film's hypnotic pacing and its exploration of the liminal spaces between waking and dreaming. In these compositions, you may hear the echoes of Kelvin’s (the main character) sorrow, the undulating mystery of Solaris, and the endless dance between presence and absence. To immerse oneself in Solaris is to embark on a journey without easy answers. Likewise, this collection of music invites you to drift into the unknown, to embrace the mysteries that lie beneath the surface of sound, and to discover, perhaps, something of your own subconscious reflected back at you. Tarkovsky believed in the spiritual power of art to transcend time and space. In that spirit, let this tribute be a continuation of his search for meaning beyond the visible world. 

credits

releases May 22, 2025 

Our thanks to Raffaele Pezzella for providing FreeForm Radio with a copy of this release.

REVIEWS

Bizarrechats
bizarrechats.blogspot.com/2025/05/eighth-towers-music-and-reflections.html
bizarrechats.blogspot.com/2025/05/eighth-towers-stories-and-reflections.html


Music by: rauðvik, Mark Hjorthoy, SÍLENÍ, Psychophysicist, Yousef Kawar, zooneman, Mario Lino Stancati, 400 Lonely Things, Kloob, Solaris, phoanøgramma, Michael Bonaventure.

Psychophysicist / Torus Apparatus: exclusive pre release composed / produced by Adi Newton 2025.

Curated and mastered by Raffaele Pezzella (a.k.a. Sonologyst).
Layout by Matteo Mariano.
Published by Eighth Tower Records (Cat. Num. ETR060).
© 2025 All rights reserved.

license

all rights reserved

tags

Tags

ambient dark ambient drone ambient electronic music industrial noise ambient Italy

 

 

29 April 2025: Out of Focus "Four Letter Monday Afternoon"; Richard Begin "Déjà vu"

 Be sure to follow KMXT FreeForm Radio on Facebook and Bandcamp and Spotify.  

You can now listen to the livestream of the show through the KMXT app; it's available through the Mac App Store or Google Play. The stream is also available at www.kmxt.org

Please support FreeForm Radio and KMXT by going to www.KMXT.org and pledging your support.

The music you hear on tonight's show is available on the artists' Bandcamp pages and websites. (links below) 

We urge you to support the musicians you hear on FreeForm Radio.

 

Out Of Focus biography
This awesome band came from Munich and made three extraordinary albums on the super-collectable Kuckuk label plus another that never got released until recently. Hennes Herring on KB (mainly Hammond organ), Remi Dreschler on guitars, Moran Neumuller on vocals and winds, Klaus Spöri and Stefan Wisheu on drums and bass respectively made an incredibly tight unit although they were prone to a lot of improvisation moments also. Their music is somewhat similar to early British prog but will gradually evolve to a certain jazz-rock while staying very politically and socially conscious (in the typical German style of those years) although the singing does not hold a big place in their music, their third release (a double) being mostly instrumental. They released three albums on the legendary Kuckuk label, the same one that also reissued them in Cd format.

After their third album, OOF suffered their first major line-up change with keyboardist Hennes Herring leaving the band to join SAHARA (another excellent group that will release two very solid albums), and he was replaced by yet another guitarist Wolfgang Gohringer (that made double guitar and double horn attack), but if it affected the group's sound a bit, it was nothing drastic either. A fourth (excellent) album was recorded in the spring of 74, but for some reasons it was never released - until Ultima Thule/Cosmic Egg would in 99. Sadly these events lead towards a slow decline of the group who would gradually slow down activities, recording just one more single and playing their last concerts in 78.

The musicians went their way, but in the mid-80's, three of them met and participated to Kontrast and recorded one of the best Krautrock album of that decade, according to the experts. This album and its intended suite just got a second life by getting a reissue, again on the Cosmic Egg label. Among the other posthumous releases is the left-overs from FLMA albums (Rat Roads) and a Live in Palerme 72, both excellent records appearing on the great Garden Of Delight Label.

Let me quote D-E Asbjornssen in Cosmic Dreams At Play and use his final comment about OOF: "what an awesome band they were" and I fully adhere to that opinion.


: : : Hugues Chantraine, BELGIUM : : :



Highly recommended by Dag-Erik Asbjornsen in his great book Cosmic Dreams At Play, and by myself to every progheads infatuated with the early 70's way of making music. Simply awesome!

Four Letter Monday Afternoon Review by BrufordFreak
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

The peak of achievement from this uber-talented band from München, Bundesrepublik Deutschland: a 94-minute of finely polished music. Just remember that there was at least another 94 minutes of excess music from these recording sessions that was left on the cutting room floor or studio shelves gathering dust until someone saw fit to dust them off and publish them on two albums, released in 1999 and 2002, respectively.

LP 1 (46:07): 1. "L.S.B." (17:37) very much like some evolved Big Band jazz--taking Don Ellis a bit further in terms of incorporating elements of avant/free jazz and electronics, but also quite a bit more reigned in in terms of the use of odd time signatures. Still, the song is quite entertaining for its multiple sax-connected multiple motifs covering a range of styles and tempos. There are a lot of elements of blues-rock at the core of a lot of this music (one can still hear the band that did Wake Up! just two years before). I really like the KINGSTON WALL-like vocal motif in the last third of the song. (31.75/35)

2. "When I'm Sleeping" (4:04) sounds like THE ROLLING STONES if they tried covering PETER HAMMILL song as well as a smooth Motown tune for the chorus and instrumental section. Hennse Hering's old-time saloon-like piano play in the background is a delight, as is Stephen Wishen's bass JAMES JAMERSON-like play and the sax work. I don't know why, but the recording of the drums is rather poor. This may be my favorite vocal performance from Moran. (9/10)

3. "Tsajama" (9:23) a great guitar and flute intro leads into an awesome motif with heavy organ and low bass notes weighing things down beneath the flute, guitars, and smoothly-drawn lines coming from the full horn section. Awesome in a Brian Auger/Eumir Deodato kind of way. Remigius Drechsler leads the way with his searing guitar play in the second and third minutes before Hennse's Hammond and the orgasmically-smooth horn section join in to double and back him. Such a great groove! In the second half of the sixth minute the horns, Hammond, and guitars back off and Moran enters in a singing capacity, using Japanese as his language. Interesting. Then he runs off into some poorly-synched scatting in the seventh minute before returning to leading the smoother, multi-channel melody in Japanese in the eighth. But then the band ramps up the pace and breadth of sound dynamics with a return of the horn section, inspiring Moran to gallop off with some more interesting horse-like vocalese scatting(?). (19/20)

4. "Black Cards" (9:38) a gentle weave of organ and electric guitar arpeggi opens this before flute, hand drums, and a second guitar join in. At the one-minute mark the bass jumps on board, ushering the band into a full blues-rock sound palette over which Moran turns back to his Mick Jagger voice for another vocal performance that reminds me of Mick singing his Slow Horses theme song. A return to the opening theme at the end of the third minute allows for a kind of 30-second reset from which they emerge with a VAN MORRISON "Moondance"-like motif over which Hennse solos on his Wurlitzer-sounding organ. This is a great, extended instrumental section with some gorgeous and dynamic flute soloing throughout. At the end we return to the blues swing theme for Moran to finish things off with his Moves Like Jagger. (18/20)

5. "Where Have You Been" (5:35) a gorgeous folk-rock song with one of Moran's most moving and melodic vocal performances. Powerful. Incredible flute solo in the "C" part: heart-wrenching. I know that Moran (and maybe his bandmates) had a very strong moral compass. We are so blessed to have the legacy of their passion and courage. (9.5/10)

Disc One earns itself a five star rating.

LP 2 (48:09): 6. "A Huchen 55" (9:19) opens with mutliple flutes winding and wending their way through a rondo weave for two minutes before giving way to a faded in psychedelic blues-rock jam (that was already in progress). Hammond organ takes the first solo over the bass, drums, and guitar support. At the three-minute mark, a panoply of horns join in, each playing their own melody line but securing their comraderie through mutually-respective pauses and breaks. The music coming from the rhythm section beneath kind of hits a "I'm a Man" pulse-and-let-off pattern as the horns continue their fascinating and almost humorous interplay. In the seventh minute, electric guitar and Hammond start to inject their own flourishes and melodic ideas. By the eighth minute the horn players are starting to tire--and eventually peter out for a full minute or more while the Hammond and sassy electric guitar share a quirky little conversation of quips and epithets. At the end of the ninth minute, then, the bluesy jazz music is fadeout (the same way it came in) replaced by the flute weave that opened the song. (18/20)

7. "Huchen 55, B" (14:32) opening with the flute weave from the previous song bleeding over, a new already-in- progress R&B jam is faded in. The James Jamerson-like bass play that drives the music is once again emitting waves of groovy Motown sound, but this soon fades out to be replaced by Moran's solo flute play. He sounds so much as if he's trying to imitate the breathy play of maestro Jean-Pierre Rampal. Jazz guitars, trumpet, Hammond, each take their turn joining in beneath Moran's increasingly-avat garde flute stylings. In the seventh minute trumpeter Jimmy Polivka tries usurping the lead from Moran, but it is not that easy: Moran is riding along on pure inspiration. So Jimmy gives up. Hennse and Remigius each take their own turns, trying to nudge Moran out, but Herr Hering only seems to get stronger--until the 9:00 mark: then he gives way, sits back and lets the music unfold without him. The band seem to rise to the occasion with a JEFFERSON AIRPLANE-like creativity: slowly, carefully, deliberately. Hennse's excited Hammond is kept at bay via repressed volume, which allows the horns to have their time. In the twelfth minute Remigius steps to the fore and lays out one awesome blues-rock solo. The band is really into the jam here: fully entrained with everyone clicking--expelling their full creative juices. Awesome! Despite its looseness and lack of plan or developmental structure, this song plays out with some infectious power. Moran's multi-flute weave is once again used to bridge this song with the next one. (27/30)

8. "Huchen 55, C" (24:18) What a jam! Wild and crazy: from Moran's lyrics and vocal performance (sounding like a reckless/uninhibited Mick Jagger channeling PETER HAMMILL through DAMO SUZUKI) to the reckless abandon with which everyone blasts and grooves out their passion. I mean, it feels as if everyone, all at once, is given the total green light to play whatever they feel inspired to play. This makes for some very creative and memorable solos--especially from the horn players (the multitude of saxes are of special note), percussionist, and Hennse's Hammond organ. Definitely Krautrock. Definitely hypnotic in a "Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys"-kind of way--a sound that would also seem to indicate the use of mind altering substances. The song's final three minutes are particularly entertaining for the frenetic yet-respectful free-for-all that gradually peters out, making way for yet another reprise of Moran's multi-flute weave. (45.5/50)

Disc Two earns itself a 4.5/5 star rating.

Total Time: 94:16

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of wonderfully-creative First Wave Jazz-Rock Fusion. One can definitely trace the influences and inspirations for each song on several levels but in the end the boys have achieved a mastery of their instruments and goals, enabling them to merge admirably their Krautrock influences with the Blues-Rock and Jazz- Rock Fusion trends they've been hearing. As with every other reviewer I've read, it's too bad this band didn't stay together.

With regards to the controversy of whether or not this album (or band) deserves to belong to the Jazz-Rock Fusion sub-genre, I will only say that over the course of the band's three album evolution it has definitely flowed toward Jazz-Rock (though it has also picked up a strong Krautrock foundation as well). This is 1972! Jazz-Rock Fusion was still in it's childhood! The dominant styles and sounds were still as-yet undecided. Herbie Hancock and Mahavishnu John McLaughlin were still evolving! Rapidly! Many bands like Out Of Focus were offering up a wide range of their own personal interpretations--which is one of the most exciting and refreshing aspects of J-R F's "First Wave." 

 

Déjà vu is a fleeting yet profound sensation, a moment when time seems to fold in on itself, between past and present. It is a phenomenon of memory—both elusive and deeply personal—where recognition and strangeness coexist. Few artistic mediums can evoke this liminal state as powerfully as ambient music, where repetition, decay, and texture shape sonic landscapes that mirror the ghostly presence of the past within the present.
Canadian composer Richard Bégin has been steadily building a reputation in the realm of ambient music for his explorations of memory, crafting soundscapes that feel like echoes from a distant past, lost yet eerily familiar. His latest work, centered on the concept of déjà vu, follows in the tradition of artists like Boards of Canada, Fennesz, Philip Jeck, and William Basinski—musicians who have sculpted time-worn textures, fragile loops, and sonic artifacts to capture the essence of recollection and its inevitable dissolution.
Like Basinski’s Disintegration Loops, which document the slow decay of recorded memory, or Jeck’s ghostly turntable manipulations that awaken forgotten voices from the grooves of old records, Bégin’s music invites listeners into an auditory space where time is fluid. Fennesz’s digital deconstructions and Boards of Canada’s nostalgia-tinted melodies find an echo in Bégin’s work, which similarly embraces imperfection, layering textures that drift between clarity and erosion keeping the listener between the comfort of recognition and the disquieting realization that the past is always just out of reach. 

credits

released April 16, 2025
Our thanks to Raffaele Pezzella for providing FreeForm Radio with a copy of this release.
REVIEWS

Avant Music News

avantmusicnews.com/2025/04/20/amn-reviews-richard-begin-deja-vu-2025-reverse-alignment


Music by Richard Bégin
Published by Reverse Alignment.
Mastering by Raffaele Pezzella
Cat. Num. RA69.
© 2025. All rights reserved.

license

all rights reserved

tags

Tags

ambient dark ambient drone ambient electronic music field recordings industrial Sweden

 

22 October 2024: Ragnarok; Cousin Silas and Jonathan Ewald (litmus0001)

 

Be sure to follow KMXT FreeForm Radio on Facebook and Bandcamp.  

Please support FreeForm Radio and KMXT by going to www.KMXT.org and pledging your support.

The music you hear is available on the artists' Bandcamp pages, websites, and Spotify. 

We urge you to support the musicians you hear on FreeForm Radio. 

 

Ragnarök is a Swedish prog-rock band, founded in Kalmar in 1972, by Peter Bryngelsson, Henrik Strindberg and Staffan Strindberg. Their first album was released 1976 by Silence Records. 

 

Ragnarök biography
Formed in Kalmar, Sweden in 1972 - Recording hiatus from 1992 to 2007 - Reformed in 2003

These Swedes managed four albums on Silence Record and some more (not listed here) in the early 90's. They are a typical example of atmospheric and melancholic prog like only Sweden can produce them. Their first album is a real classic known as a minor classic among progheads and they will participate to another group (KUNG TUNG - much harder) before doing their second album where those influences from that group will leave a mark. It is reputed to be as good as their debut. The later albums listed here remain of a good standard. Among the non-listed albums is "Well"(91) and is rather new age and sometimes industrial - not much to do with the earlier works.

: : : Hugues Chantraine, BELGIUM : : :

NOTE: Not to be confused with the New Zealand symphonic prog group from those very same years (also HERE on PA) or the Heavy Metal unit from the 80-90's.  

Review by siLLy puPPy
Special Collaborator PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

RAGNORÖK has been one of Sweden's longest running progressive acts engaging in both progressive rock and progressive folk since its formation in Kalmar in 1972. Founded by Peter Bryngelsson (guitar, bass, vocals), Henrik Strindberg (guitar, flute) and Staffan Strindberg (bass), throughout the band's existence it has seen more than 25 members come and go. Despite this long existence the band has only released a total of six studio albums which all began with this 1976 self-titled debut. While mostly active during the 70s and 80s, the band took a hiatus and then reformed in 2002 but has only released one album "Path" since.

While RAGNORÖK would take a turn towards progressive jazz rock on its sophomore album "Fjärilar i magen," on this eponymous debut the band delivers a lush pastoral form of progressive folk that belies the band name that refers to the great event in Norse mythology that includes a great battle. On the contrary, RAGNORÖK's first album is one of the most mellow and dreamy styles of prog you could possibly experience with slow moving guitar and flute, piano arpeggios and a controlled drum and bass section. Hints of the jazz direction are dropped in some of the percussion moves but otherwise this sounds more like a mix of Bo Hanssen and Camel without any true points where the band rocks out.

A veritable mix of folk, classical guitar, semi-jazzy interludes and the pastoral aspects of prog ranging from Genesis to Anthony Phillips (sans vocals). The music also includes some interesting Swedish folk flavors including a bit of that famous circus music feel on the short "Fjottot" but mostly this is an acoustic guitar, piano and flute dominated album that takes you into prog placidity. While mellow prog such as this can often fall into tedium, RAGNORÖK keeps the album interesting by crafting an excellent instrumental interplay that keeps you in the zone. Too often folky albums will unnecessarily attempt to rock out at inappropriate moments and while that can be effective if done well, often it falls flat. In this case the band simply stays on mellow mode for the entire ride which makes it a beautifully compelling listen. Of course this would all amount to nought if not for the beautiful melodies crafted.

Another strength is the use of varying styles of folk music with even Celtic folk sounds being implemented on "Stiltje-uppbrott." Personally i find these low key prog albums hit or miss but occasionally a band nails it perfectly. This is something like Sweden's equivalent to Italy's Celeste who also went against the grain and delivered a rock-free slice of piano-based mellowness. To my ears this sounds like the prog equivalent of cool jazz and if Miles Davis was Swedish and took on the world of prog folk then perhaps this is the kind of album he would've produced. Any way you slice it, RAGNORÖK's debut is a one of those pleasant surprises that works because of its high quality and consistency throughout its run. The mix of instrumentation is family unique and the album doesn't sound like much else. A nice late to the game addition to the world of prog folk in 1976. 

 

Thanks to Litmus for his contribution.

litmus0001.bandcamp.com

 

This is the second Cousin Silas/litmus0001 collaboration to be featured on FreeForm Radio 

credits

released October 4, 2024

Thanks to Thomas Mathie for the cover design 

 

ambient electronic experimental guitar sound alchemy soundscapes United Kingdom

 

05 November 2019: Mostly Autumn / Bernhard Wostheinrich

This week FreeForm returns to its progressive rock roots by featuring Mostly Autumn's  2019 release White Rainbow.
According to The Prog Mind:

Sometimes, albums just appear out of thin air.  That’s what it felt like for the new Mostly Autumn record.  I see now that Prog Magazine shared the information, and the band did, too, but for some reason Facebook decided to omit it from my timeline, so the album seemingly came out of nowhere for me.  In fact, the limited edition was mailed out to fans around Christmas, so some people have had it for a couple months already.  In the end, the band seems to consider this a 2019 release, and I believe the release date was officially the 1st of March.

Mostly Autumn hails from the UK and has been at the game since 1995.  The band currently consists of Olivia Sparnenn on vocals, Bryan Josh on guitars and vocals, Chris Johnson on guitars, Iain Jennings on keyboards, Angela Gordon on flute and keys, Andy Smith on bass, and Alex Cromarty on drums.  A couple things to note: This is Olivia’s fifth album with the band since the original singer left in 2010.  This is also only the second album without original rhythm guitarist Liam Davison after his death in 2017.

Mostly Autumn has been around so long that I feel as if progressive folk rock is literally defined by them in some ways.  Their music is definitely progressive rock, but they focus on soaring vocal melodies, momentous guitar solos, hefty folk portions, and organic atmospheric accents that elevate the whole experience.  Hearing one of their albums will truly transport you to dark forests, starry night skies, and inner turmoil.  So, this band is more like Renaissance than like the typical prog legends of yesteryear.

“White Rainbow” feels far more textured than any of their past albums.  The music come across as effervescent, mysterious, and nostalgic.  You will again hear weighty portions of folk and Celtic music, but progressive rock shines through in several important moments, such as the 19 minute long title track.  It’s truly a haunting experience from beginning to end, and that is exactly what I want from a Mostly Autumn record.

This is one of those albums that just has so many “heavy hitter” songs.  It seems like every song on it is well-written, well-structured, and a pure joy to behold.  For instance, “Procession” and “Viking Funeral” begin the album.  “Procession” is beautiful Celtic music intro, and you’d think that “Viking Funeral” would follow this ethnic suit, but it actually has more of an electronic overlay to it that gives it both modern and an ancient feelings.  The combination is outstanding.  The song actually revisits some melodies from my favorite Mostly Autumn album, “The Ghost Moon Orchestra”, and the baritone vocal harmonies near the end are perfect.

Once you move passed such an amazing couple of tracks, you almost expect a filler song.  However, what we get is “Burn”, the first track with Olivia on lead vocals.  It is a brightly shining star in the exquisite darkness of this album with huge melodies and this overwhelming sense of longing.  “Run for the Sun” follows and offers a similarly brilliant performance, specifically with an epic and emotional guitar solo.  And so the album continues with strong track after beautiful track.  It may be the band’s most consistent album to date.

Some of my other favorites are just as strong.  “Western Skies” starts out as a soaring ballad, but transitions into an orchestral gallop of huge proportions.  The title track itself, though, is a work of pure brilliance, and in some ways outshines everything else.  It is an epic only in the sense that is almost 20 minutes long: The way it plays, however, is as a collection of dark transitions that pass through melodic highs to riffing lows.  Rather than being an over the top expression of the Mostly Autumn sound, it is more subdued and subtle.  It feels introspective and grounded, and I absolutely love that: This restraint applies even for the crescendo near the end, which maintains its mature tone.

Overall, “White Rainbow” is a 78 minute album that doesn’t feel anywhere near that long.  It spirits you away to dark nights and distant feelings, but still feels organic, human, and grounded.  That is not an easy balance to maintain, but the band pulls it off with flying colors.  If you are fan of progressive rock with folk tendencies, like so many newer bands, it is time to visit the band that I consider to be the modern mother of them all.

In the second half of tonight's show, we'll be playing Live at Electrozone Festival 2018, Part 1 from Bernhard Wostheinrich's 2018 release, Live in Ithaca.   This release is available at a pay what you want download at Wostheinrich's Bandcamp page - click on the title for the link.  There are several other titles also available as pay what you want at this link.

Materiaal Series, Part XXI

Recorded at ElectroZone festival, Risley Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, on October 14, 2018.

Composed, programmed, and recorded in real-time by a crazy mind and his laptop. No prepared sequences, patterns, or melodies used.

This was the closing performance at the Big EZ Festival; the first ElectroZone multi-day event at Risley Hall on the Cornell campus.

The ElectroZone's goal is to create an electromusic community that celebrates inclusion, collaboration, empowerment, and performance innovation.

"We were so fortunate to have Bernhard perform at our festival. He was our headliner and final performer. Crouched on mats on that dark the stage he was like a figure from a fairy tale, Bernhard’s music transported us to the shared place of our imagination and artistry. He was the perfect summary of all that we were trying to do with the festival. His music was not a conclusion to the event, but an inspirational mandate to go out and create. I am honored to know Bernhard and I wish all you listening the same privilege" - Elijah Joseph Weber-Han

www.facebook.com/ithacaelectrozone/

credits

released October 11, 2019

Bernhard Wöstheinrich: Keyboards and virtual synthesizers, Minimoog ModelD (reissue), Live-Sequencing

Editing, mixing and mastering: Markus Reuter
Cover drawing: Christine Kriegerowski

Special thanks to Elijah Joseph Weber-Han, Mike Hunter and George "G$" Bley