Newsgroup: it.arti.musica.rock
Titolo: ma Napra, cioe`, al limite, checche`

Va bene divertirsi a tirare patate dall`alto della torre d`avorio, vestito solo
di un sacco di iuta, mentre l`altoparlante diffonde il celestiale suono
dell`ultimo Isildur Bane ( trad. Ce l`ho duro in bagno), ma ti rendi conto che
non hai ancora descritto sto cacchio di disco?
Se l`hai fatto in passato per favore riposta, perche` gli onnivori di IAMR
vogliono sapere.
se vedum
" L`avanguardia e` molto dura, e per questo fa paura"............SKIANTOS

vogliono sapere.
<MIND Vol I & Vol II> 
<Reviewed by John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg, August 2001> 
<MIND Vol I> 
Comparable to After Crying, Swedish band Isildurs Bane also is a
collective which injects a lot of classical music within its original
compositions. By adding percussive textures and brass the band crosses
progressive paths with jazz, experiment and improvisation. Having been
together for well over twenty years, the members of Isildurs Bane know
each otherąs strengths and weaknesses. Based around the initial
compositions of Mats Johansson, the music on Mind ­ Volume 1 kind of
reaches us like you zap from channel to channel on your wide
TV-screen. Sometimes "older" melodies are revamped and given a second
chance so people familiar with the bandąs "vintage" work will
immediately feel at home. By using a wide array of instruments such as
marimba, vibraphone, mallets, djembe, crotales and dombak, the
unpredictable gets the upper hand, melding nicely with flute and brass
in order to give it a jazzy flavour. In the title the word MIND
doesnąt stand for the obvious as you have to see it here as Music
Investigating New Dimensions. 
The illogical marriage of marimba and violin sets the tone for the
dramatic "Ataraxia." Violin and flute are given more space during "In
A State Of Comprehension" also sporting some great fretless bass. By
adding bells and rainmaker, "The Pilot" almost introduces world music
to the Jethro Tull feel before turning towards Focus. The technical
prowess of a band like Isildurs Bane enables them to switch from one
atmosphere to the other, from one musical style to the other. Fuelled
by piano and occasionally helped out by cello, "Unity" is the kind of
music that makes a great track stand out from the rest. Timeless as it
sounds, it is a song that will be loved by prog heads or classical
purists alike. In fact, both worlds seem to meet during "Opportunistic
Walk ­ Phases 1-2," where once again percussive details inject the
energy. Here the bandąs love for Frank Zappa and passion for
avant-garde excursions becomes apparent. 
Similar to After Crying, the cello also plays an important role in the
music of Isildurs Bane. In "Holistic Medicine" the music is woven
around the various moves of a chess match. As the game approaches
certain critical moves the music becomes more dramatic. The music
changes from bluesy guitar to Miles Davis-like trumpet improvisations
and back again. Heavy distorted guitars then drive the composition to
an absolute climax resulting in [something that sounds like] Bondage
Fruit meets Happy Family. Then one of the chess players "resigns"
making way for an "open ending." The CD closes with the intimate
nature of "A Blank Page," which sees a high pitched guitar being
flanked by dramatic strings in a wonderful classical arrangement. By
including well known musicians such as guitarist Janne Schaffer and
Björn J:son Lindh on flute, Isildurs Bane has delivered one of the
most mature albums of their entire career. Mind Volume 1 is a musical
journey which in years to come will still take its listeners to places
theyąve never been before. Truly unique and unrivalled! 
More about : 
Track Listing: 
The Flight Onward ­ Phases 1-5 (12:05) 
Ataraxia (3:27) 
In A State Of Comprehension (4:24) 
The Pilot (5:38) 
Unity (3:31) 
Opportunistic Walk ­ Phases 1-2 (15:15) 
Holistic Medicine (14:51) 
A Blank Page (3:08) 
Musicians: 
Klas Assarsson - percussion 
Jonas Christophs - rhythm and lead guitars 
Joachim Gustafson - violin 
Mats Johansson - keyboards, vocals 
Kjell Severinsson - drums, percussion 
Fredrik Emilson - bass 
Guests: 
Björn J:son Lindh - flute and recorder improvisations 
Janne Schaffer - acoustic and electric guitars 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<MIND vol. 2 LIVE> 
If we are talking about the current wave of Scandinavian prog, most of
the time one very important name is missing from many a list: that of
Isildurs Bane. Swedish band Isildurs Bane has, for a long time, been
compared to Camel. Especially the lush symphonic textures and the nice
melodies that have been the trademark of the band. The more time
evolves the more mature the band becomes, introducing inventive themes
and arrangements to their interesting music. After a reasonable studio
output, the band has now issued a wonderful 2-CD live set that 90% of
has been recorded at various locations all over the world, whilst 10%
has been recorded in the bandąs rehearsal studio. By taking the
recorded output of some "older"material and editing it, putting it in
a different order and then pasting it, the band composes new material
or adds a different dimension to their already composed music. 
By adding extra musicians and by adding lush improvisations during
live performances the comparaison with Camel is less appropriate and
has to be replaced by that of After Crying (just listen to łExit
Permit˛ for proof). This double disc here consists of recordings made
with a compact line-up but also with a larger band, so the atmosphere
of the music sometimes is very intimate as opposed to bigger, spacier
sounds. The quality of the recordings is ace and with the inclusion of
guest musicians such as the wonderful Björn Jason Lindh on flute and
guitarist Janne Schaffer the party canąt go wrong. Listening to the
music it becomes apparent that these musicians also have a firm foot
in theatre and dance alike. They cut and paste samples in order to
explain certain movements which extra underline their cultural
heritage. So thereąs folk, progressive rock, chamber rock and some
jazz interspersed with dialogue which at times has me think of the
Dutch band The Nits. Little audio details are added all over the place
to make it more interesting. Including a full orchestra and a matching
overwhelming arrangement, the long łExit Permit˛ probably is the pičce
de résistance on this album mixing rock with pure classical themes. A
treat! 
Throughout the album, six "new" pieces of collage have been added
called łExtroversion˛ (phase 1 to 6). They kind of link the various
live recordings so that the atmosphere of one recording doesnąt spoil
the other. łCelestial Vessel˛ is a new piece based around the trumpet
of Fredrik Davidsson and the trombone of Ola Akerman. Performed only
thirty minutes into the new millennium łCelestial Vessel˛ concerned
both this composition and a sculpture which were both inaugurated
simultaneously in front of 2001 enthousiastic people in Halmstad,
Sweden. One of the fragile textures in the music of Isildurs Bane
certainly has to be the constant use of the vibraphone and other
percussions by Klas Assarsson giving a completely different feel to
the music. The unsuspected elements in the bandąs music guarantee that
no one and I mean no one dares to speak during the concert, a very
rare phenomenon these days! It should indeed be a sin to speak
throughout this wonderful music which constantly changes, giving way
to new and interesting music, as if one would clean some varnish from
a painting only to reveal a completely new painting underneath. Just
listen to łDas Junkerhaus˛ and let me know what bastard would have the
guts to open his mouth during this song! Then listen to one of the
bandąs masterpieces łCheval˛ which also holds parts which could well
be from the symphonic tour de force of The Enid. łExit Visa˛ then
again is pure orchestral and classical and once again illustrates what
a superb combination the members of Isildurs Bane really is! 
As the band themselves say: "this album is a montage, an
interpretation, a deconstruction and reconstruction into something
new. In other words Do ­ Undo ­ Redo." I couldnąt have said it better
myself. 
More about Live: 
<Disc One> 
Extroversion (Phase 1) (1:03) 
Opportunistic Medicine (8:00) 
Cheval ­ Volonté De Roche (19:04) 
Extroversion (Phase 2) (2:11) 
Exit Permit (23:32) 
La Rűche, Studio Nos 3, 4 & 7 (5:57) 
Holy Fools (11:43) 
Ataraxia (3:40) 
Extroversion (Phase 3) (2:12) 
<Disc Two> 
Extroversion (Phase 4) (1:14) 
The Flight Onward (9:22) 
Celestial Vessel (23:44) 
Unity (3:25) 
The Pilot (5:22) 
Das Junkerhaus (5:22) 
Extroversion (Phase ) 
The Voyage (16:09) 
Exit Visa (6:48) 
Extroversion (Phase 6) (4:07) 
Musicians: 
Klas Assarsson - melodic, classic, latin & electronic percussion 
Jonas Christophs - guitar 
Fredrik Johansson - bass 
Mats Johansson - keyboards, theremin, accordion 
Kjell Severinsson - drums, percussion 
Isildurs Banes releases: 
Sagan Om Ringen (1981) Vinyl 
Sagan Om Den Irlandska (1982) Vinyl 
Sea Reflections (1985) Vinyl 
Eight Moment Of Eternity (1987) Vinyl 
Cheval ­ Volonté De Rocher (1989) CD 
Cheval ­ Volonté De Rocher (1989) Vinyl 
Sagan Om Den Irlandska / Sagan Om Ringen (1992) CD 
Sea Reflections / Eight Moment Of Eternity (1992) CD 
The Voyage (1992) 2CD In Small Cardboard Carrying Case + Booklet 
The Zorn Trio Plays Mats Johansson (1996) CD 
Mind Vol. 1 (1997) CD 
The Voyage ­ Remastered (1998) CD 
Lost Eggs (1999) CD 
Mind Vol. 2 (2001) 2CD set with extensive booklet in slipcase 
 
--
Mauro Moroni
http.//
www.mellowrecords.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mellowrecords/
http://gnosis2000.net/ratermauro.htm
mor...@pangea.it

vogliono sapere.
E se proprio vuoi esagerare (ma guarda che l'ultimo disco l'ho fatto
io, non la Constellation, quindi in USA potresti persino trovarlo):
 
In the 1970s Haikara (the stork) were considered one of the leading
Finnish prog bands, along with the likes of Wigwam and Tasavallan
Presidentti, but unlike those groups, Haikara was somewhat forgotten
in the 80's and 90's. Considering the quality of their eponymous first
album, this is a real shame. Released in 1972, Haikara is, IMHO, one
of the masterpieces of Finnish prog. Long out of print, the original
LP is a pricey collector’s item, so it was commendable of Warner Music
Finland to finally re-release the album on CD in 1998. The band’s line
up is vox/perc, guitar/keys/bass, flute/sax, bass, drums/perc; there
is also a fair amount of guest strings and brass. Guitar and sax form
the heart of the band’s sound, but keyboards (piano and organ) and
orchestral sounds are used quite imaginatively to a full-sounding end.
The album contains five tracks (one five and a half minute long cut
and four in the 7-11 minutes class). All tracks have vocals, with
lyrics in Finnish, but those of you unfamiliar with the language are
not missing anything vital: most of the lyrics are the kind of
quasi-socialist, "let’s call for universal peace and bash the
bourgeois bastards" type of ranting which I guess was zeitgeist at the
time the album was recorded. As for musical influences, the most
obvious is King Crimson, especially in the last song "Manala" (Hades),
which opens with a bittersweet acoustic guitar/flute section and then
builds into a hardedged, gothic rocker with blaring saxophone and
guitar. Likewise, the ghost of Van Der Graaf Generator haunts some of
the sax solos and riffs. However, for most part I wouldn’t say the
music is all that derivative. "Yksi maa - yksi kansa" (One Country -
One People) alternates between melodic verses adorned with warm
orchestral sounds, and some inspired instrumental parts, where various
instruments solo and trade riffs over an active rhythm section
negotiating odd time signatures. The tongue-in-the-cheek opener
“Köyhän pojan kerjäys" (A Poor Boy Begging) even incorporates some
ideas from Finnish folk and military marching music.  
Geafar followed in 1973 and is more of a mixed-bag, though still a
strong album. The 14-minute title track builds on and develops the
first-album style: dark, doomy and driving with clear female vocals,
bouncy, odd-time vocal sections, screaming sax and guitar solos,
sparingly-used strings and a few subdued piano sections, it is
definitely one of the highlights of Finnish prog in the 1970's.
However, elsewhere their sound is more stripped down and streamlined.
The album’s only English song "Change" is just a straight-ahead,
somewhat banal rocker with wah-wah guitar, sax, drums and a
monstrously overdriven bass (which is even used as a solo instrument),
padded out with jamming and extended solos. The two short songs
"Kantaatti" (Cantata) and "Laulu surullisesta pilvestä" (The Song
about a Sad Cloud), on the other hand, use piano, wordless female
vocals, flute and subtle string arrangements to a very
classically-elegant effect. Finally, "Kun menet tarpeeksi kauas
tulevaisuuteen, huomaat olevasi menneisyydessä" (When You Go Far
Enough into the Future, You’ll Find Yourself in the Past) in effect
combines elements of all these styles and features a really
weird-sounding guitar solo. The Ektro Records CD version includes four
short bonus tracks recorded in 1976 and 1979. They range from funky,
horn-driven fusion to catchy pop with nimble flute and synth leads.  
I haven’t heard Haikara’s third album Iso Lintu (A Big Bird), but
apparently it consists of nine shortish and simpler songs, though some
of them still contain progressive ideas. The track "Romanssi"
(Romance) at least became part of a larger symphonic rock composition
called "Kuutamo" (Moonlight), of which no recording seems to have
survived.  
The band’s guitarist and musical prime mover Vesa Lattunen reformed
the band in the 90's with three younger musicians. Their sole release
during the decade was called Haikara IV: Domino. The album contains
six tracks and is generally more low-key. There are long, medium-tempo
instrumental sections with alternating sax and guitar solos, all very
nice and melodic, and occasional vocal sections. The compositions are
well-crafted, though not particularly complex or developed, with some
subtle Eastern influences; there is even some Gregorian chanting at
the beginning of "Gloria Deo". The production is very understated,
perhaps aiming for the 70's sound, but you occasionally get the
feeling that there could have been more variation in instrumentation
(e.g. the nearly inaudible keyboards could have been brought up to
augment the guitar, which is now the sole polyphonic instrument).
Overall, a very warm-sounding album. Actually, with all the unhurried
tempos, clean-but-crispy guitar sounds and cymbal-heavy drumming, I am
reminded of mid-70s Popol Vuh. Not as strong an album as the first one
but still very worthwhile. -- Kai Karmanheimo 
 
 
Haikara Discography: 
Haikara: S/T (1972) LP/CD (RCA Victor LSP 10392/Fazer Records, 1998
CD-version)  
Haikara: Geafar (1974) LP/CD (RCA Victor YFPL 1-809/Ektro Records,
2000 CD-version)  
Haikara: Iso Lintu (1976) LP (SATLP 1016) 
Haikara IV: Domino (1998) CD (meta-021) (Metamorphos Records) 
Haikara: Tuhkamaa (2001) CD (MMP-414) (Mellow Records) 


vogliono sapere.
E, se proprio vuoi farti del male,
Koenjihyakkei
Hundred Sights of Koenji
God Mountain (GMCD-012)
Japan 1994
Tatsuya Yoshida, vocal, drums; Aki Kubota, vocals, keyboards; Ryuichi
Masuda, vocal, guitar, g-synth; Shigekazu Kuwahara, vocal, bass
Tracklist:
1.  Ioss — 3:54
2.  Doi Doi — 6:37
3.  Molavena — 4:32
4.  Gepek — 4:06
5.  Yagonahh — 3:46
6.  Ozone Fall — 4:19
7.  Zhess — 2:10
8.  Zoltan — 4:17
9.  Avedumma — 7:06
10.  Sunna Zarioki — 4:49
Debut album from Yoshida's 'orthodox' zeuhl band. Well, for those of
you near and dear to Ruins, this band steers ever closer to those
hallowed fields of yore, when foreign tongues, interplanetary wars,
and distorted bass solos were all the rage. For those caught unawares,
Zeuhl is the style of choice here, though certainly in much harder,
more metallic casing than Christian Vander's guerillas could muster.
   Tatsuya Yoshida is an elder statesmen of the Japanese underground
scene, taking his cues from visionaries such as the above-noted
Vander, as well as the RIO school, but filtering it through modern
experimentalist theories as postulated by John Zorn and Keichi Haino.
Where does this leave him? Scattered, to say the least. This band is
one of dozens he is involved with; Yoshida usually favors a
compartmentalized musical experience. Koenjihyakkei is, and is only,
his tribute to zeuhl.
   For traditional prog fans, the two Koenji albums may be the most
musically approachable. 'Real' vocals (with minimal screaming), flashy
keyboard lines, intricate guitar and bass lines that serve nothing so
much as actual melody! It is loud, and it is fairly bombastic, but
this music is rooted in pieces such as "M.D.K." and "De Futura"
(though it should be said that the majority of prog fans don't even
like that stuff).
   Perhaps the most valuable player in the mix is singer/keyboardist
Aki Kubota (formerly a member of Bondage Fruit). Her operatic,
resonant vocal style suits this music to a tee, and it may be only for
the sake of following the Magma tradition that the other group members
even sing at all. She could easily front this band, or any other, all
on her own. She wrote the music for two of the best (and most melodic)
tunes on the disc, and she's no slouch at the keys either.
   The band is flanked by two other former members of Ruins, Masuda
and Kuwahara. Yoshida's group of friends seemingly covers all of
Tokyo, but he works best when he's surrounded by people who know his
style well.
Insomma non prog come la Beta Band e non fondamentali come i Turin
Brakes ma insomma....


Koenjihyakkei
ok grazie per le recensioni, prendo nota.
Parlando di scandinavi, oggi ho preso la seconda compilation Nordic Roots :
prezzo 3 dollari, sigillato, con sticker che dice " still cheaper than food". 
78 minuti di musica con 22 gruppi.  Aspetto sempre la compilation della Mellow.
bye



ti potrei diere di fare l'abbonamento a WS, visto che lě c'č una mia rece.
cmq Zappa+Zorn+Canterbury+Sympho
DP