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ECLECTIC MAYBE BAND

The Blind Night Watchers’ Mysterious Landscapes

(2018 – Discus – UK)

http://discus-music.co.uk/

http://discus-music.co.uk/catalogue-mobile/dis67cd-detail

An outer limits excursion by astro travellers and gifted musicians from several prized members (or former members) of Univers Zero, Pablo’s Eye, The Wrong Object, Morton Fork Gang, and much more. You know this will be special. In short, it is elsewhere and otherwise, in a set of nine improvised compositions that spy on the other side of your brain, cheat the usual adjectives, and defy any musical boundaries. This project was put together by Guy Segers (bass, sampler) who has a resume the size of Europe with bands such as Univers Zero, Present, , Uneven Eleven, Galileo’s Left Wing, and so many more, including even live shows with X-Legged Sally. He made sure he chose musicians who knew at least one other person in the band. Many of the artists had worked together before. For example Morton Fork Gang has Guy Segers and Joe Higham. The remaining members of the band show further collaborations. Dirk Wachtelaer (drums) also played in Galileo’s Left Wing, Vanishing Pictures, Pablo’s Eye, and Moving Tones. Michel Delville (electric guitar) has been a mainstay in Doubt, Machine Mass Trio, and The Wrong Object, and more). Joe Higham (electronics, soprano saxophone, duduk) has played with Combo Belge, and Chris Menten Jazz Van. Roland Binet (flute, tenor sax) has worked with Guy in other projects and also shared the studio with Dirk, Michel, and Catherine Smet (keyboards) in Moving Tones. The credits could go on forever with Guy and company. All interested should check out Guy Segers bandcamp page as it not only has many more songs from Eclectic Maybe Band, not on this CD, but a grand array of music under the “downloadable music” page.

Eclectic Maybe Band came together in one day, under the direction of Guy, and in that day, they simply just started playing on the count of 1-2-3-4. No preplanning of what to play, how to play, or how long to play. It sounds as if much of it was composed, but that is the long experience each of the artists have in musical creation. It is also the smart editing and mixing that Guy did after this eventful day. Guy spent unknown hours, over a period of time, taking the music pieces and sculpting them and giving even more life to them. So he arranged the creations after the fact. The complexity and thought behind all that can never be truly known by anyone except Guy. And then Mr. Pierre Vervloesem (X-Legged Sally, FES, solo, and many wondrous guest spots on a huge list of other artists) put the final icing on the cake, with his fine skill at mastering. The extra nice glossy gatefold digipak features cover painting “Interstellar Space” by Silena Lena. This alone illustrates the music in a visual way.

‘Pluie Étanche’ (track one) swings open the alien black hole as to invite anyone with a seed of gumption to partake. Fear not, as each piece brings peace and stellar resolve to the soul. Where will the music take you next? The answer is to spectacular regions, other galaxies, and extrinsic zones. With a brilliant balance of sparseness, space, collusion, mind melding, immense experience, and attentive ears to each other’s every nuance, you have a masterpiece of involvement that anyone would be lucky to hear, if you will take the time. ‘The Blind Night Watchers’ Mysterious Landscapes’ is not only the ideal title for the nine compositions presented, but paired with intrepid territory here, it all becomes a beacon for music to come. This was surely what these musicians were deeply wanting to let loose. Exotic spacious free jazz exploration, shades of Lancaster/Lumley ‘Marscape’ , Gong’s ‘Shamal’, helpings of Steve Hillage, ghosts of a more interplanetary Paul Winter Consort, and all this is just a taste of the dimensions that are granted. This is on a very high level. As an old saying goes, great minds think alike. And even if they don’t, often times something unique and transcendent is born.

Reviewed by Lee Henderson 11 – 2 – 2018

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AQUA FRAGILE_Moving Fragments_COVER.jpg

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ACQUA FRAGILE
Moving Fragments
(2023 - Maracash - Italy)


https://maracashrecords.bandcamp.com/album/moving-fragments


  A group who have the uncanny talent of keeping their classic  sound along with staying up tpo date. This amazing return is from 1970's Italian progressive rock outfit, with frontier man lead vocal Bernardo Lanzetti, who made this band and some PFM albums so specifically brilliant. At this decade, to expect more beauty would be a fantasy, yet it is set before your ears, even with the first notes, this masterpiece of Italian, (and not only Italian) progressive rock that certainly grasps the notion of what the genre of "progressive" was always meant to be. ACQUA FRAGILE create another sweetly classic knockout recording, not with even a heavy breath of past to present effort.  In fact, it sounds and feels more authentic than ever.  Bernardo sounds as if he never aged a week, and all muscians present are at full force, not passing up the chance to make another massively classic album.   An album to put Acqua Fragile at the top of the few chosen progressive rock choices of all time. The first song ('Her Shadlows Torture' 05:52 - editors note:  A misspell on the 'Shadows' which is on Bandcamp at this writing - but is correct as 'Her Shadow's Torture' on physical CD)  hug you and give all relief, as to any possible doubts of a long awaited fourth album by this top notch Italian band. I claim it will leave your heart lay bleeding. Grab the spectral energy and enjoy a glimpse of beautiful cocoon birth.

  Not one song is with sacrifice, even a wink of lamb. In fact, some elements are added to further enchance and stun the audience, such as inclusive female vocals by Rossella Volta. The bulk of the outfit is Piero Canavera (drums, percussion, vocals),  Franz Dondi (bass), Bernardo Lanzetti (lead vocals, guitar, Glovox),  Stefano Pantaleoni (keyboards),  Claudio Tuma (guitars), with special aid by (aforementioned vocalist Rosella Voita) ,  Gigi Cavalli Cocchi - drums (1,6),  Sergio Ponti - drums (4,9), Stef Burns- guitar (2),  Brian Belloni - guitar (4),  Davide Piombino - 7 string guitar (5),  and David Jackson - sax & flute (6). Could you ask for more?   After one listen you cannot want more. Thank Maracash label (Italy) for standing behind so many great Italian artists who have done the blood, sweat, and tears in earlier years, and deserve the attention now.
Although the band name translates to 'Fragile Water', it might be better described as Precious Water at this point and time in our decreasingly cared for world. Perhaps even better, Rare Water. The beauty of this entire recording is apparent, true, sincere, and a step forward. Better than one would dream of, past the point of how all old fans could imagine, and  actually done in the upper atmospheres of what anyone could have dreamed of. Everyone is top notch and most of all, Lanzetti is 100% present, making it another masterpiece.  It is my deep recommendartion for all fans of both classic progressive rock and the new fields of progressive music to give this a direct and full attention (no distractions) listen. RECOMMENDED.
  ©Reviewed by Lee Henderson 1 - 19 - 2024


 

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