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12 Followers / Meteo Xavier

Espers

Review by Gary Hill

Perhaps this doesn’t fit under progressive rock, but really I think it is a solid fit. The music here seems to wander between space music, electronic and world sounds. All in all, the effect is intriguing, perhaps not that far removed from something one would here is soundtrack music. It might be a little short on the rock side of things, but the progressive end is clearly in place. Additionally, this might not be the best music to sit down and really intently analyze or delve deeply into, but it is a great listening experience really. I recommend this to anyone who likes this kind of spacey electronic music with organic elements.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2013  Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Tritochiark - Vestigial Dreamcatcher for the Heavenly Integer

Weird electronic space music starts this and as layers are added, it starts to resemble symphonic soundtrack music a bit. There is a real mysterious sound to the whole thing as it gradually evolves. Bits of world music is heard in the mix as this continues. That doesn’t really develop much because the track ends rather abruptly.

Ornamekias - A Slight Wave from the Hill Above
Pretty electronic music starts this and the tune grows outward from there. This has some space tendencies and layers of lush sound. It’s rather like new age music, but more intense than that conveys. There are some intense sonic journeys built into this thing as it really has an epic kind of feel in terms of the number of changes and different modes and moods conveyed. There is a dramatic mellow segment later that’s very cool. That section takes the piece out after a time.
Amenemhetopelzai - Ancient King Lost in Memories

Feeling quite percussive, this rises up from there. Exotic world music textures, turned otherworldly via space electronic effects come to move the piece out. It drops to a more percussive section later that really has little but world music (still electronic) sounds over the top. This is gradually intensified. The sound really builds outward into quite intriguing stuff. It’s such an intriguing blend of electronic with world music and space elements. The end section is an extended mellow movement.

Saelmeth - the Rusted Voice of a Forgotten Godwraith

Weird space music opens this. It’s strange and very cool as different layers of sound compete in a mix that’s hard to separate at times. This is shorter than some of the other cuts and definitely stranger.

Icidina - Royal Highshiva of the Glacierplains

Spacey keyboard washes open this and the percussion rises up to join. As this works out there are really some dramatic musical vistas that open. It seems like powerful music that paints a picture of the glacierplans of the title. Various sections emerge as this continues and it’s really quite a diverse, yet cohesive, piece of music. There’s a cool drop down to mellower music later in the composition.

Maria Le Pitruzelluca Celeste Xvii - the Sound of God's Love Made Flesh

Intricate and gentle sounds open this up and gradually build. There are numerous waves of sound and melody that emerge in this intriguing piece of music. There is sort of a false ending after the four minute mark. Then it rises up with an intricate and quite sedate sound that has a lot of classical music in the mix. That section eventually works out to take the piece to its conclusion.

Navi Whisperwilde - the Forest Sprite and the Mana Spirit in Eternal Recurrence

Pretty atmospheric, spacey music opens this and builds upward. This thing really gets beautiful as it works along its line of sonic reasoning.

 

Sagetellah - The One Who Waits for the Life to Come (featuring Michael Huang)
This is an extensive piano solo. At times it seems very classical in nature. At other times it leans toward jazz. It’s a great piece of music, but I’m not sure it was the best choice for closing the disc. 
 
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