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| Progressive Rock CD Reviews |
diNMachine
Dance to Reason
Review by Gary Hill
Apparently this act is considered some type of dance music. I just don’t hear that, really. For one thing, the music doesn’t seem all that danceable to me. For another, while maybe trance music fits at times, this stuff is often challenging. It has a lot more to do with things like Kraftwerk and Rock in Opposition than it does to dance music to my ears. For that reason, I’ve landed this under “progressive rock” at Music Street Journal. That said, your mileage may vary. I’ll stick with this classification, though. Of course, they call their music “experimental electronic music.” That sounds like a lot of progressive rock to me. You can be the judge yourself. They've got a video of "Minor Me" out on Vimeo. Check it out and make your call on it. The thing is, no matter what type of music you think this is, it’s dynamic, diverse and quite intriguing. It’s really a great set.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2014 Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.
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| Track by Track Review
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Sang Gween
Ambient electronics open this. Then some white noise emerges over the top in rhythmic patterns. Percussion joins as this continues to modulate and develop. Then a little before the minute mark it gets more melodic elements and works out into some cool electronic music territory. While percussion drives it, the electronic music creates numerous moods and modes as this goes through. They drop it way back down to ambience at the end. |
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Minor Me
This comes in with a lot more energy than the started the first one. It’s also got a lot of drama and a sense of mystery. At times this wanders towards space music. I really like this one. It seems more cohesive and energized. While the opener hinted at progressive rock at times, I’d land this one directly there. There are definitely parts of this that make me think of Hawkwind quite a bit. |
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Ground State
This comes in much more sedate and ambient, with sounds that almost feel like sweeping or waves punctuated by chiming beeps here and there. As it approaches the one minute mark lush keyboard melodies emerge over the top. They remain less than half a minute. Then a pulsing rhythmic element is heard in the background. As that builds out it resembles Kraftwerk. The percussion joins and rhythmic elements dominate. Then some bits of almost jazzy melody emerge over the top. They bring in a real fusion styled jam from there. There are some noisier, more rocking elements and this is really quite a diverse number. Of course, given the epic length of this piece (17:30), that makes sense. It works out to some real space around the ten and a half minute mark. That eventually makes it way to a percussive jam. As melody rises up around the fifteen minute mark it has a real fusion kind of vibe to it. Later parts of that section have some world music. It drops way down to melodic electronic music that’s quite textural to end. What a ride this piece is. |
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Recht Tik
Bleeps and blips are heard as the electronic modes start this. The thing is, that sound gets merged with something more like King Crimson as this continues. It’s noisy, rocking and incredibly cool. There is a funky vibe at times on this thing. They take this through a number of shifts and changes. It rocks more at points and gets mellower at others. |
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Tryad
Bouncy and fun, this is weird, but extremely effective. There is a very definite experimental music vibe to this. In fact, in some ways this reminds me of some of the chamber music inspired Rock in Opposition stuff out there. It gets turned more towards melodic fusion later in a cool funky jam. |
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Lpse
The driving bass on this is amazing. There are noisy elements of sound loops of talking, screaming and more in the arrangement. Some melodic musical textures are heard. This a rocking cut that’s got a lot of progressive rock in it. It’s weird, yet somehow really works. |
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Telepath
There are definitely elements of music like Booker T. and the MGs in this thing. It’s an energetic jam that also has some of that King Crimson vibe. It never loses sight of the groove, despite landing in some rather odd territory. There are definitely shifts and changes and some of this lands more purely in electronic territory. |
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Fifth Bass
Spacey electronic music is heard as this opens. It shifts out towards progressive rock as it builds outward. King Crimson at times is a valid reference point here. The cut is a real rocker, too. |
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