Playlist Radio Centraal, Radioshow "Psyche van het Folk" : Inspirations from Chamber Music Ensembles. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ° FOR SOME REASONS OK * OK ** G **° VG MOMENTS *** VG ***° PERF MOMENTS **** PERF ****° PERF WITH CLASSIC MOMENTS ***** CLASSIC, BEST IN ITS KIND -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- US : * Angel Rec. Squonk Opera : Bigsmörgasbordwünderwerk (US,2000)**** (grading : perfect as it is) Tr.8, "Whirl Din Din Din" 3 min Tr.9, "Caught" 4 min Tr.10, "Eat you up" 2 min Tr.11, "Whirling of the wheel" 5 min Tr.12, "Tines" 4 min 18 Tr.13, "Spoon" 2 min Tr.14, "One bite too" 4 min 24 New music song orientated music-theatre group, with a chamber pop orchestra and performed with an art-rock feel. Singer has a good carrying voice which is suitable for a theatre/musical-like personage. The effect is "saturnial", this is with a character of performing illusions. This is nice and pleasant to listen to music. Excellent work. Review : http://progressive.homestead.com/prog8.html * Private Squonk Opera : Inferno (US,2002)***° (vg->ex) Tr.1, "Above all silence" 3 min Tr.5, "On and on" 3 min Tr.6, "Burning ground" 2 min Tr.8, "The furies" 2 min 10 -34 In general the group sound In think is improved here. Also the performance looks visually very interesting. They also used a computerised video projection on the costumes and decor. This creates spectacular views on stage. Musically it's a kind of cabaret-rock. Review : http://progressive.homestead.com/prog8.html LATVIA : * Riga Difference String Quartet : take Care of the difference (LAT,2000)**°° (grading : good, depending on view it can be listened as being perfect) Tr.2, "Summertime" 5 min 5 -38 DSQ is a classical orchestra with jazzy contemporary compositions and approach. This is a nice individual composition based upon this -very often covered and popular !- tune by Gershwin. This piece gives a very good idea about the general approach in the album : creating interpretations in between jazz and contemporary music. The album grew on me, and needed repeated listens, because the result is very modest, it is successful in it's approach to make this combination of contemporary music with jazz(-tunes). Nice to listen to album. Review : http://progressive.homestead.com/prog8.html * private Tarantula (US,2004)**** (perf) Tr.1, "Rail" 7 min Tr.2, "Backdoor Carni" 7 min 14 -52 Very good chamber music rock band with perfect mini-full CD ! Recommended. Review : http://progressive.homestead.com/prog8.html BRAZIL : * private Sérgio Benchimol : a drop in the ocean/an ocean in a drop (BRAZ,2004)***° (ex) Tr.1, "Terral" 5 min Tr.3, "Memoires de Viagens" 7 min Tr.4, "Bambidar" 5 min Tr.6, "Bossa Rio Jazz Walz" 4 min 21 -73 Very good, thoroughly arranged item with lots of ideas (varying from chamber music to progressive, jazz, etc.. with cello, great -sometimes Tull-like- flute !, Spanish guitar, drums,..). Second half it become more jazz with rock elements. I airplayed especially the more chamber-music related tracks. A fine album, also if you consider the variety, how it hangs together and being over 77 minutes of music ! Review : http://progressive.homestead.com/BRAZILreview.html Info : lanzarini@rockprogressivo.com.br BELGIUM : * EMI Troisseur (B,2004)***' (vg, perhaps excellent) Tr.1, "Little Dole" 6 min Tr.9, "Levina" 5 min 11 -84 Interesting post-rock band, which had in their earlier stage some ethno-folk roots. Now it's chamber music rock arrangements with guitars, with a splendid modern production by Daniel B from internationally known Belgian body-music pioneer group Front 242. Review : http://progressive.homestead.com/belgium2.html * V2 Music Boenox : Studio (B,2003)*°° (ok->vg) Tr.1, "Introïctus" 6 min Tr.2, "Tic-Tac" 4 min 10 -94 Two better compositions of this chamber music pop band's release. Mostly the group still is a bit simplistic in their approach and compositions. The track "tic tac" is the best, most catchy, also suitable for club-house purposes. The group could either evolve in this direction or should work more on their compositions if they want to create an even more serious chamber-music related music group. I wonder how it will evolve. I didn't see them live yet. Review : http://progressive.homestead.com/belgium2.html * Cun.Rec. Univers Zero : Implosion (B,2004)**° (g->vg) Tr.4, "Rapt D'Abdallah" 4 min -98 Generally outside Belgium Univers Zero is considered as a classic group for the lovers of musicality in music. They were also founders within the later named "rock in opposition" genre. Within this style they were innovators and far ahead their time. But even up to now they still are mostly neglected in Belgium. Strangely enough they now headed into a new direction. I still can't grab this very well, and still don't know what to think of this new direction. Review : http://progressive.homestead.com/belgium2.html * private Cro Magnon : Brosella Suite (B,2004)***° (vg with best execution) Tr.2, "Tram 44" 6 min Tr.4, "Boulevard Adolphe Max" 5 min Tr.8, "Fanfare de l'abattoire" 4 min 15 -113 Documentary like urban chamber music. Good item with fine execution. Musically it is less adventurous and less fresh compared to the two earlier albums. It is a serious composition mixed with some (Flemish) folkrock ideas, with a slight entertaining touch in this folk-touch and within its seriousness of the composing. "Fanfare de l'abboitoire" is a more "funny" piece, and is produced in a rather interesting way. Full review : http://progressive.homestead.com/belgium2.html * Boom! Traktor (B,2003)**° (g->vg) Tr.1, "La Sirene" 4 min Tr.3, "Schorriemorrie" 3 min Tr.6, "Pep Ventura" 3 min 10 -123 Nice to see live ! chamber ensemble from Antwerp with lots of performance- humour, with some Klezmer, Balkan and tango-elements or whatever. This is a private mini-CD. Urban or even village entertainment, in the same way like Balkanfolk or gypsy-folk or Klezmer on weddings, better than the old Flemish brassbands in the pre-war street festivals but with a comparable goal. Instruments : sousaphone, pull-flute (name?), clarinet, accordion, tenorsax, violin, drums, "vocals". Info : http://users.skynet.be/vanimpe/muziekmakery/traktor.html & http://home.tiscali.be/luc.vandereyde/traktor.html & http://www.belgianmusic.net/traktor.htm FINLAND : * Silence Rec. Alamaailman Vasarat : Käärmelautakunta (FIN,2004)****° Tr.1, "Kivitetty Saatana" 5 min Tr.3, "Pelko Antaa Siivet" 4 min Tr.4, "Hamarapuolella" 6 min 15 -138 Powerful release, also with some humour. Professional chamber music ensemble. They started as a kind of kebab-chamber music (as some said), but here it's more electrified, with a more up-powered effect like Apocalyptica had with their electric cello playing. Very original sound. Review : http://progressive.homestead.com/FINLAND_GROUPS.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Classical Music interpretation in a Home-made (progressive) "Rock" version : US : * Scummy Job Rec. John Ringer : Stravinsky : the rite of spring for electric guitar, electric bass and percussion (US,2003)*° Tr.1, part one, "The adoration the earth" 232-745 -144 This is my favourite, pretty good part of this version, which I think makes real Sense and is succesful in interpretation. Full review : http://progressive.homestead.com/prog8.html A different version will be airplayed early october. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- outro : POLAND : * private Signal To Noise Ratio : demo II (POL,2004)**° Tr.1, "Eden" 6 min -150 Good home-made progressive, with somewhat slow or relaxed evolution. This is my favourite track, with nice flute appearance. Review : http://progressive.homestead.com/prog5.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other playlists : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/2004.html General index page : www.radiocentraal.be/psychevanhetfolk More detailed index page : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/index.html Receive weekly this playlist before the radioshow with new reviews and additional comments : / ontvang wekelijks playlist vòòr de radio-uitzending : Subscribe / schrijf u in : psychevanhetfolk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com