AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST
GRANT MOON has a rummage down the back of the Prog sofa for the ones that nearly got away…
Imagine a summer’s afternoon at a festival where Ian Anderson and Big Big Train’s Rachel Hall are jamming with Ozric Tentacles at their cheeriest. It’s a scene as unlikely as it is enticing, but Flutatious come very close to that vibe on their joyful and whole-hearted Through Space And Time (Magick Eye). These Brits have a lively, refreshing take on rock, imbued with celtic, folk and psych flavours they’ve refined over their 10 years together. Flautist Michelle Devonshire and violinist Stella Ferguson bring the spice to this Bloody Mary for the soul.
Dr Fantástico take their name from the title with which Stanley Kubrick’s classic Dr Strangelove was released in their native Brazil. The trio have morphed into a quartet for second album Cicadoidea (drfantstico.bandcamp.com), which is a highly enjoyable hour of music that draws on Yes symphonics and Crimson’s oblique humour, with some Hendrixy rock and just a dose of native tropicália in the mix too. The catchy opener Pizzicato Wings sets the tone for a set of accessible songs with strong prog/jazz musicianship, all delivered with a sense of fun.
Less fun but equally impressive, Montreal’s prolific experimentalist Erich Quach (aka Thisquietarmy) adds to his deep, intriguing canon with The Singularity, Phase II (thisquietarmyxaway. bandcamp.com), a heady collaboration with Voivod drummer Michel Langevin. Together they are Thisquietarmy x Away, and this four-track work is a masterclass in taking industrialstrength, guitar-led drones and rendering them powerful through cleverly layered arrangements and dynamic percussion. A good entry point into Quach’s Stygian world.
Best known as the writer for Norwegian post-rockers Soup, Erlend Aastad Viken is back with his own new band, Giant Sky. Their self-titled debut (Imaginary Friend/GlassVille) is a magnificent, sprawling and nuanced post-rock soundscape that takes more than a spoonful from Soup’s own bowl. Viken brings together musicians from acts including Motorpsycho, Trondheim Symphonic Orchestra and Paper Palace and conjures a record that is equally assured with its Floyd-grand moments (The Further We Go The Deeper It Gets Pt. 1-6) and its heart-rending chamber pieces (Out Of Swords). It’s a remarkable record.
Finally, we head due east to Sweden for Of The Sun (Majestic Mountain), the quietly stunning debut from “ego-free progressive assembly” Sleep Moscow. Their Solaris-inspired album is about a cosmonaut leaving Earth on a quest for something more, and while such concepts can make for bloated music, this is fresh, crystalline, and beautiful record is anything but. Mellotron inflections and occasional guitar riffs are set amid the ultra-modern sound production here, with the assembly’s understated vocals adding to the languid, electro-indie edge. Sleep Moscow are ones to watch for sure.