Outer Music Diary

Garybaldi - Astrolabio - Italy 1973

Upon inspection from a few needle-drops instore at Rockit Scientist, my impression was that this would be a bit of a sedate trip, interspersed with blistering moments. Well, I was only sort of on the Lire (now Euro) there with that, am certainly glad I took the new heavy red vinyl reissue home! An apt descriptor for the sensation and ample modular mood that swings one through the stars on this journey would have to be along the lines of mesmerizing and awe-inducing. Lyrical guitar runs spout off licks like lyrics on side one’s instrumental fomenter with a kit that won’t quit its on-time propulsive percussive displays. For some, this may have a few hallmarks that pin it down to some stalwarts of the American psychedelic scene, yet, it is plumbed in such a manner & fashion that the sensation is more of an amalgam futurist than cro-mag neanderthal aping. Such a mode is more prevalent on side two, and even still, when flown on the crispy wings of swelling touches in Italian symphonic progressive rock, well, it becomes another bird. Everyone dreams of the big “What if..?” - ‘What if Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis did get to do their projects together, as planned?’ - This is another side of such a wanton special delivery available.. what if Jimi got to play out on a New Trolls session?

Outcome:

A tasty smattering of some cosmic seance in a rock context; cue the 3 heathen witches.

- ~ -

::11/15 - Excellent ::

Free System Projekt & Dweller at the Threshold – Passenger 4. 2004.
Free System Projekt – Protoavis. 2004.
Free System Projekt – Gent. 2007. Of all the current bands playing in the retro Berlin Sequencer school of music, Dutch ensemble Free System Projekt may be the closest in imitating the original pioneers. Especially the Tangerine Dream variant circa 1976 to 1977. “Passenger 4” is their collaboration with the US band Dweller at the Threshold, another Berlin School proponent. DatT are bit more generic in their sound, and they provide the first track, which whizzed by without notice. FSP kicked in the second track, and my head immediately went up as the choir mellotrons and sequencers began to roar. That’s more like it! The remaining 4 tracks are a collaboration of all three members of FSP and Dave Fulton of DatT. With those odds, it should come as no surprise that FSP is the dominating force behind this effort, and that can only be viewed as a good thing. Well, enough said I think, you already know if this album is right for you. “Protoavis” is, no surprise, very similar to all the FSP works I’ve heard. There’s just a tad more ambient this go round to set the mood, and allow some build up of emotion for when ultimately the sequencers arrive, often at a frenetic pace. Another winner. “Gent” is FSP’s latest, a 73 minute recording taken from a 2005 concert in the namesake city (Gent is the Dutch spelling of Ghent). This one is slightly darker in tone, pointing towards a 1975 era Tangerine Dream, closer to “Rubycon”. For some, Free System Projekt are no doubt likely to irk purists, and state they are nothing more than plagiarists. But I don’t feel that way strangely enough. The style of music that TD laid down 30 years ago is open natured, one that can be explored in a variety of different ways. I’ve now heard all of FSP’s official releases since 2000 (including collaborations), and all seven of them have scored an 11. I’m struggling to rate these as classic due to the familiarity with others, yet they’re just too good to rate any lower. Not sure I’d be that way with a Genesis or Yes copy band, but I can live with it when talking Tangerine Dream. If they release a new album, I’m certain to pounce on it. And I’m still searching for their 90s works.