What a Crazy Concept!
kansasken | 08/16/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"How many bands debut with a concert DVD? How many bands package a CD with a full blown DVD? Well, 10T Records believes enough in this hot prog/fusion band from Uzbekistan to do just that.
You never know where great music is going to pop up, but most fans would probably not expect a prog fusion band of this calibre would come from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, but such is the case with Fromuz, a name derived from their point of origin (From UZ).
This is the debut from this instrumental Uzbek quartet, recorded and filmed live, (though the audience applause has been removed from the CD tracks, sounding like a studio recording. Fromuz prove themselves to be first rate players with much versatility. From Fromuz (track 2) runs the gamut, beginning in jazz/fusion, segueing into guitar blues, followed by some blistering guitar work and then later through some classic jazz keyboard styling with walking bass, before returning to the original theme and sound. The sound quality throughout the DVD is excellent, which is sometimes a complaint I have with live recordings, but not here. Everything is crystal clear.
As a band, their sound is very fresh and crisp. It is somewhat difficult to put a label on their music, because they move fluidly from style to style, sound to sound. Comparisons to Djam Karet and even Gordian Knot could be made, but the similarities are transitory. The music of Fromuz resembles them in their ever shifting compositions, yet the band definitely retains a flavor of their homeland. Certainly there are flavors in this delicious recipe from Badirov's "Greetings from Nostradamus" and Al-Bird's "Sodom & Gomorrah XXI", yet Fromuz remain distinctly themselves. Gameplay Imitation is the track whence the DVD (subtitled "Playing the Imitation") derives its name. During this track, Popeloff and Khalmurzayev leave their instruments, draw back the gauze curtain and proceed to mime a game of chess over a cube that is painted like a die on 5 sides, but like a chessboard on the 6th. Remark #12 is an acoustic guitar strum-fest, which provides a bit of a breather for the audience from the complexity of the music thus far. Indeed, it is played while Khalmurzayev, Badirov and Mara-Novik wet their whistles at a table off to one side while Popeloff plays solo. The ending has a nice slow motion fade as Spare Wheel gets rolling with its funky bass and drums intro before Khalmurzayev's synthesizer solo establishes the infectious theme, which I have found going through my head numerous times since I first viewed the concert. This is a high-energy number, which goes through numerous sections, Khalmurzayev and Popeloff trading the spotlight. Dual Ad Libitum is just as the title implies, ad-libbed, with two players, Popeloff and Badirov. The track opens with flowing chords and the sound of blowing wind. Popeloff is playing a guitar synth sounding like keyboard for the first phase. Badirov meanwhile is playing a variety of percussion, including cowbell and cymbal, whose pitches are altered by partial immersion in water. Visually, this is one of the more interesting tracks, particularly due to Badirov's constant moving from instrument to instrument: congas, bodhran, small chimes, shakers and even something that looks like a helmet which he drums barehanded. Popeloff uses a variety of sampled sounds, even some that sound like breathy exhalations and vocalizations, besides the synthesizer-like keyboard (remember, this is the guitarist) to produce the melodies which play cat and mouse with Badirov's percussion. The shots of the players are occasionally superimposed and inter-cut with artsy, grainy graphics: degraded type, sometimes numbers and geometric shapes on a distressed field of blue or illegible alphabets over warm hues of orange and sienna. The drumming is excellent. Familiarization Results is another high-energy piece that moves kaleidoscopically through sections of various themes and tempos. This is another track, which should delight fans of LTE, with the frequent changes and John Petrucci-like guitar work. The playing is extremely tight in its precision, yet very fluid. A beautiful classical theme, played by strings via Khalmurzayev's keys, opens Harry Heller Theater. The pastoral setting doesn't last long, though, as a heavy, driving percussion with tape loops of crowd sounds sets up for a the next section, a soulful guitar solo. This piece is, as the saying goes, as changeable as the weather.
Visually, the concert is shot from a variety of angles (as noted above), sometimes through a course, gauzy curtain (eventually drawn), which hangs between the band and audience. Slow motion and delay effects are used a bit too frequently, when I would have preferred to see more real time playing. The lighting is ever shifting and gives a good feeling of being at a live performance, which many of us may never have the good fortune to attend. (I would love for Fromuz to come to the States for some of the Prog Festivals.)
Since there is no spoken interaction recorded between the band and the audience, the viewer is left to just the music. Badirov has much charisma working his drum kit and assorted percussion. He exudes joy through his playing. Popeloff has a quiet intensity in his playing, moving freely around the stage, relaxed and apparently enjoying himself and the interaction with his bandmates. Mara-Novik comes across like George Harrison, the quiet Fromuz. His stage presence is confident and assured, but unassuming in nature. Khalmurzayev, wearing a neckerchief, appears to be the most flamboyant of the group, seeming to enjoy his time at center stage during the act with the chessboard, but then, this should be no surprised as he is a trained actor involved with theater in Tashkent. In any event, it is obvious that this is a group of musicians serious about their craft, who enjoy sharing their talents with the crowd.
This is extremely fresh Prog/Fusion, chocked full of tempo/time changes, with lots of variety in style. It should be a sure pleaser of fans of Dream Theater (without the dark and heavy sound), Spock's Beard and LTE, or on the other side of the Atlantic, the Alexander Kostarev Group or Lost World. This is definitely in the vanguard of the new prog sound with top-notch improvisation within interestingly structured compositions ranging in power and precision. Fromuz is inventive and yet also pull in some of the ethnic flavor of their region. There is just a touch of Symphonic Prog (some soaring melodies that should please fans of that brand of prog) and dashes of standard and fusion jazz. I highly recommend this outing."
Eclectic
Faeqa Alsadeqi | Manama, Bahrain | 03/18/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is for those of you who prefer instrumental works to vocals. Fromuz's music is fusion at its best. People who are into progressive rock or melodic rock might not like it as much, but if you like Ponty's "Imaginary Voyage" or the Liquid Tension" CD's you will like this band.
The music is original and put together well and as the band states on the cover, they combine elements ranging from jazz to electronic music. Technically, the band members are excellent and in par with most of the well known virtuosos. The music gets a bit tedious towards the middle, but then picks up. It was also nice to have a DVD included with the CD.
All in all, I enjoyed it. I recommend it. After all, it is not everyday that we hear music from Uzbekistan."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1