Wind
and
Wire
- Hermetic Science World Headquarters
- P.O. Box 486
- Loleta, California 95551-0486
- U.S.A
|
You can purchase these CDs directly from the Wind and Wire Store using the secured credit card services of CCNow. Click here for price and ordering information. |
Hermetic Science, headed by
multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Ed Macan, continue to
craft superb progressive fusion pieces yet also stretch and
flex their creative and artistic muscles in unique ways on
this, their third release. Instead of following too closely
(from a musical standpoint) on the heels of their second
album, Prophesies, Ed (playing a wide assortment of
keyboards, electronic and other, as well as vibes,
recorders, marimba and timpani) Jason Hoopes (piano, bass,
guitar and sitar), Matt McClimon (drums and percussives),
and Joe Nagy (drums and percussives), have cranked the
electronic keyboard influences up a notch or two on En
Route, while also adding touches of jazz fusion,
neo-classical, and even world music. The group even has the
moxie to start things off with a kick-ass prog version of
Gustav Holst's "Mars, The Bringer of War" (from his The
Planets), aptly subtitled "Doomsday Mix." But that's
just the beginning, folks. Inspired (mostly) by the
literary works of J.K. Huysmans (details of which abide in
the liner notes - and his writings sound plenty spooky, by
the way), the album is brimming with inventive keyboard runs
(on micromoog, Hammond organ, ARP string ensemble, piano and
harpsichord) of both a subtle and powerful style. To my
ears, this is certainly the most ambitious thing that
Hermetic Science has done, even if the more "typical" mallet
percussion (vibes and marimba) of previous recordings is
used sparingly here (admittedly, I miss it, but what's taken
its place is just as good). Describing the music, as was
the case with their debut album and Prophesies, is
maddeningly impossible to do well. Pity the poor critic that
attempts to wax eloquently (with any lucidity and
completeness) about the complexity of tracks like "Against
the Grain (Part One)" which opens with thundering moogs,
quick-fingered piano work, and a propulsive rhythm section
underneath it all. As the song evolves, the piano moves
forefront and the mood becomes darker and slower, as ARP
strings caress the song with shades of melancholy. Triangle
and vibes dance in the background as the music assumes a sad
but delicate mood. Then, "Against the Grain (Part Two)"
opens on a more characteristic (for Hermetic Science)
musical element point, i.e. jazz-fusion vibes lightly played
against a subdued rhythm track. As usual, Ed's vibe playing
is wonderful, filled with subtlety and nuance, melodic
without being too "slick" yet not pretentious
either. Some tracks here may/will
surprise fans of the group's first two albums with how
electronic keyboard-dominated things get and also how firmly
planted in progressive rock instrumental roots the songs are
(such as "Against the Grain (Part Three)). Of course, that's
a relative statement. Don't expect ELP or Yes here! This is
Ed Macan we're talkin' 'bout. Still, the rapid fire Hammond
organ on "Against the Grain (Part Four)" did put me in mind
of Vincent Crane a little, I'll admit. Which is fine with me
as I consider Death Walks Behind You (from Crane's
group Atomic Rooster) to be a fantastic album. I also love
the almost-over-the-top pipe organ opening to "LaBas (Down
There)" - it's just so deliciously full of decadence and
theatrics - but I was unprepared for the march-like rhythm
section and stinging electric guitar that enter the fray
later on. The song takes on a somber tone, almost depressing
at times, despite the rock-ish elements that frame the song.
That organ has an almost funereal quality to it. I expected
to hear Vincent Price's voice at times! Then again, the
organ also has a spiritual feel to it (having been an altar
boy, some parts of the song sounded eerily familiar to me).
It presents an enjoyable and fascinating paradox of melodic
textures. Pushing the musical envelope
later in the album, Hermetic Science veer into prog-world
fusion with the use of sitar and recorders on the aptly
titled "Raga." This is one of my favorite Hermetic Science
tracks on all three of the group's releases. Hoopes' sitar
work is admirable (not stellar but more than adequate) and
the song builds slowly from the "alap" stage of a raga to
the more uptempo periods, signaled by excellent hand
percussion work by Joe Nagy. Macan's recorder playing adds
just the right amount of melody to the proceedings, although
the the mixture of renaissance elements (recorders) with
10-string lyre, dumbek, and sitar may take some getting used
to for the timid. The mix on this track is adventurous, with
instruments seeming to completely surround the listener when
listening via headphones. Later in the track, a more
progressive fusion musical style emerges with jazz-rock
rhythms, vibes, and pounding bass guitar. The title cut closes this
innovative and exciting album. Opening with solo piano
played in a blend of classical and jazz stylings, prog
rhythms (bass and drums) take over the track, leading it
down a kinetic and cool exploration of jazz fusion at its
finest. It's a great ending selection. Ed Macan and the members of
Hermetic Science never fail to amaze me. But on En
Route, even I was caught unawares - words like
"brilliant" and "genius" would not be misplaced when
describing the music on this recording. Throwing a few new
curves our way only heightens the pleasure derived from the
group's third album. En Route is a CD to listen to
over and over, each time discovering a new riff, rhythm,
bridge or improvisation. While this music is impossible to
categorize, it's easy to love, provided you have a mind
eager for explorations into sonic terrain that encomapsses a
variety of climates - all of them exciting and fresh. This
is a recording that solidly proves the adage that a whole
can be far greater than the sum of its parts. review by
Bill Binkelman
go back to the top of the page
From mallet-percussionist extraordinaire, Ed Macan, and his band Hermetic Science, comes the follow-up to their critically acclaimed self-titled debut album. Prophesies is a deeper and more full realized excursion into progressive jazz/rock territory, with the added textures of vintage analog synthesizers (and even recorder!). As with the first album, this recording pays off big time for listeners who are ready for something different and who can set aside any prejudices they may have about mallet percussion taking the lead in a prog band setting. Myself, I was just as blown away by this CD (if not more so) than Ed and company's first venture. Once again, the album features both cover tunes and originals. The first cut is an excellent rendition of Rush's "Jacob's Ladder." Ed's playing (this time on both vibraphone and marimba) has actually gotten better, at least to my ears. There seems to be more subtlety to it. And the addition of Micro Moog and ARP synths fleshes out the sound without adding any bombast. The rhythm section (on this cut, Nate Perry or Andy Durham on bass - depending on the song - and Matt McClimon on drums/percussion) provides ample, if not sometimes inspired, backing. But this is more or less Ed's show. And rightfully so. The man can play! The centerpiece of the album is the six-part title cut (subtitled "A Suite in Six Movements"). Before that, though, I enjoyed the jazz fusion sound of "Intrigue in the House of Panorama" featuring some of Ed's best vibe work ever. The suite itself is great (and, at over forty minutes, too long to recount in detail here). Moods and tempos shift from stately to frenetic to sedate and through it all a lot of ace musicianship comes to fore. A lot of Prophesies keeps mallet percussion in the foreground, but every now and then, Ed lets the vintage keyboards take the lead. He's equally adept at both of them. While Ed's playing skill on recorder is fine, as a lead instrument it didn't do a lot for me personally. I found myself wishing the marimba or vibes or keyboards would take over the reins. Still, "Hope Against Hope" is a fine song with the recorder and cymbals performing a flitty dance of sorts, later joined by the ARP String Ensemble. "Lament" shows more daring again as Ed hangs up the mallets in favor of a Steinway! But, that's just in preparation for the album finale. That finale is an almost-twenty minute solo piano rendition of Emerson, Lake and Palmer's "Tarkus." And, as if that wasn't enough, the piece was recorded live at the Shannon Center for the Performing Arts in Whittier, California! Ed arranged the song for solo piano and did an excellent job. For a live recording, the mix is very solid. In my opinion, just transposing this for piano is enough - but to actually play the thing and do it well - LIVE, no less?! Ed Macan is either a wizard and a true star or he has sold his soul to get to this point on the spectrum. Talent to burn as a composer, performer, arranger and band leader? This guy's got it! Prophesies is an amazing vision of progressive jazz/rock and yet another solid and inventive recording from Hermetic Science. Highly Recommended, of course! review by Bill Binkelman |
go back to the top of the page
Well, one thing you must be used to by now is my personal quest to bring you music the likes of which you haven't heard before (remember my review of Cooler Heads Prevail?). Following in that esteemed tradition, I want to introduce you to the debut CD of Ed Macan's Hermetic Science (catchy name, eh?). This is one way cool CD, but as with Akira Satake's banjo-led venture, this begs description beyond the obvious&emdash;the obvious being that the lead instruments are Ed's vibes and marimba. And I can hear some of you thinking "Oh, here goes that whacked out Binkelman again!" This CD is full of some of the coolest and riskiest music on the market! For someone of my age (I'm 43) who remembers the heyday of progressive rock bands when they were huge (ELP, Yes, Triumvirat, King Crimson), this disc is both a throwback and a step forward. So, what is it like? Well, Ed plays the aforementioned mallet-instruments and he is joined by a serious kick-ass rhythm section of bass and percussion. Yes, you read me right&emdash;no guitar and no synths. Right there you know you are in for something different. But, even I didn't know how damn tasty this stuff was gonna be! The first cut, "Esau's Burden," (the songs include both originals and covers of songs by Curved Air, ELP, and even the "Mars" movement from Holst's "The Planets") is quasi-jazz rock at its finest. Ed can play some serious vibes! And his rhythm section (whose personnel varies by song) churns up a storm (in fact, the bass guitar is what sometimes brings to mind the strongest prog rock connection). The song builds, then subsides, then builds again&emdash;and hearing the main melody line on vibes is très cool, in my opinion. On "Fire Over Thule" things start out slowly (even quite pretty) but gradually rev up in a flurry that should bring to mind early King Crimson or ELP. Clocking in at over nine minutes, the song goes though several phases (as does a lot of this music) and I like it all. At the center of the disc (both figuratively and literally) is the original song "The Sungazer" which borrows the King Crimson concept of breaking a song into "named" parts (in this case, "Refractions," "The Cathedral of Trees" and "Into the Light"). It's a great suite of sounds that morphs like crazy, always anchored by the threesome of Ed's mallet instruments, drums, and bass. I'm not going to tell you that this is for everyone. I really dug it, though. While I love ambient, space, and all the rest of the music that usually crosses my desk, when something this different and daring comes along, it's mondo refreshing. It's a kick to hear real drums and bass for a change! And I have always loved vibes (Gary Burton is the man!). So, maybe Ed Macan's Hermetic Science is tailor-made for someone like me. But, if you are adventurous and want something that rocks a bit, albeit without guitar, this is a really good recording! You have not lived til you've heard "Mars, The Bringer of War" on vibes and marimba&emdash;trust me! review by Bill Binkelman |