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review by Dene Bebbington Okay, so you probably know by now that Free System Projekt are a retro group who do 1970s Tangerine Dream style music, often better than TD did! In which case it'll come as no surprise to learn that Protoavis is another trip into the spacey and sequency territory from that era so beloved by many. The music on this album actually dates back to 2001 since the first of the three tracks was recorded at the Hampshire Jam of that year. The other two are studio recordings from 2003 and 2004. Thematically this album takes the listener back into geological time as the title refers to a prehistoric bird, and the title of the first track refers to a sea in Mesozoic times. A reverbing synth sounding a tad like a swarm of bees gets "In the Ocean of Tethys". It's only a few minutes in before we then hear those mournful flute sounds performing a melody which could be taking the listener to inner or outer space depending on his wont. Just over a third of the way through a Rubycon-esque sequencing line starts up but with a more modern metallic feel than the TD original. Coming next is the title track (also the longest at over thirty seven minutes) on which various effects give the impression of following the Protoavis bird on it's activities through a prehistoric world. A little over twenty minutes in and the obligatory sequencing starts up, and at this point one can imagine the board soaring over the Earth looking for a new place to hunt for food. Finishing off the album is the shortest track named "Desolate Landscape"; by this point the listener has a good idea what to expect - atmospheric synths leading up to sequencing which winds down before the denouement. Protoavis is chock full (it clocks in at over seventy four minutes) of nostalgia inducing sounds but also has its own identity. I recommend it, especially to those who can't get enough of mid-1970s Tangerine Dream style electronic music. |
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