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░ ██ ██ Artist: Karmakanic ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Dot █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-01-03 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Inside Out Music ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ This time, Jonas Reingold added plenty of █
█ musicians to help him make this album, a concept █
█ about the evolution of the universe. We are in the █
█ usual style of symphonic prog rock that doesn't █
█ shy away from the Jazz and the heavy prog which █
█ gives to the music both vintage and modern sound. █
█ It starts really in a big fashion with the epic █
█ "God The Universe and...." 24 minutes of pure █
█ symphonic prog going into different moods with █
█ crunchy guitars, delicate piano and that Jonas █
█ tasty fretless bass. The vocals are beautiful with █
█ a lot of vocalists contributing. "Higher ground" █
█ starts innocently but take a rather heavy twist in █
█ the middle to end peacefully with those vocals █
█ harmonies. "Steer By the Stars" is the most █
█ standard rock song of the album, nothing █
█ groundbreaking, a little breather nothing more. █
█ "Travelling Minds" starts with some piano and █
█ bass, a smooth intro that gets a little more █
█ intense for a short time in the Yes accessible █
█ style. The second part of God The Universe and..." █
█ brings back the more heavy stuff of the beginning █
█ of the album with that Flower Kings influence █
█ nothing surprising here. Not a perfect album, but █
█ enough good music to satisfy the Karmakanik fans. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Full disclosure: I have been a massive Karmakanic █
█ fan since a friend introduced me to ôEntering the █
█ Spectraö in 2002. The rest was personal musical █
█ history because I have been in love with this █
█ Swedish band ever since, and the love has grown █
█ with every release. 2003Æs ôWheel of Lifeö stands █
█ out for me as one of the greatest Progressive Rock █
█ albums of all time. ItÆs no surprise, then, that █
█ I, and many others, have been looking forward to █
█ the new album ôDotö with huge anticipation. But I █
█ have tried to write this review not as the █
█ Karmakanic fan that I admittedly am, but rather █
█ with whatever objectivity and distance I can █
█ muster. █
█ The core band is imperious bassist/producer Jonas █
█ Reingold, vocalist G÷ran Edmann, keyboardist Lalle █
█ Larsson and drummer Morgan ┼gren. It goes without █
█ saying that they, and all their accompanying █
█ guests, are dazzling, world-class musicians. █
█ Enough about that û letÆs determine how ôDotö █
█ stands up in the context of all this expectation. █
█ First song ôDotö is a series of cosmic sound █
█ effects, introducing the albumÆs thematic context █
█ (that the Earth is just a tiny dot in the universe █
█ and humanityÆs conflicts are insignificant in the █
█ greater scheme of things). It is a sonic prelude █
█ that builds to the opening of the magnum opus that █
█ is ôGod, the Universe and Everything No-one Cares █
█ About Part 1ö. █
█ When Karmakanic create a long-form composition, █
█ they donÆt mess around. ôGodàPart 1ö, at almost 24 █
█ minutes, has everything an authentic Prog epic █
█ should have, and then some. Imagine a soundtrack █
█ to the journey of a 25th century spaceship █
█ exploring the cosmos with a message for and from █
█ Planet Earth, encountering interstellar danger, █
█ beauty, mystery, conflict, wonder, mayhem and █
█ revelation. It starts with a gentle piano riff █
█ (that begins this song and also ends the album.) █
█ ReingoldÆs signature fretless sound provides the █
█ foundation for the intro, and EdmanÆs immediately █
█ recognizable voice sets the lyrical scene. Matters █
█ become surprisingly heavy quite early after the █
█ first verse, followed by a fat vocal bridge in █
█ 14/8 timing. Then the core compositional theme is █
█ presented in Baroque guitar, flute, keyboard, █
█ fretless bass and who knows what else, until the █
█ vocal progression gives way to a gentle middle █
█ section that is breathtaking in its beauty. █
█ Literally ôlost in spaceö, it changes key and █
█ builds with intent. References to the Milky Way, █
█ cosmic dust and the carrying of the human message █
█ ôfar and wideö, lead back to the refrain, only █
█ this time presented in colossal symphonic █
█ grandeur. A frantic jazzy keyboard solo in █
█ impossible timing gives way to what sounds almost █
█ like a childrenÆs choir ôat the edge of the worldö █
█ (no doubt in reality backing vocalists Christine █
█ Lenk and Alex and Norah Reingold) that then █
█ combines into a syncopated instrumental Prog █
█ extravaganza, such that only Karmakanic could █
█ deliver. █
█ ItÆs complex, itÆs interesting, itÆs provocative █
█ and itÆs challenging. And itÆs fantastic. Filled █
█ with melodic and rhythmic complexity, peaks and █
█ troughs, highs and lows, weight and light, stabs, █
█ rests, solos and surprises, ôGodàPart 1ö has █
█ everything, and every passage is new and musically █
█ fulfilling. Myriad moods abound in this █
█ masterpiece, so that just when you think you have █
█ grasped it, a new surprise awaits you. The lyric █
█ ôa stone is still a stone, a rose is still a roseö █
█ re-introduces Edman and the thematic context, and █
█ this glorious monster of a composition finally █
█ ends with the core lyric of the albumÆs theme ôWe █
█ are all just nothingàö Fabulous. █
█ Third song ôHigher Groundö is a brilliant piece of █
█ melodic Prog in which Nils EriksonÆs lustrous █
█ voice is given centre stage. Every musician in █
█ this band is an absolute virtuoso, and that just █
█ cannot be ignored, but EriksonÆs lead vocals are █
█ never to be underestimated in this context. █
█ Without his immaculate voice, the instrumental █
█ exploits of his band-mates would not bear the █
█ illusion of accessibility that KarmakanicÆs █
█ complexity deceptively also offers. His voice is █
█ at once rich, smooth and melodic. It is also █
█ unique û I canÆt imagine Karmakanic without him. █
█ The chorus is so utterly gorgeous as to extract █
█ tears from the listener, and the song then builds █
█ to an understated but hugely emotional crescendo. █
█ A pastoral acoustic guitar structure appears in █
█ the middle, and it is appropriate, since it is a █
█ backdrop to a lyric of exploration for a better █
█ life of freedom. Another intense keyboard solo █
█ over a thundering Reingold bass-line overwhelms █
█ the listener. Then a sweet keyboard melody gives █
█ way to an intentionally distorted guitar that █
█ morphs into smooth and spacey electric lead solo █
█ and ultimately, EriksonÆs lonely climax of ôhere █
█ we stand in no manÆs landö. It ends the song with █
█ huge, heart-wrenching resolve. This song is so █
█ pleasing and well-constructed that it could be a █
█ sonic multi-layered gourmet dessert with extra █
█ cream offered to a hungry child. Prepare to want █
█ more. █
█ Fourth song ôSteer by the Starsö is a surprising █
█ highlight of the album for me. It has a █
█ straight-ahead feel based on uplifting pop █
█ melodies with soaring harmonies and a strong hook. █
█ My head was bobbing up and down within seconds. I █
█ donÆt ever dance, but if ever there were a song to █
█ get me to do so, this would be it. Melodic █
█ Prog-pop rich in harmonies and brilliant █
█ instrumentation based on a simple yet somehow not █
█ uncomplicated premise. Call it the Karmakanic █
█ paradox if you will û this is a fine example of █
█ the very best of the music that anyone can love. █
█ It is just jaw-droppingly beautiful and ends on an █
█ a capella vocal harmony counterpoint with a nod of █
█ respect for Gentle Giant. If there are those that █
█ believe Karmakanic are always grandiose and █
█ overblown but never simple or understated, this █
█ song will put them right. Brilliant, uplifting and █
█ gorgeous. Oh, and itÆs in 4/4 timing. █
█ That unmistakable fretless bass once again █
█ introduces fifth song ôTravelling Mindsö. The core █
█ theme reprises, only this time at the hands of the █
█ bass maestro. Before long the song explodes into a █
█ full, slow, bluesy expedition that one feels would █
█ not be out of place on a Yes album in their █
█ heyday. öWeÆre dreamers, weÆre seekers, weÆre █
█ travelling onàWeÆre travelling fast on the road to █
█ desolation. But we have a choiceàshare some █
█ lightàreject the night.ö It is big, grand, █
█ symphonic and intensely moving. █
█ Final piece ôGod, the Universe and Everything Else █
█ No-one Really Cares About û Part IIö completes █
█ this astonishing journey of introspection with a █
█ massive symphonic and vocal re-examination of the █
█ core theme, bringing us back in glorious fashion █
█ to the original delicate piano riff that began █
█ ôPart Iö. It is so intensely beautiful and emotive █
█ that I was genuinely moved to tears. The song is █
█ grandiose, challenging, melodic, and rich, and is █
█ a perfect end to a consummate album. The last █
█ note, a solitary, plaintive piano chord of hope, █
█ left me pleading internally for more. █
█ Is ôDotö as ground-breaking as 2003Æs ôWheel of █
█ Lifeö? Probably not. Are its arrangements quite as █
█ jaw-dropping as 2008Æs ôWhoÆs The Boss In the █
█ Factoryö? No. But that doesnÆt mean it disappoints █
█ û not in the slightest. On the contrary, this █
█ release is a clear contender for Album of the █
█ Year. █
█ Karmakanic, as musicians, were moved by new █
█ questions and emotions when they created this █
█ album, and you can hear it. █
█ Thus, in addition to the now familiar stellar █
█ musicianship of each band-member, ôDotö also █
█ offers something new that is just as valuable as █
█ KarmakanicÆs famous virtuosity û a beautiful, █
█ philosophical melancholy that Karmakanic have █
█ never fully exposed before; an existentialist █
█ examination of life, the world, and a musical █
█ reflection on how small our problems and conflicts █
█ really are in the greater scheme of things. (Who █
█ knew that Jonas Reingold was such a philosopher? █
█ IsnÆt it enough to be the best bassist in the █
█ world?) ôDotö reveals a something more █
█ contemplative, but just as pleasing, as █
█ KarmakanicÆs previous offerings, while never █
█ detracting from the melodies, remarkable █
█ time-signatures and jazzy Prog arrangements that █
█ the band is known for. █
█ Quite predictably, I adore every second of this █
█ album. Again, I am myself, and that self is a huge █
█ Karmakanic fan. But honestly, it will not make any █
█ difference that you are not me. If you love Prog, █
█ if you love beauty, if you appreciate stellar █
█ musicianship, if you are remotely interested in █
█ music that will move you deeply, you cannot fail █
█ to love Karmakanic and ôDotö. Simply sublime. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Dot 1:02 ░
░ 2. God the Universe and Everything Else No 23:45 ░
░ One Really Cares About - Part I ░
░ 3. Higher Ground 10:10 ░
░ 4. Steer by the Stars 4:22 ░
░ 5. Traveling Minds 4:59 ░
░ 6. God the Universe and Everything Else No 5:57 ░
░ One Really Cares About - Part II ░
░ 50:15 ░
░ ▒ ▒
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