ASTRO SONIC

Astro Sonic is a Scandinavian project of three well-known musicians from the underground landscape of Norwegian Jazz Rock / Fusion, who already came out thanks to their membership in very interesting bands. The collaboration of their three members has created in 2008 the beginning of this new project, and since that time they honed their musical techniques to give life to this album "Come Closer And I'll Tell You". Personally I consider Norway and in general all Scandinavian Countries particular places where the cult of music is still alive, especially for experimentation (that I consider the real creative soul of Prog) and the taste for good music. Whit this pure conception of music Astro Sonic goes to explore the chances that music offers, scattering here and there music's boundaries, with a pioneering point of view in terms of research of experimental sonorities. In fact this album is the result of a kind of experiment in which 9 tracks are completely improvised, under especially affinity created among musicians. The other remaining tracks to complete the album are written one by Erlend Slettevoll (Analogue Karma) and one by Rune Nergaard (437, 7 Days).

For its characteristic aptitude for experimentation "Come Closer And I'll Tell You" has not a particular continuity or a definite structure, in fact it was recorded in two days (from 10th to 12th November 2011) and released only in 2013. It can be considered rather a new experience where three multi-instrumentalists pulled the plug from their relative bands to give voice to their creative side. Despite their curriculum worthy of note in regard to alternative Jazz Rock this album has no obvious Jazz moments, if not for some atmosphere or for rhythmic. The members are Erlend Slettevoll on synths (Grand General, The Core), Rune Nergaard on bass (Marvel Machine) and Gard Nillssen on drums ("Susanne Sundfør", "Lord Kelvin"). The sound, as we already said, is based on the improvisation. Are explored and stripped of their usual dress the fields of Ambient, Avant-garde, Electronic, Krautrock, Synth and some touch of Space Rock. Sometimes it seems to hear sounds of transforming robot or machines working and moving their mechanic arms.

After an opening in Floydian style ("Retrodynamics") there are two beautiful songs that transmit really an idea of a hypothetic future controlled by machines. "Orbiter" silently introduces Slettevoll's skills with synth in an atmosphere intimate, as if it was really played in orbit. Sometimes it appears in my mind the memory of 2001 A Space Odissey. "The Electric Airbag Police" is another beautiful song, and despite it is improvised it results really whole, complete with electronic soundscapes very interesting. A clear krautrock passage is into "437,7 Days", remembering Popol Wuh's Aguirre atmospheres. Continues the experimental excursus with a mix of electronic passages, synth and crazy rhythmic in songs such as "Magnavox" and "The Shell Falls Rapidly And Splashes Into The Sea", and then with "Lander", "Shoal" and "No Satisfaction At All". At this point there is my favorite song (despite is excellent the entire album) "Analogue Karma" that catapults me back in my mental archive remembering me Radiohead's Kid A period. An introspective moment to pleasantly appreciate this imaginary world and to fantasize for a little more. Ends the album "Fairy Queen", an apocalyptic march into this mixture of musical influences before to realize that has passed only 35 minutes!

Really an interesting experiment played by three expert musicians. Many many influences for a work pure and primordial in terms of creativity. I can't say it is essential, at least not for everyone, but I must say it needs to be listened to loud! Surely I put it in my own collection.

3,5 Stars ... Waiting for a more complete album.