HOW TO REACH INFINITY

This has to be one of the most uncommon prog albums ever, something that I have rarely heard before, at least in such a 'one-man show' configuration. While the prog mainstay has often been highly polished instrumental extravaganzas with effective production values, the polar opposite is relatively sporadic, such as this minimalist ambient symphonic release that has as much of a relationship with prog as with alternative sub-genre shoegaze (My Bloody Valentine, The Verve, Loop, The Cure etc?), where effect-laden guitar chords and minimalist synth patterns swell into a storm of sleepy sounds, soporific, hallucinatory, subdued, contemplative and ethereal. There is an overt Pink Floyd element that surfaces on occasion, especially when a lead guitar is called for. It seems Jacques was mesmerized by a 2011 Roger Waters concert that covered "the Wall" and it turned out to be a massive 'punch in the face'. It took me a few spins to really appreciate the rather different flair presented here, it takes a specific mood to really appreciate the mellow musical quivering that multi-instrumentalist Charles Roman, son of legendary French band Pulsar mainstay Jacques Roman. He is a proficient musician, no true master of any tool but a crafty talent nevertheless. His voice is high-pitched but utterly pleasant like a cross between James Warren (of the Korgis) and Gilmour's whisper. I happen to be a huge fan of exquisite music that stands on its own merits and not some "prog by numbers" catalog of procedural wizardry. "Awakening of the Collective Unconscious" is the stellar opener, getting one in the mood, 'tout de suite'. While totally eschewing the multi-flanged odd meters and turn-on-a-dime technical prowess, here all is mood and air. Most pieces are dreamy floating clouds of achingly gorgeous melodies, some like the stellar "Fear and War" sections that are divided into 3 parts, where echoed voice, shimmering guitars flutters, minimalist keyboard carpets and light percussion combine to enchant and delight. On "Eternal Recurrence", the Gilmourian guitar and the Floydian tilt is obvious in its reverence and why not? The melody is stunning in its simplicity, a pure outlet for a sizzling lead guitar break within a glorious hymn. 'Fear and War, Part 3" actually chooses a gloomier reference, as if the fascist hammers reappear for one last march down the autobahn. A sensational track, easily a high point for this sedate, highly personal album. A piece like the achingly simple "Homeless" expresses perfectly the despair and the futility of being a nomad, a lost flotsam and jetsam in a turbulent sea, uncared for and even perhaps uncaring. The smooth organ howls gently as the siren-like voice urges some future comfort with absolute pain. Perhaps homeless is not hopeless! Then, a trembling organ rules the waves, as "Final Departure" and its companion "Unconscious of the Collective Awakening " (a reprise of the opening track) , oozes into the mind, highly hypnotic and compulsive pastoral chords overtake the listener, evoking a true sense of flight and irrevocability. The wobbly beat, jangling guitars, robotic bass and synth warbles give almost a The Cure-like feel, as the voice becomes obsessive and depressed amid the beautiful sounds. Bloody brilliant music!

Disc 2 continues the sonic voyage but suggests an even deeper inner trek, with denser atmospherics and longer tracks that truly develop the themes with added virtuosity. Also, the vocals will now take a back seat, as most tracks prefer an all-instrumental veneer. There will be series of 6-7 minute pieces that will , in my humble opinion, seal the deal. Firstly, "Never Back" has everything a Floyd fan would pine for, such as a killer melody, moody keyboard carpets, brash guitar, solid bass and tempting drumming. The vocals are urgent, beautiful, passionate and despondent. The lead guitar screams as if on fire, a familiar glow to its incandescence. Delish! The projects starts veering into another realm with the second master-stroke "Away", as it injects a forlorn acoustic guitar accompanied by a sad voice, all cotton and no candy, closer to 'Meddle' -era introversion, a sensational contemplation lush with fragility and grandiose disposition. Profound melancholia, deep psychedelics and immense talent, no hint of an impending guitar blitz. Peace. Finally the all-instrumental "Beyond Eris" gets even more glimmering, a sonic tapestry where puddly synth droplets cool the warm organ breeze, no hint of urgency whatsoever, building leisurely up to a symphonic/ambient crescendo. It's quite minimalist, yet heavy on the texture and the sublime melody blooming nonchalantly. The shoegaze reference becomes apparent here, delightful and omnipresent, pretty much to the final notes of the album.

"I Can See Andromeda" is a shorter reflection on star gazing (from your shoes to the skies) and succeeds in furthering the 'gauze', a Pulsarian ode to the fatherly influence, deeply emphatic and zooming near JM Jarre territory as its almost a synth-fest. A distant drum imitates the cosmic heartbeat. The majestic "Onion Arm" is another 8 minute vocal-less extravaganza, rivulets of liquid electric piano introduce a dejected scene, a perfectly restrained dirge of experimental space/cosmic prog, resonating deeply and with conviction. Wholly original, deeply moving and highly evocative space requiem. Then we get into the circa 17 minute, 3 part "The Pillars of Creation", a seminal section of this work, as Roman now dives head first into some serious experimental veneration, a colossal suite of highly ambient symphonics that blur the line between genres. Way more galactic than Floyd, it stretches into Jean-Michel Jarre, early Tangerine Dream, Karda Estra or Klaus Schulze territory, complete with echoed narration, as if the soundtrack to some ghostly film. This is so noble, it verges on the sublime. Synths and organs predominate, woven like some fine filigree into a cosmos of delicate sound and opaque thunder. "Inside My Little world" sums up this masterpiece quite succinctly, a fitting 'au revoir' from a musician dedicated to his muse and influenced by his genes. The gorgeous (I mean, dazzling) piano rules majestically, expressing profound feelings that go way beyond the garden variety, deeply reflective of incredible feelings of nostalgia, memories and pains. Wow! Quelle merveille!

While this is a massive collection of extremely mellow and otherwise ambient prog, it's not dulled by repetitive filler, or cynical plagiarisms. Yes, the Wall influence is there but presented in a completely personal package that is most alluring. Ideal for background music after a hard day's night, quite romantic in an afterglow-like sense, this is a phenomenal progressive work that is doomed to little accessibility for the mainstream and even the progressive rock community. That would be a massive pity! After all, Cosmos Dream shows us how to reach infinity!

5 visual universes