CINEMATOGRAAF

In 1996 Tomas Bodin (known as The Flower Kings keyboard player) released his first solo album entitled An Ordinary Night In My Ordinary Life. Meanwhile he has produced six other solo studio albums, his latest effort from 2015 was entitled She Belongs To Another Tree. To be honest, I am not up to The Flower Kings their music, but a fellow EManiac recommended me his fifth solo album. He said that he was sure that it would please me, as a fan of Seventies Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze. Well, indeed, I was very pleasantly surprised during my first musical encounter with Tomas Bodin solo, indeed this is interesting for EManiacs.

1. An Ocean in Between (13.50) : After a sound collage and a spacey climate with soaring synthesizers (in the vein of Larry Fast his early Synergy music), we can enjoy wonderful Grand piano that turns the sound into a warm blend of classical - and electronic music. Then a shifting mood that to me sounds as a variation on On The Run by Pink Floyd, but more subdued and featuring pleasant synthesizer flights. After a sumptuous interlude with orchestral keyboards the final part delivers a beautiful blend of Grand piano, synthesizers and flute-Mellotron.

2. A Spanish Ballerina In Love (19.37) : First an ominous atmosphere with tasteful synthesizers, especially the lush strings-sound is wonderful. Then again we can enjoy a blend of Grand piano and synthesizers, gradually the sound turns into more bombastic with majestic swelling keyboards and in between sounds like the didgeridoo. The music culminates in an experimental part, followed by sumptuous keyboards with snare-drum, church organ, sparkling Grand piano and choir-Mellotron eruptions, a delicious, mouthwatering vintage keyboard sound.

3. Six Six Six (18.34) : After soaring keyboards and swelling synthesizer the music features bombastic synthesizers and a propulsive rhythm with hypnotizing drums, followed by a lush blend of percussion and synthesizers. The rest of this captivating composition contains a flood of exciting moments: from majestic Grand piano, heavy choir-Mellotron and a propulsive rhythm with flashy synthesizer runs and church-organ to sensational Keith Emerson inspired synthesizers, wonderful work on the Mellotron (flute ' and choir section) and a dreamy final part with Grand piano, synthesizers and Mellotron.

What a captivating blend of electronic music and symphonic rock, highly recommended.