ITOIZ

In comparison to other European nations, 70s Spanish prog is a much rarer breed and for obvious reasons as it wasn't until Franco's death in 1975 that the nation could finally join the rest of the world in such luxuries as creating art rock for example yet despite the peak prog years waning around 1974, Spaniards didn't miss a beat and cranked out some brilliant contributions to the prog world in the latter part of the 1970s. If Spanish prog is rare then prog from the Basque region (of both Spain and France) in the Basque language is an even rarer find indeed. One of the first Basque bands to delve in the world of progressive music was ITOIZ from the northern coastal city of Mutriku near San Sebastian.

This band had its roots in the wedding music band Indar Trabes that forged its way through the early 70s but the young enthusiasts' goal was to make progressive music so fast forward a few years and the band ITOIZ was officially born in 1974 and in 1978 the self-titled debut establishes the band as one of the very first Basque speaking prog bands in all of Spain. While the lineup had changed throughout the band's run which began as a progressive folk rock band and ended as a cheesy pop one, the members on this debut included Juancarlos Perez (vocals and guitar), Jose Garate (bass and vocals), Antton Fernandez (keyboards), Joseba Erkiaga (flute) and Estanis Osinalde (drums). Following in the footsteps of other Basque proggers such as Errobi and Haizea, the eponymously titled debut release found a warm reception from critics but unfortunately the extremely limited reach of the Basque language prevented a larger exposure.

This album featured eight strong tracks at just over 40 minutes of playing time and revolved around a mix of Basque folk, jazz and symphonic progressive rock. The lyrics are said to be somewhat whimsical but as a non-speaker of the Basque language (which is an isolate unrelated to any other European language), i'll have to take that on faith. The individuals tracks are all rather dreamy in their approach but some like "Astelehen Urdin Batean" feature more jazz-influenced prog workouts while others such as " Zati Txiki Bat La M'En" and "Lau Teilatu" are primarily set to Basque folk mode. The highlight for those looking for the more progressive workouts has to be the two part "Hilzori" which together constitute over 10 minutes of the album's playing time and features the most demanding prog rock workouts with lots of beautiful flute runs as well as more sophisticated keyboard action.

One of the most distinct features of the album is Juan Carlos Pérez' rather laid back vocal style which adds to the rather low key approach of the album. In some ways it has a rather undynamic feel as if it matches the rather abstract album cover but perhaps that comes from the fact that the language precludes all but Basque speakers from comprehending the actual meanings of the songs. The instrumental interplay on the other hand is fairly well established and the band plays together quite well with alternating segments between folk and rock with simpler passages merging into the more sophisticated complexities with ease. The keyboard tones are widespread with various examples of piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond and other synthesizers. The flute playing has been compared to Jethro Tull but i really don't hear any influences from English bands whatsoever and seriously who doesn't compare every band with a flute to Jethro Tull?

While i wouldn't call ITOIZ the cream of the crop of Spanish prog, this debut album is definitely a joy to listen to. It's definitely folk rock but on the mellow more restrained side of the spectrum. It's a sensually delicate album that excels in the subtleties without ever getting too wild and crazy as if the band was afraid to offend their heritage by using the traditional folk melodies. ITOIZ wasn't the first of the Basque prog acts to emerge but it is one of the most popular from the era and remained on a prog kick for a few more albums before doing what most prog bands did in the 80s and that was convert to radio friendly pop songs which didn't exactly suit this band but despite it all the band released albums all throughout the 80s before finally disbanding in 1989. This along with the following "Ezekiel" are the best the band had to offer though.

3.5 but not quite strong enough to round up