HYPOTHESIS [AKA: VISIONS OF THE FUTURE]

This early album of Vangelis is really unusual in his huge discography. Instead of being just a solo album with some additional guests, we have here a free-jazz quartet in which each member plays his solos and riffs as in every jazz quartet.

With enough attention some elements that will later become part of the "usual" Vangelis music are already present, but the first side is simply a jam session.

The things change on the B side that's more spacey and psychedelic. The electronic noises seem to come from a SciFi movie of the 60s (Forbidden Planet as example). It reminds to his most controversial album Invisible Connections.

After this chaotic beginning the music turns to folky (in the Greek sense). While the bass insists with a repetitive line the band plays something very close to early Magma. Vangelis was often in France during these years. Four minutes more and we are on the chaotic chords of Nucleogenesis. The change follows few seconds of silence. There's not a transition, like they were different movements. After a bit of chaos the violin plays an unstructured melody over a jazz base. This is one of the best moments of the album. Initially melancholic, it goes back to cold jazz airs when the drumming becomes parossistic.

Whoever has a deep knowledge of Vangelis music will recognize sounds and athmospheres that he will reuse later. This makes this album very interesting for fans.

It's a short album: about 35 minutes in total, and I think that it has been recently re-released together with "The Dragon" on a single CD.

In terms of rating it would be 4 stars for fans, but also Krautrockers, Zeuhl and Avant fans can find it good. Being non-essential for the rest of the world I'd say 3 stars only.