EXOGENESIS

Eloy Fritsch is one of the most important names in contemporary Progressive Rock in Brazil. He's the leader and keyboard player of Apocalypse (progarchives.com/artist.asp? id=23) that has been active for more than 25 years. He's also a music professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and has a book about Electronic music. His solo career is steeped in New Age, instrumental and electronic music, influenced by artists such as Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre, Isao Tomita and Rick Wakeman.

Exogenesis (2012) is his tenth studio album, produced, composed, performed and recorded by the musician in his own home studio and released by Dreaming Records, a division of Musea Records.

After listening to Exogenesis (2012) I can clearly say two things: first, the album goes on the Progressive Electronic path with a touch of New Age. Second: it is not really possible to listen to the album in a 'track-by-track' style. The songs are all linked together as a one piece of 60 minutes long. The album has several small climax that need lots of careful listening. A small trip I can say.

Eloy Fritsch is an experienced musician and his experiments with instrumental music, electronics and environment always bring interesting ideas like in this CD. With this album he puts into practice the proposal to make a journey through the history of the universe, from its genesis to a time much later than ours. The unknown and 'dangerous' future.

Now one thing has to be said, the artwork of Exogenesis (2012) perfectly matches the concept. The space image created by the Polish artist Maciej Rebisz is simply beautiful. Very original in the front cover and booklet. And following the footsteps of Roger Dean in the back cover designed by Mirek Drozd.

Using layers and layers of keyboards, synthesizers, samples and computer effects, the songs vary according to the main theme. Like in the special 'Neutron Star', through the tribal rhythms of 'Mayan Temple', the ethereal and atmospheric moments in 'Far Above The Clouds' and 'The Sea Of Ice Enceladus' until the end of the journey with 'The Immensity Of The Cosmic Ocean'.

An album well made. If you're a Progressive Electronic fan you can just focus all your attention and let yourself travel in Eloy's atmospheric trips because the music itself allows you to create a whole movie in your own head.

A few days ago ELOY FRITSCH (Former leader of the excellent Brazilian band Apocalypse) was suggested to Symphonic, immediately heard the samples provided and was obvious for the team and myself that this music had no connection with Symphonic but has an evident influence from Electronic Prog, so sponsored his addition to Prog Related and after a couple days was admitted by the Administrator's Team.

Still with curiosity, went to a virtual store and bought Exogenesis a decent album that didn't completely disappointed me (I didn't expected too much to be honest), absolutely different to what the Brazilian musician made with the Symphonic band Apocalypse but consistent with my first impression of his solo work. The music is some sort of New Age, Space Rock and Electronic Prog influenced combo, with more than evident VANGELIS influence. It's also evident that ELOY has an excellent technique and pristine style, but has a weakness in the originality department.

The album can't be reviewed in song-by-song bases, because the tracks are there almost exclusively for order purpose, because it's a 60 minutes complete musical piece that has to be listened as an integral work rather than divided in a way that would never make sense.

Anyway, I will mention the four parts Exogenesis four parts suite, a work that reminds me of Albedo 0.39 with all those space and electronic sounds, but Part IV seems like an unknown fragment taken from the Oxygène sessions.

Let's be honest, the music is good and played with dexterity by an educated and talented keyboardist, but very unimaginative, sounding like a collage of music from other New Age/Electronic/Space authors all pieced together to create a new concept. Interesting, but not my cup of tea, being that he offers nothing new, except maybe for the pompous and brilliant Mayan Temple that rises the level of the album despite the New "Agey" concept.

Until this track I was tempted to go with 2 stars, but being that Exogenesis has some excellent passages that save the abundant weak ones, will go with 3 stars...For followers of the genre or nostalgic JARRE and VANGELIS fans.