SLEEPING WORLD

This female, multi-instrumentalist from Greece has quite impressed me. Her debut EP "Sleeping World" is impressive from the start just because she wrote it, plays everything, sings, and produced it. She did it all herself, and so that is out of the ordinary.

However, the neat thing is: This EP is quite good. The artist, Olivia, has a great voice that she is not afraid to use in unconventional ways. She does things I never thought I'd hear a female vocalist do. On the other hand, the guitars have bite, the drumming is proggy, and the keys create a great ambiance and atmosphere. On top of that, there are wonderful melodies and some rather original song structures that I found tantalizing. This is a great prog album---no doubt about that. Not only does she do everything, she does everything WELL.

So, I hope to hear more from OH. I hope others check out this EP (it's on Spotify), and I hope she gets some exposure. She's done a great job of distinguishing herself.

Writing, arranging and producing everything herself, Olivia Hadjiioannou displays an enviable array of talents on this EP entitled "Sleeping World". It doesn't stop there, as she also provides vocals and plays all the instruments: guitar, bass and violin to name a few. You could be forgiven for thinking that stretching across so many facets would invariably lead to a weak point; it doesn't. This is a terrific EP and hopefully the first of many releases from this artist.

Thematically the EP revolves around some of the struggles of modern life in our rapidly changing society. Olivia delivers the lyrics in a range of styles, from soulful and moody to strident and at times raw and unrestrained. And when she cranks it up, it's verging on spine tingling.

In terms of instrumentation, there's beautiful acoustic guitar and some great heavier riffing, and a smattering of smokin' lead as well. There's also a few catchy synth hooks, such as the one featured in "Have You Ever", which is probably my favourite track. On this song Olivia ramps it up with some chugging distorted guitar and those amazing vocals. This is definitely one of the proggier tracks and also features some interesting percussion to add some flavour.

While there's definitely plenty for prog fans to take away from this EP, there's also no shortage of mainstream appeal and I wouldn't be surprised if there are big things in store for OH.

Gems sparkle brighter when things are tough

24 minutes is enough to understand that here we deal with a very talented individual, who not only composes and performs all her music by herself, but also arranges all aspects and produces the final result in a very professional manner. The statement is pretty clear: a Sleeping World that needs to wake up before it's too late.

The EP boasts of pure feelings and dynamism, projecting at the same time the enthusiasm of a young artist and the maturity of an accomplished composer with clear goals. Sleeping World, although immersed in a pool of generally accessible and mainstream pop prog music, displays moods of anger, rebellion and a sense of change, within the relatively simple but emotionally strong lyrics.

The biggest assets in this EP are Olivia's diverse voice, who seems able to sing in any style, and the very careful and polished mixing and general production of the album, which in itself is a skill and lifts off Olivia's compositions. Although constantly maintaining a mainstream character, the music itself ranges from pop (Trials, Forget It), to heavy electro rock, blends elements of symphonic prog, metal and ethnic among others! Comparisons have been made to Kate Bush and Tori Amos, but there is so much here that can be said about influences: I can hear the pop side of Paradise Lost (opening track) and Florence and the Machine at the same time, Mandylion-era The Gathering (Banned by the Deep) and all the beauty of symphonic prog in the simple, yet moving, I am the Pleasure, dominated by acoustic guitars. Add to the above the very smart use of violin, which is spot on and adds an element of grandeur to the project, and you end up with a very promising result.

The tracks have an average duration of 4 minutes and simple structure (possibly the only thing that might disappoint a hardcore prog fan) but this is counterbalanced by the life that has been injected into them. A great promise for Greek progressive music, and in making it appeal to wider audiences.

3.5 stars

Highlights: Banned by the Deep, I am the Pleasure