BRILLIANT STREAMS

First I wanna say I love the word Brilliant Streams and always this word seems to be a cup of freshly-flavoured tea for me.

Indeed there are full of Yoh's intelligence and stubbornness (of course good meaning for us music lovers) for constructing the work. But simultaneously there are lots of talents in the ASTURIAS and they can make the work really brilliantly streaming, I consider. The mainstream of their songs is pre-programmed sound and the members can cover the sound with their terrific play. Especially, believe me, could you let me say Kazumi's drumming and percussion play is superb? Without his strict rhythm sense, we can't realize this album as its name. :-)

The first track Highland can let us feel nicely-tasted cold water in a river somewhere. In the song, piano, keyboard, guitars, and percussion...all instrumentals are exploded to be really clear and fresh. At the same time, we can feel the hardness to live on the land. This song also has such a melancholic face, I always think.

Next track Nostalgia absolutely has a nostalgic atmosphere with classical piano play, strings, synth, and scat voice. Hearing the song we can't help thinking of our old hometown, old friends, and child-period. Yes, it should have such a nostalgic feeling and, on the other hand, let us foresee the future.

Rogus is the hardest number in this work. Low-toned piano and key, guitars with heavy riff, and hard percussion! Can let ourselves push the top of the mountain up and throw away. Very amazing sound!

The highlight of this album Brilliant Streams is the longest song. It has some parts of short pieces, including dancing and percussive part, beautifully-scatted part, and exactly streaming stardust with each brilliant play. Sadly over-twenty-minute song is sometimes slightly too long to keep our mind concentrative continuously and suggest this titled track be one brilliant stream, not a song. Naturally we can receive and keep the stream in our mind.

Lastly, I suggest their sound in Brilliant Streams can't hear purely progressive one but surely new-typed sound from Japan. I'm very proud of ASTURIAS, as a Japanese!

Even if "Brilliant Streams" is lacking the brilliant theme of "Circle in the Forest", it marks an improvement in the ASTURIAS sound on several levels. While software continues to provide much of the substrate for the group's explorations, the effect here is that of plunging into a chrystalline mountain stream - yes it's cold but it's also invigorating.

Overall, strong melodies are in greater abundance here, with the main hook of "Nostalgia" being most reminiscent of "Circle". "Highland" ameliorates the strongest achievements of MIKE OLDFIELD's "Incantations" by focusing less on driving home the same point and more on letting listeners make their own. Still, the high point for electric ASTURIAS is the 100% scrumptious new age hard rock of "Rogus". I just don't even want to bother finding a point of comparison - you simply have to hear the piano and fuzzy lead guitar mix. One friend described it as a good motivator whether at work or driving in the car.

Like in their debut album, the title cut is an extended affair with strong and weak moments. This one isn't quite as impressive but does include some ethereal tunes and vocals by Yoko Ueno. Some of the themes sound so familar, like they could have been used on the original Star Trek, which of course adds to the nostalgic effect of ASTURIAS.

Hats off to a group that can make technology sparkle as brilliantly as the meltwaters from Mount Fuji, such that it can be enjoyed without sense of shame or guilt by anyone with a still beating heart.

Ken, that's perfect metaphor, indeed this is quite cold music, because of on what this is based - electronic synths, but at the same time, this gives you a feeling of refreshing energy. Oh yeah, this album is full of raw energy, even a little bit dark, but this is sound of late 80s, the good way how to make music in the era of terrible music. Dark ages to be frank. So this band adopted some of these elements (synths), but I'm really glad that they didn't resign on drum post and are using real drummer (I mean living being).

Cold beauty isn't bad thing at all. Big ensemble of musicians gives this power and it's quite nice to listen to this complex composition (not one of these songs is simple, again victory for common sense and music lovers).

Rogus is different, more heavier (even nothing extreme in general, but when compared to previous and later song/s, it's audible. Even the song follows basically the same structure. Last epic track is calm composition that uses this length in different way than previous songs. More depends on silent, quiet parts, there's no rush in this track.

4(-), Japan scores again, even this epic doesn't please me as I though it will.

In 1990 Asturias' Yoh Ohyama released the second album of his project, entitled ''Brilliant streams''.Next to the familiar line-up of Haruhiko Tsuda, Akira Hanamoto, Yoko Ueno and Kazumi Sakurai we find two pianists, Tamami Furuta and Hiromi Sakuma, along with To[&*!#]sugu Inoue on bassoon.The recordings followed the same process as the previous release, the album was recorded between August and November 89' at the Phonogenic Studio in Tokyo and released again on the Crime label.

Structurally this one follows the same path as ''Circle in the forest'', three mid-length instrumental tracks are the the first menu, giving space to the 22-min. title-track.An even more mature album compared to the previous one, ''Brilliant streams'' actually recalls the music of MINIMUM VITAL around the same period, an electrified Progressive Rock with balanced use of guitars and keyboards/piano, characterized by the superb breaks into more dreamy soundscapes, filled with melodious textures and deep atmospheres.Basic inspirations come from Progressive Rock, Electronic/Orchestral Music and a touch of New Age and Ethnic Music, thus Mr. Ohyama has been fairly compared to MIKE OLDFIELD.The compositions are never boring, containing plenty of changing climates with some lovely keyboard interludes and piano lines, while Ohyama's and Tsuda's work on electric guitars is excellent, offering a pallette of diverse colors.Lots of dramatic segments with grandiose musicianship as well as a fair dose of elegant, symphonic themes with piano, flutes, choirs and bassoon are the absolute highlights of the long epic of the album, which stands as one of the best Prog arrangements of a hard time.

Very good, dreamy instrumental Progressive Rock.Melodic, intricate and full of different shapes.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.