TIMELOSS

Finally an innovative group. A lot of my friends, although they dislike everything to do with rap, techno and other styles of recent music forms (I do too but can enjoy some French rap), actually thought that trip-hop was interesting because of the very expressive moods that bands like Portishead or the early Bjork. I thought that in the mid-90's, trip hop could present a form of evolution for proggers. As far as I know, this is the first album of its kind to exploit that direction and they have stricken gold right from the start. The moods and ambiances are simply beautiful as is Petronella who looks like she's coming from the northern part of Sweden and has got Lapp blood in her and in concert she made me think of the star from Iceland (Bjork), under the careful eye of hubby Huxflux, from behind his drum kit. On guitar, eine Fiske (of Landberk fame) adds up with his so expressive guitar lines this touch of almost divine background, while the other ex-Landberk Stefan Dimle rattles the bass guitar strings. Rounding up the quintet is Wallen on vintage keys.

The album seems to have at least a retro visual concept matching its title, the booklet pages showing illustration of outdated house interiors, starting with the Art Deco hotel hallway lift cage on the front cover. Opening on the excellent Sensor, starting on jazzy bass and electric piano, but once Fiske's guitar enters, the track veers superbly rock, with Petronella's voice underlined by trons of mello make a banner track, well worth the early 90's Swedish trilogy. The following and aptly-titled Hypnotique is a soft spellbinding track, lasting over 8-mins, with Petro on cello, again a superb load of mellotron washes and a guest flutist giving a haunting ambiance. Téa starts with Fiske's ever-recognizable guitar and this crescendoing track (not my fave, though) will become the A side (remixed I think) of their 45 RPM single. Fiske again opens They Are Beautiful, the weaker track of the album (IMHO, anyway), despite a superb clarinet (courtesy of the flutist mentioned above), but I find the track a little long.

Do overcome your prejudice and listen to the last track Quits, as it may set you back but if you listen carefully and are open minded, this track alone is worth hunting the album as it is mind-boggling and offers great possibilities for the group's future adventures. It is the most openly trip hop track of the album, but is the apex of the album. In concert, Quits was used to get you wilded up at the end of the set and makes you (and the rest of the crowd) beg to hear it again as the first, second and third encores.

Of course, the main deception was the album's short duration (less than 40 mins), BUT?.. The Japanese version of this album comes with two bonus tracks, thus bringing an extra superb 13 mins of pure bliss. Both tracks are without Fiske's guitars (he had already gone by then), but Nylander fills the shoes as if they were his. The 8-mins+ Ouka sounds like a superb quiet improv, but carefully controlled; while Otaku is definitely more chaotic and abstract, filled Petro's cello and weird electronic noises. Great stuff, well in line with Quits. Timeloss is definitely one of the 00's best albums and few albums of the 90's and 80's in the prog realm can come to its shoulder height. Think I'm exaggerating, uh? Get this album and quick! Try for the superb Japanese Mini-Lp version with the bonus tracks, if still available.

I have always praised and worshiped everything connected with Stefan Dimle and Reine Fiske, both previous members of LANDBERK. Together with LANDBERK and MORTE MACABRE they have created some of the finest albums in progressive rock since the beginning of the 90's. Now they're back as a part of the new band PAATOS and a new album titled "Timeloss". When I first heard it I became very doubtful. The first four songs were traceable to the sound and music of LANDBERK, but the last track "Quits" who clocks in at 12:17 minutes is still after much listening hard for me to get used to. It's a chaotic drum & bass song mixed with avant-garde and jazz-rock, complete with saxophone, trumpet and trombone.

The rest of the album is comparable to LANDBERK in many ways, with delicate Mellotron playing, Swedish melancholy and Reine Fiske's beautiful and unmistakable guitar playing. They also seem to have been influenced by BJÖRK, PORTISHEAD, SIGUR ROS and SUGARCUBES. Much of the differences also lie in the beautiful female vocals by Petronella Nettermalm.

Overall it's a very diverse album. If you consider that to be a good or bad thing is up to you. If it weren't for "Quits" I would've given the album a full rating (10/10), but as that particular song is 1/5 of the album and in playing time almost 1/3, I can't give it more than 8 out of 10. Perhaps it's just me being too conservative. "Hypnotique", " Téa" and "They are Beautiful" alone does however make the album a must have for fans of LANDBERK and MORTE MACABRE.

Paatos is a new band from Sweden, consisting of former members of "Landberk" and an unknown (at least to me) band called "Ägg". This album, called "Timeloss" was their amazing debut. I think it is the perfect example of how modern prog should or could sound like. There are some people who are in doubt about modern prog, maybe not knowing that there really are bands keeping the genre alive. Paatos demonstrate arrestingly how it may sound like, the future of prog.

The record is rather short, just about 40 minutes, but nevertheless it offers a lot to discover. The general sound contains the typical swedish elements such as melotron and slight folk influences here and again. The influence of "Landberk" can't be overheard. But Paatos are far from being a Landberk clone. Apart from "Tea" and "They are beautiful" the sound is, despite the melancholia, much heavier and contains more jazz ingredients. The opener "Sensor" shows impressively what you can expect from this album. A relaxed and mellow e-piano opens the song before it shifts to a drifty groove with wild drumming and superp bass, not to forget Petronella Nettermalm's intensive voice. After a bombastic part with nice melotron, follows a cracking instrumental part which ends the song, amazing. "Hypnotique" is the highlight of the album. A dreamy ballad with Petronella's voice in the limilight. After a mellow instrumental part the song get's faster and heavier in the end. Some nice flute, melotron of course and again the awesome drumming which adds the jazzy flair. A great song. "Tea" finally offers swedish vocals, a beautiful, quite mellow song with a jazzy feel to it, mainly because of the rythm group. "They are beautiful" reminds me of the last "Landberk" album "Indian Summer". The booklet offers the information that it was also written by Dimle, Fiske and Helje, all (former) members of "Landberk". The last song "Quits" abducts you abruplty to a quite different world, a very modern one. It commences with antsy programmed Drum'n'Bass rythms, downright remembering me of Trip-Hop. In combination with the vocals even bands like "Portished" come to my mind. Some nice e-piano notes carry to an amazing compount of deep bass melodies, wind instrument inputs and the aforesaid programmed "beats" and e-piano. But that's not everything the song has to offer; the end can be described as wild free- jazz with Van der Graaf like Saxophone chunking, truly absorbing. It's a perfect closure.

I was enthused by this album immediately and it remained one of my favorites. It's different, modern, lovely and powerfull at the same time. It's also typical swedish. I really recommend "Timeloss" because it's no lost time listening to this great debut. Paatos is a promising band and I hope to hear more of them in the future. Old proggers, come out of your snail-shells and give new bands a try, Paatos is a good starting point, you won't be disappointed.

The starting gun to a brand new millennium brought along the musical reawakening of several progressive rock sub-genres that were almost considered outdated or overshadowed by the renewed trends, among them, we find prog folk. Individually speaking, many decades had to go by right before we could listen once again to the purist sound of the legacy bands such as JETHRO TULL and STRAWBS left behind, tendency that unarguably placed them as the immediate pioneers that christened that side progressive rock tendency. Thus, by blending up the schemes from the old Prog Rock school with the innovations and paradigms proposed by many other Scandinavian artists such as ANEKDOTEN, LANDBERK and ÄGG, the band commanded by the NETTERMALMS took off spotlessly with their "Timeloss" album.

By following a mild and depurated line, the proposal of the Swedish band speaks for itself right from the kick off. "Sensor" is a melodic composition that slowly takes one step at the time, evoking this kind of peacefulness that eventually would blast off in this Crimsonian schizophrenia. The anachronism of the strident guitars all along the rapidly executed drums creates an atmosphere quite difficult to describe, motif that goes on for over five minutes leaving us with an unexpected ending that would leave your senses claiming for more. On the other hand, "Hypnotique", the second chapter revealed in here; brings back the stream to calm waters. By depicting the scene with bittersweet lyricism, the piece becomes more dark and provocative as it flows under your skin. The remarkable performance of David WILCZWSKI on flute is as captivating as eloquent, giving the song that withering touch that takes over the rest of the instruments, minimizing them, encapsulating them around the fluidity of the spiraling notes.

Now moving on to "Téa", which is under my own appreciation, the corner stone of the album. Paused, quite brief and transitional. Through this song, the only one in the whole production that's completely sung in Swedish and which was tenderly inspired by Petronella and Huxflux's daughter; we can widely perceive all of those schematic influences taken from the most representative Scandinavian bands by listening attentively to the unleashing power and devotedness condensed in few minutes. Several movements, assorted devouring passages, moody ups and downs, and most of all, the uniqueness that described the band as a newly born progressive proposal.

"They Are Beautiful" is a very profound and sensitive melody. It is a composition full of acoustic guitar sequences and a timid clarinet, solemnly intertwined with a marvelous display of the infallible Mellotrons and Hammonds in Swedish prog and the undeniable obscurity, it is from beginning to end, quite enjoyable.

At its turn, "Quits" fulfills the beholder's inextinguishable expectation that's set upon a respectable epical display at any time, if I may call it such. If there was any possible doubt set upon the underlined resemblance of Petronella's voice to BJÖRK's, here is where you can definitely clear the air once and for all. Yes. Petronella NETTERMALM herself claims to be a devoted fan of the controversial Icelandic singer, and this song is her perfect alibi to pay tribute to the girl with the high pitched voice. In its entireness, the song is very lineal, instrumental and erratic most of all, but quite cathartic. Specially the last three or four minutes. All in all, "Timeloss" deservedly lies under the terms of "exceptional" and "unique". It is transitional and fresh, determinant and proposing, beautiful and enigmatic. Extremely recommended.

Sometimes the most alluring treasures are stumbled upon by accident. A movie ticket bought because the feature of choice is full, only to discover an unknown film that enthralls you in a completely fresh way, perhaps so because it's so unexpected. Such was the case with this rather wonderful album. A hint from a reviewer or a snippet of a tune heard on an internet radio station, I can't remember but I ordered the album on a whim and have continued to be blown away by it ever since.

To me it is what modern progressive rock should be, a melding of the old influences with a search for a new sound, something different, a blending of apparently disparate elements that forms a seamless new whole. And here it's the apparently unlikely blend of a classic Crimson-like sensibility with Portishead-like trip-hop. It shoulodn't work but it does so in a mesmeric way. The opening track, Sensor, sets the tone with a soul-infused bass line and Fender Rhodes riff that could have been lifted off Stevie Wonder in one of his mellower moments, or straight from a Zero 7 album for that matter. It's mellow, coffee table jazz funk which then devolves into a harder guitar riff, which propels you straight into a Mellotron-backed verse sequence. The vocal of Petronella Nettermalm is a little incongruous at first but you soon warm to her crystalline tone. Sensor spirals forward to a furious conclusion and sure, while the drums and bass are far too busy at the close of the song and trip over each other numerous times, the template is set. This is going to be interesting.

It gets even better on the second track, 'Hypnotique'. The Rhodes is again the foundation, setting up a delicate vibe, founded on a slowly looping bass riff. The verse is pure Portishead, though sounding much more organic than the Bristol collective, Nettermalm's vocal soothing rather than alienating as Beth Gibbons often did with Portishead. Mellotrons to the fore the song sits back and relaxes into a gorgeous flute solo before waking up again for the finale a wonderful 'Tron-drenched coda which builds to a brilliantly understated climax on the back of a delicate little guitar figure. It's like that throughout. From the gentle Tea to the furious almost drum 'n' bass finale of the thunderous Quits, with its Rhodes piano, clattering, discordant brass and skittering drums.

A remarkable record, and one that's hardly been out of the cd tray since it arrived. I can't recommend it highly enough. As a blend of the ancient and modern it's superb. It may not appeal to died in the wool classicists and it does stick to the mere melodious and mellow - there are no fret shredding workouts here - but as an fusion of two apparently quite different genres, it works beautifully. I'm almost tempted to give it a monster five stars, but those are such rare gems. Four it is, but with a nod towards the ultimate accolade.

soft, intense, and connected

Paatos' first full-length effort, so what is this band all about? To make music soft yet intense creating an emotional connection to the listener. Timeloss doesn't blow any listener away with the usual progressive virtuosity, but the depth of composing makes the album a great listen. This album is above the quality of most debuts.

Stefan Dimle holds down the groove playing the bass parts. Dimle is all about the groove. He stays in a safe and controlled range doing anything in support of the groove. He can rip and shread everyonce in awhile as shown on the final track Quits, but primarily he is playing to support the groove as most of the other musicians in this band do.

Huxflux Nettermalm is the drumming and the primary source of lyrical creativity. The drums are a crucial element to the album. Nettermalm makes excellent use of jazz influenced beats to create a smooth groove always building the music to a climax. The lyrics are depressive as expected from a group as Paatos is considered to be. They aren't exactly unique, but the goal of this band is an emotional connection. The commonality of the lyrics, may be what makes the album as powerful as it is.

The guitars by Reine Fiske play a support role. Fiske like Nettermalm has a prominent jazz influence. His chord work doesn't really turn heads, but is needed to support the groove and give texture/tonality to the album. Not impressive work here, but it's still essential to the album.

Petronella Nettermalm inserts passion to the depressive lyrics of Huxflux Nettermalm. Petro has a unique female singing style with excellent enunciation, but lacks variation. Her style is a unique and interesting one, but she rarely uses voices other than her main one. In terms of singing one style she is great, but more variation could really raise the quality of this album.

John Wall'n mellotrons are used primarily as a supporting role to add more identity to the music. There a bit of melodic playing, but the mellotrons are exactly essential or noteworthy. The melodic moments are great, but they are too few and far between.

The production is excellent, especially for a debut album. There are moments where tones are as clear as they could be, or a certain instrument is fighting for volume, but overall it's a clear and balanced recording worthy of praise. The guitars are relaxed, the drums are prominent but not overpowering, and the bass is excellent. The bass really brings the whole album togethor with both groove and melody.

It's not a fantastic album, but it's definately worth three or more stars. I'm going to stick with the conservative three stars, because there were definately points where this album could have been a little better.

Paatos is made up of former members of Landberk and Ägg. They sound very much in the same vein as Landberk and Anekdoten, with beautiful washes of Mellotron, slow and mellow rhythms, and emotional yet sometimes sloppy guitar playing. What sets them apart from Landberk and Anekdoten is the beautiful female vocals of Petronella Nettermalm.

Timeloss is their debut album and it's a very impressive and promising start to what I hope will be a long and fruitful career. The first track, Sensor, sounds like a mix of the aforementioned groups and contains a nice, energetic section with beautiful and moody Mellotron following the vocals. Hypnotique is slow and mellow, has some great vocals, great flute solos, and the usual emotional and slightly sloppy guitar work of Reine Fiske. The cello near the end adds a nice touch to the piece, as well as the Mellotron backdrops in places. Téa is sung in Swedish, is again slow and mellow with Mellotron backdrops during the instrumental breaks, has soft vocals, and has a nice Mellotron section that takes off and soars during the last minute of the song. This is the best piece on the album.

The fourth track, They Are Beautiful, is again a slow and mellow piece with soft and gentle vocals, sounding slightly psychedelic in places and featuring clarinet. The last track is the 12+ minute Quits. It has a much quicker pace than the previous tracks, but some of the drums appear to sound like they've been programmed. The vocals are again beautiful here and there is lots of electric piano. However, the middle section seems to drag on for too long. The last three minutes are much more interesting, being a chaotic mix of horns and cacophony.

Overall, I was quite impressed with this debut. I think one of the weak points for Timeloss is that although Petronella Nettermalm has a beautiful voice, she tends to sing almost entirely in a soft and gentle style. In places you can tell she can deliver it with enough power to send shivers down your spine. Maybe this is because most of the songs are slow, slightly soft, and usually mellow; and that's the second weak spot on Timeloss. It could use a good kick in the pants. Some might even consider their sound too close to Landberk's and not original enough. Too me, however, it's similar to Landberk, but quite original. If you like Landberk, or Anekdoten, you will probably enjoy Paatos very much. Overall, I would rate this as a four-star release, an excellent debut and an excellent addition to any prog music collection.

This group intrigued me from the moment I heard them. They have a very relaxed, very textural sound that is sometimes extremely entrancing. Timeloss, the group's 2002 debut is full of rich textures and instrumentation. There are a wide range of sounds and styles here. Surely an innovative and exciting album.

The music is well written and executed. Nothing to complain about there. The vocals, are easy to listen to, and fit the music, but really don't stand out. Petronella isn't an astounding vocalist; she doesn't have much of a range, nor is she much of a captivator. A more capable vocalist would have enhanced the experience, but not too much is taken away because of who they do have.

A quick song-by-song:

"Sensor" gets the album going with a nice laid back groove (almost sounds like stereotypical elevator music), and then moves on into an energetic song, still with a nice groove. Paatos effectively use a lot of different instruments. here you'll hear some brief auxiliary percussion and an array of keyboards. You'll get an idea with this song, but the range expands as the album progresses. Some of the keyboard sounds/parts here remind me of that silly move Napoleon Dynamite. Don't let that be a misnomer. This is not goofy and/or incoherent like the movie.

The next track, "Hypnotique," starts of mellow and towards the end gets heavy (relatively speaking) and intense. Here you will notice the first implementation of woodwinds on the album. A nice touch it is.

"Téa" is the albums shortest track, but it is the most traversing of the songs. Going back and forth from light & easy to heavy & intense. It is also (to my knowledge) in their native language.

"They Are Beautiful" bears the second and last use of woodwinds. This one is constantly soft. Again, a very nice piece.

"Quits" ends the album in a very surprising fashion. This is pretty much a progressive trip-hop song. Nearly the entire [12-minute] song revolves around this one electronic drum beat. That may put you off, but if you give it a chance, it will put you in a deep trance. Cool bass-lines, some brass instruments noodling around, and rich keys make this trance possible. It really is a good song, considering the repetition.

In short, it's a very solid debut. Innovative, rich and entrancing.

A melting pot of influences.

First and foremost, this is a perfect initiation for a newbie to 'new school' prog. With Mogwai, Tortoise, Anglagard and others, these kidz are taking their heroes to the progressive scene...and this is nothing new to me.

Absolutely everything has been heard before on this record for me. I can pinpoint with great precision where their influences tooked over...er, everywhere. Let me explain: take the creepyness of Portishead, the echo voice of Hooverphonic, the Mellotron of King Crimson, the drum technique of Anglagard, the folkish side of Sinkadus and the melancholy of Goldfrapp, put in a shaker, just stir and serve. Voila!

If you don't have any: Hooverphonic, Goldfrapp, Portishead or King Crimson (Poseidon), this will impress you by it's slick and tortured atmosphere. You could even believe you've found gold.

If you're like me: loved it but heard it all before.

I consider this album continuing partly the musical heritage of Landberk. "Timeloss" resembles their last "Indian Summer" album, being a well-produced tender art rock record with angular contrasts. For me the lady singer makes this band much more pleasant to listen, and the players have had time to mature their skills and stylistic vision even yet further. "Sensor" opens the record with smooth jazzy tunes, which quickly take a dramatic turn by Reine's strong guitar chords. There are some very powerful "flight sequences" where the tempo slows, and thick carpet of Mellotrons elevate the listener. "Hypnotique" stands as long and dreamy Mellotron ballad, also sounding very much of the late Landberk via its sorrowful melodic turns. "Téa" is written to unborn child of Petronella and Huxfulx from the time of composing, beginning in the similar moods like the song before, but later getting more hectic turns, bringing forth the stylistic pathos suggested by band's name (Paatos meaning "Pathos" in Finnish). "They are Beautiful" is also a good calm song, but the last song "Quits" is the only number here which didn't please me, due to my personal antipathies towards trip-hop music. But if you like that kind of stuff too, it is difficult to realize what factors on this album from the 1990's Swedish Mellotron renaissance scene could be seen negative. Recommended warmly.

Quote from www.paatos.com : "Paatos was formed in August 2000. Stefan Dimle, Huxflux Nettermalm, Johan Wallén and Paatos' former guitarist Reine Fiske, were engaged to play a concert with Swedish folk rock singer Turid which resulted in a great wish to continue and work towards something more permanent. Paatos was thus born, at this point only as an instrumental band. After a few gigs Paatos was joined on vocals by Petronella Nettermalm."

This debut CD from the Swedish prog-rock band is stunning. Instruments are played very well and female singer Petronella Nettermalm has a nice voice giving PAATOS its very distinct sound. I basically like all tracks, but "Téa" is my favourite track. All lyrics are in English, except on the track "Téa" which is sung in Swedish. (I suppose Téa is the name of Petronella's and/or Huxflux Nettermalm's daughter).

Not only the song "Téa" was inspired by one of PAATOS' children. Also the song "They are Beautiful" goes out to their children and you actually can hear the children of Petronella and Stefan Dimle (bass player) playing on the background. Very nice track as well! My only comment on this album would be that the track "Quits" is too long. A nice fade-out after 9 minutes or so would have done the track good. Instead PAATOS chose to make a lot of noises played by saxophone, trumpet and trombone in those last 3 minutes of the track. I just would have wished that "Quits" could have quit a bit sooner.

Still a very nice and mellow album which I think deserves around 4 stars.

This record could be described as melancholic music with mellotron and a great female vocalist. I really like the first song "Sensor", I feel Petronella's vocals are best suited in a song like this where she can let go as it were, instead of almost speaking when she sings.The drummer is great on this one, as are the former LANDBERK guitar players (Dimle & Fiske). "Hypnotique" has a line at the start that says "I'm a flower-smell me". I smile everytime I hear that. Twice in my truck i've had this song on when other people were with me, and both times they've laughed at that lyric. By the way both times they were females.

"Tea" makes up for it though, it has a bit of an ANEKDOTEN feel to it, lots of mellotron, my favourite off of this record. "They Are Beautiful" begins with accoustic guitar and clarinet, that builds a little from the pastoral mood. "Quits" has a drum and bass sound that is quite poppy, and is almost a dance tune about breaking up with your partner. The song ends in a prolonged Jazz improv (hey, that's what I hear).

So a good record that I can recommend. I love the Swedish melancholy. I think i'd rate "Kallocain" a little higher though.

Great album as yet again Sweden come up with the goods on Paatos's Timeloss. An exstension of Landberk it is said, if you can lay your hands on Landberk releases. Jazzy, progressive and even trip hoppish on the excellent ' Quits'. ' Tea' is another pearl as it ducks and weaves with melodies from a slowish build to some frenetic playing.The opener ' Sensor' and ' They are Beautiful' is great. The down side to this album is ' Hypnotique' with lyrics like " ....I am a flower, smell me.....". Musically fine but what awful lyrics. Has to be a prog band singing words like that and it was 2002 when it was released. Almost thought I was back in the 80's listening to Annie Haslam. Excellent all round album and worthy of four stars.

Timeless.

A beautiful gem of a record, Timeloss is an expressive portrait by a criminally underrated band, Paatos. This record is sublime, exquisite, a delicacy of modern prog that would humble many of the classic bands of the past. As others have said, fans of Landberk and experimental sounds capes will thoroughly enjoy this. However, it is not so much Paatos's experimental progressive aspect, but there keen sense of song and structure that makes their passages so breathtaking and extraordinary.

Take for example, the soft and jazzy Hypnotique, which builds on Petronella's vocals, a delicate piano and flute into a mellotron passage that sparks a vast array of emotions within you. The closing of the song is powerful and uplifting. Many of the music acts in a similar manner. It is both reflective and challenging, and words like gorgeous come to mind as the instrumentations ebbs and flows.

Enough with the extra adjectives, just get the damn thing. It's an excellent experience you won't regret, even if you're an old hag who only listens to the 70's stuff. If you don't believe me look at long standing collab Sean Trane's glowing review. It's a wonderful find.

A unique and enjoyable release featuring distinct textures and vocals, set against a palette of (almost jazzy) grooves and mellotron chords with loads of wind instruments adding to the mix; although occasionally heavy and dark, "Timeloss" has an air of fragility to its sound-- an impression of delicate sensitivity masked behind the sometimes strong rhythm section. Great dynamics throughout.

The band itself seems very much concerned with crafting atmospheres and songs as whole, eschewing playing which immediately catches the ear in favor of performances which reveal more and more complexity which each listen; there is a lot going on here to discover, but it will most likely take a while for "Timeloss" to grow on you.

Of course, one cannot talk about Paatos without mentioning Petronella, the band's female vocalist. She is the make-or-break component to the band's sound, and I think the vast majority of potential listeners will end up enjoying her voice rather than being turned away by it. Her vocals are genuinely enjoyable, and feature dynamics unique to the feminine voice-- especially on the excellent song "Tea".

In the likelihood that you're a male reader raising an eyebrow over the concept of buying an rock album with a lady as a lead singer just remember-- Paatos might just be the best cross-over group ever for introducing your girl-friend/wife to this unapproachable world we call progressive-rock.

Songwriting: 3 Instrumental Performances: 2 Lyrics/Vocals: 3 Style/Emotion/Replay: 3

This band was moved from the eclectic genre into the heavy-prog one. Maybe not the most intelligent move.

The great opening "Sensor" is transporting you into several musical worlds of which the Crimsonian as well as the Anekdotian (but isn't it somewhat similar) are the most obvious. The tortured side of the former combined with the gorgeous mellotron of the latter. A highlight.

The French titled "Hypnotique" is an extremely quiet song. Delicate flute, discreet mellotron, fine and sweet vocals. Not really in line with "heavy prog". Not as innovative as the opener, it shows that the band is on a good wave, even if I am not 100% hypnotized. Still, the finale is grandiose.

The ambient and again very much Anekdoten oriented "Téa" is another pleasant number. On the soft edge and tranquil (another contrast with the current "Heavy prog" assimilation). As their model, there is a fantastic mellotron part to close this track (but you might have noticed that I am completely biased with mellotron, right?).

Not all songs are great, and as it occurs many times, the titled "They Are Beautiful" doesn't refer to the great moments one could have expected. On the contrary, it sounds as the weakest number of this album.

The longest and closing number is also far away from the expectations one could have gotten during the first three songs of this short album. These twelve minutes aren't thrilling for a penny. Pure repetition and dullness. A huge cacophony during the last two minutes or so. A real disappointment.

This album ends in a rather flat way. Half of the album is really good while the other half is just average. Three stars sounds a logical compromise.

I stumbled upon these guys by accident with their ‘Kallocain’ CD, which I picked up only because the artwork and list of instruments (mellotron, harmonium, Hammond organ) seemed to promise progressive, or at least folkish, leaning music. Not quite right on the folkish part, but that’s okay. I also think this debut album isn’t as varied as ‘Kallocain’, but that’s okay too.

Sometimes it can be fun to step away from the progressive classics (as well as their modern clones and reincarnations) and listen to something new. Bands like the Decemberists, Karnataka, Gjallarhorn, Faun Fables, Garmarna, the Smell of Incense and even more mainstream acts like Mostly Autumn, Katalena, Nightwish, and the Gathering have all put out music in this century that blends both the old and the new in interesting and often unpredictable ways. And that’s really what progressive music is all about, even when some of the new sounds being blended include things like trip-hop and sometimes (gasp!) pop. Paatos seems to fit in the same general category as most of those bands, in terms of their mixing of the modern and the classic if not in actual musical styles.

And while this album kicks off with the brisk and slightly heavy keyboard/synth/guitar blast of “Sensor”, the fact is this is really a fairly mellow album, as evidenced by “Hypnotique” and “Téa” which immediately follow the opening track and are far more laid back and focused on instrumentation than the opening track. Overall the first three songs remind me a little of Anekdoten, while “They are Beautiful” is too languid and keyboard-driven for that comparison. That one is also the weakest track on the album, and although it isn’t bad or anything there also doesn’t seem to be any actual cohesive order to the wide range of musical instruments that are employed. Maybe that’s the point, who knows…

But everything I said up above about blending of sounds applies most appropriately to the closing “Quits”, a twelve-minute diatribe that includes doses of trip-hop, pop, sampling and dance-club female vocals along with more traditional prog keyboards in a rather hypnotic composition that seems fairly predictable right up until the horn and rhythm sections appear and go nuts about ten minutes in. After that I’m not sure what the hell is going on, but after a few spins the chaos becomes kind of fun and definitely demonstrates the band’s impressive ability to stay focused on the underlying tempo despite the cacophonic noise going on around them. A pretty solid and promising closing to the band’s debut, although I have to say there isn’t really anything like it on their next two albums.

The first time I listened to ‘Kallocain’ I didn’t take to it much, and felt there was a little too much parroting of some neo-progressive bands that I won’t mention here (listen for yourself and they should be obvious). But eventually I found that album growing on me, and this one has as well. I’m not quite ready to call it a masterpiece or even essential, but if you are one of those people who yearns for something more than another night in front of the turntable spinning ELP records that are practically worn thin, Paatos may offer a fresh and fun alternative, and a better one of going to the dark side of a Britney record or something. Three stars easily, and I may come back and revisit that if this record stays high on my rotation list for longer than a few months.

peace

"Timeloss" is the debut full-length studio album by Swedish progressive rock act Paatos. The album was released through Stockholm Records in 2002. The version most people are familiar with is however probably the 2004 reissue through Inside Out Music. Paatos was formed in 1999 by Paatos a couple of ex-Landberk members in Stefan Dimle (Bass, double bass) and Reine Fiske (Electric and Acoustic guitars), but while the two gentlemen´s Landberk past shines through more than one time during the album´s playing time, Paatos is not just a direct continuation of Landberk under a different monicker.

The album consists of five tracks ranging from five to twelve minutes in length. The opening song "Sensor" is the most powerful of the first four songs and listening to this song it soon becomes clear that you´re in for something special on "Timeloss". Lots of vintage keyboard/synth sounds (mellotron, organ...etc.), busy drumming, heavy bass and guitar (not heavy metal style though) and to top it all a beautiful female vocal performance by Petronella Nettermalm. A succesful mix of retro progressive rock elements and more contemporary tendencies.

While I wrote heavy bass and guitars above, "Timeloss" is generally a very dynamic release, also featuring many mellow and subdued parts, so the listener is exposed to both heavy busy parts and more tranquil introspective sections. "Hypnotique" and "They Are Beautiful" are mellow beautiful songs which both manage to take the listener on an emotional journey. The same can be said about "Téa" which is another mellow song but this time featuring Swedish language lyrics. It´s melancholic, subdued, and incredibly beautiful. It builds towards a louder climax towards the end of the song, and it´s just such a great emotional composition. The the 12:17 minutes long closing track "Quits" is quite different from the remaining tracks on "Timeloss" with its relentless frantic jungle like beat which reminds me of Moloko (and other similar 90s electronic art pop groups). The vocals have a soul flavour to them and they remind me a bit of Skye Edwards from Morcheeba. The track also features some brass arrangements which give it a really different sound from the rest of the album. It´s probably a bit of a water divider and as such an aquired taste, but to my ears it works well and adds to the variation of the album.

The musicianship is on a high level on all posts. Everyone delivers skillful performances but I´m especially impressed with Huxflux Nettermalm´s drumming. What a great and busy drummer, who also knows how to show restrain during the more mellow sections of the album. He really drives the music forward in a tasteful fashion. Petronella Nettermalm is a very strong frontwoman too and deserves her share of praise. To my ears Beth Gibbons (Portishead) emotional vocal approach is a big influence on Nettermalm, but although it´s hard not to metion Gibbons (and other 90s alternative rock/electronis art pop vocalists) as an influence, Nettermalm has her own style and her performance on this album is arguably high class.

"Timeloss" features a powerful, warm, and organich sound production which suits the material perfectly, and it´s just another quality feature which makes this album the high quality product it is. The marriage of 70s progressive rock ideas and contemporary alternative pop/rock and nods toward especially the 90s British electronic art pop scene is a strange cocktail on paper, but it arguably works here and "Timeloss" is an excellent debut album by Paatos. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

If Bjork got together with Massive Attack and decided to do a prog-ish album, it would probably be either a big artsy mess or a bit more attention-grabbing than Timeloss. But it might sound a lot like this.

Perhaps that's too harsh. Paatos is definitely an interesting and unique band, with thoughtful melodic inspiration and a good sense of both compositional drama and timbral texture. If they are half as good live, I'd be more than happy to spend a breezy afternoon-to-evening in the park with them. Their moody atmospherics fall somewhere between the illbient and ambient, with more emphasis on climax and resolution. They don't necessarily remind me of any classic prog bands, but there are certainly many little details that put them in the ballpark...and, amazingly, without being too self-consciously & name-droppingly retro.

Some of the songs (Tea, Hypnotique, and the decidedly modern Quits) demonstrate a cathartic and linear build-up, while others (Sensor, They are Beautiful) utilize a more complex structure that keeps you a little more off-balance. Some passages seem a little too short (and possibly interchangeable) and some go on far too long. On the whole, however, the transitions are as organic as their instrumental approach; while certainly layered and textural, this is not a coldly over-processed Steven Wilson affair. Even the immediately identifiable dance-music influence on Quits is presented in an organic context, more in line with the better examples of classic acid jazz & drum-and-bass (Roni Size, Goldie, etc.) than the dreary predictable stuff that was already done to death ten years ago in countless trendy locales and television advertisements. The debate rages on (uh, in an isolated sort of way) about what constitutes Progressive Rock, but I have no doubt that Timeloss will appeal to as many proggers as it will to fans of Trip Hop, Post-Rock, and chill-out music in general. One of the best things about rock-based music in general is its mutability and openness to new combinations of existing and/ or nearly-forgotten styles; as long as there are bands with the level of quality and adventurousness as Paatos, there will still be a reason to keep listening and keep taking chances.

Timeloss is a beautiful example of Swedish modern rock. Gentle and modest on the outside, burning with powerful melancholy inside. At the time of their debut, Paatos still consisted of 2 member from Landberk and consequently the Landberk (and Anekdoten) feel is very strong throughout this album.

Sensor is a good rocking opener with a strong vocal of Petronella. The chorus is the only moment on the album where she challenges the fringes of her voice. It comes off rather Björk-like but it works well in the song.

As soon as Hypnotique sets in, Paatos prove they're not a one-trick band. It's a smoky jazz number reminiscent of the better moments of the band Elysian Fields, but stretched out to epic lengths with lots of mellotron and flutes. Great tune. The sad vibe set with this song is maintained through Téa. An beautiful gloomy ballad.

They Are Beautiful has strong jazz leanings again. It starts out very gently and unfortunately stays like that through its entire course. After the downcast mood created by Téa the album needed a more powerful and intense piece of music, something to smack us awake and get our focus back. But that doesn't happen. Even the great hypnotizing guitar work of Stefan Dimle (about 2 minutes into the song) can't save the day. It's a fine song by itself but it reduces the strength of this album and creates an album dip of sorts.

Quits does what They Are Beautiful should have done. It's an impressive jagged piece of Portishead on drum & bass stimulant that evolves into a psychotic sax cocktail.

However, it can't put aside the impression left by the penultimate track. This album could have been a real masterpiece had they just worked a tiny bit harder on the song material. If they had one more track like the opener and inserted it after Téa this could have been a 5 star for me. Now I just want a cup of tea and head off for a nap.

Päatos is another band I've been fortunate to stumble in the past year. After listening to streams, samples and making a few experimental MP3 purchases, I decided to buy the band's first album, Timeloss. Not a bad song on the disc, though the two ultra mellow ones, "Hypnotique" and "Happiness," do not get the same frequent play as the others. What really sold me on this band, aside from the dreamy voice of Petronella Nettelmans, were the drums. "Teá," "Sensor" and "Quits" have some absolutely stunning speed and subtlety--reminiscent of Steve Gadd, with a little more power (when he wants to). Richard "Nuxflux" Nettelmans (Petronella's husband) shows amazing restraint and never seems to be trying to steal the limelight from the others--though his every flourish and syncopation surprises and almost defies belief. Such confidence, free-form creativity, and facility!

-- "Sensor" begins like a soft 70's jazz piece, but at 48 seconds in it kicks into high gear rock and roll (Listen to those drums!!) Though perhaps Petronella's weakest vocal performance (she's strangely mixed into the background with the overall effect as if she's singing from inside an isolation tank!) At the 2:57 mark the tempo slows into a Yes/Genesis moment as the mellotron surges forward (Did I mention Päatos uses mellotron?) followed by a guitar solo which then carries the music back into it's fast tempo as the band jams to the song's sudden conclusion. 9/10

-- "Hypnotique" accomplishes just what the title declares. It is a long, very soft piece in which Petronella's voice, combined with her husband's soft jazz drumming, lulls one into submission. But, not unlike Pure Reason Revolution's Dark Third, this CD really shines with its layers of very interesting and rewarding subtleties. For example, at the 2:40 mark the music just cuts out, leaving the listener with a rather nice piano and flute interlude. When 55 seconds have passed, Nuxflux sneaks his way back in with a little flourish on his Zildjian before reestablishing the song's original jazzy rhythm, thereby cueing the start of the guitarist's very pleasant and somewhat "raw" guitar solo. Eventually, after the mellotron has snuck into the background, at about the 5:40 mark, the flute reappears to take over the guitar solo's melody line. Then, just as suddenly, the music stops for a brief cello solo before giving way to a brief return of Petronella--this time with a bit more of a forceful presence--until the song finally devolves into another all-out band jam to it's conclusion. 7/10 (8 with headphones)

-- I absolutely love "Teá" because of its native language vocals. Swedish has never sounded so beautiful! But, again, pay attention to the subtleties in this song: piano and DRUMS! The guy is amazing! 10/10

-- "They Are Beautiful" begins very Genesis "Entangled"-like before a double bass and tympanic percussion rhythm set the tone for another of Petronella's mind-massages. Hypnotic guitar and mellotron and with the surprise appearances of several sneaky, snaky reed instruments alternating with an electric guitar's note- and volume-play make for a very interesting and unusual song. Again: Headphones are highly recommended. 7/10 (8 with 'phones)

-- "Quits" gets a lot of grief from reviewers--especially prog reviewers--but I think this song is brilliant--very reminiscent of Ben Watt of Everything But The Girl's "Walking Wounded" phase. Drum machines and programs? What about all of the obviously live play Richard is doing? Man, the percussion work on this song alone make it a near masterpiece! And, no, I don't care if he's using synthesized or acoustic percussives. I love his guts and creativity! The synth work is also so interesting. Richard Barbieri meets Ben Watt meets Mr. Bill Bruford! And let me not forget to give this bass player his due: he does an awesome job tying husband and wife into the same cohesive piece. Awesome music. (And don't forget the horns! Amazing fun on the trumpets! Great devolution into Joni Mitchell/Weather Report/King Crimson-esque chaos! I love it!)

Awesome band. Awesome album. Its only flaw is its length: a very old-fashioned 39 minutes!

5 stars; a true prog masterpiece.

It is beautiful.

If you've ever listened to a song, album or otherwise where the mood, atmosphere and emotion either really connected or were pulled off in a completely credible way, I tell you I've had that experience with TIMELOSS. Everything that Paatos is trying to convey in terms of what I've just stated is executed convincingly, striking that spot in the brain which triggers that spot in the heart that makes me emote. It's a great album overall whether or not prog is discussed, but I say that TIMELOSS is one of the better ones of the genre.

It takes the mellotron balladry from the early King Crimson days with jazz-scapes and indie rock with a little flair. ''Tea'' is just about the perfect example of what to expect with the mellotron padding, subtle guitar flourishes, beautiful vocals, dynamic changes abound and a drummer that goes completely berserk at the end. Those nitpicky about the prog thing would be glad to know that aside from the keys, we get verses in 15. The other three of the first four songs have a similar feel with ''Sensor'' being mostly loud, ''They Are Beautiful'' being rather quiet.

''Quits'' deserves a segment of its own because it's where TIMELOSS goes to another dimension and splits the prog community in half. Quite the noisy, repetitive track that nods more to trip-hop and electronica than mellotron prog ballads. It's done rather well, particularly the section where the guest brass section goes bananas over that instilled rhythm. For me though, the subtle guitar echo in the verses and the keyboards make this a keeper for me. The lone problem is that I have a fifteen minute version of this track that spends the last 2.5 minutes on a (barely audible) ping.

TIMELOSS is not that perfect of an album, but it's mark in prog rock shouldn't be overlooked. The only rough track is ''Hypnotique'' as it takes time to start, but that's because I forget the flutes and the timely mellotron line at the end. The instrumentation is about the subtlest I've heard as most of the members don't overdo the playing in order to make that connection with the audience. That is except drummer Huxflux that might sometimes speak as a lead instrument. Maybe not that groundbreaking, but pulled off well enough to get it to near essential status.