DANCING IN LIMBO

I haven't really followed Quantum Fantay. I do have Agapanthusterra which is their debut, which I felt was a rather good space rock album even if it didn't sounded like they added anything new to the table I hadn't heard from such bands as Ozric Tentacles. Ten years later, several more albums and now comes Dancing in Limbo. I don't know if this was done on purpose or not, but this album has just four cuts all around the 11:13 minute mark. I love their play on "Limbo", the songs are "Nimbo", "Rimbo" (reminds me how a Japanese person who have troubles with the English "L" might say "Limbo"), "Cacimbo", and of course "Limbo". The band had a lineup change, and for a guest, they get none other than Ozrics Ed Wynne. There's no denying that's his guitar playing on "Rimbo"! This coming on the heels of Technicians of the Sacred, which I felt is the best thing the Ozrics done since John was still in the band (not to say all the albums from Spirals in Hyperspace to Paper Monkeys are bad, far from it). The music is that wonderful brand of space rock that groups like Ozrics, Tidal Flood, Hidria Spacefolk, Korai Orom, and Mantric Muse have done so well. Lots of nice guitar and synth work, as well as flute playing that brings to mind John Egan. There's really no picking a highlight, although hearing both of these CDs I have so far, I don't believe Quantum Fantay is bringing anything new to the space rock table, but on the other hand, as long as they do it well, I have nothing to gripe. It's like saying Starcastle in the late '70s gave us nothing new to the prog table, pretty much copying what Yes had done, but again, since they did it well, I had nothing to complain about. I love how Dancing in Limbo only consisted of four 11 minute piece keeping the album just a little over 40 minutes so this never got to overstay its welcome. I'm loving this trend of bands keeping it around 40 minutes, like a 1970s LPs, as too many 70 minute plus CDs of material (much of it not warranting that length) can try on your patience (it gives you plenty of reminders that double albums in the 1970s were the exception, so when they did appear, they had to be good, like The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Tommy, The Wall, you name it, else people wouldn't have bought them). Dancing in Limbo is a nice album to have for those who love Ozric style space rock, and to have Ed on board certainly helps.

QUANTUM FANTAY are dancing in limbo right here while playing with track names respectively times en passant. Whereas the limbo bar is lowered during the course, something quite essential in order to keep things in suspense, the track lengths are slightly increasing though - for one second again and again exactly. Well, this smells like a concept. Concerning the line-up there's a minor change to state on guitar, yet Tom Tas is aboard, substituting Dario Frodo, who at least guests on one track though.

QUANTUM FANTAY surely are a flagship when it comes to groovy space rock music, Pete Mush's synthesizer work comes exemplary overall. And, yeah, Ed Wynne is involved here too, which vehemently points to the album's musical essence. Therefore this album is made of spacey stuff as usual, in the vein of Ozric Tentacles, Mantric Muse, Tidal Flood, Hidria Spacefolk and similar. A proper formula indeed, designated band fans will be delighted again, also since Sla (Karel Slabbaert) is one of the party once more with his flute.

Where the last three album songs are more from a decent attitude, the opener Nimbo immediately hit me like a storm. Probably the most inspired song I've heard from them by now. Due to what? ... eh, maybe it's the constantly alternating tempo and mood, or just also taking the dub drenched parts into account, alternatively the magnificent rhythm as well as soloing guitar. A perfect tune they can be proud of. Would be nice to know which band member finally could limbo under the bar at best.

Belgian band QUANTUM FANTAY was formed in 2004 by Pete Mush and Jaro, and has been an active band unit ever since. They released their debut album in 2005, and since then, half a dozen studio albums and a couple of live albums have appeared. "Dancing in Limbo" is their latest studio album, released in the fall of 2015 by the German label Progressive Promotion Records.

Instrumental space rock with a strong feeling of improvised features and a liberal array of nods towards musical styles outside of the purebred progressive rock spectrum is what Quantum Fantay provides us on their latest CD "Dancing in Limbo". They draw upon the legacy and foundation established by Ozric Tentacles in a compelling and rather appealing manner, and come across as a band that should have a strong appeal among those who treasure the sound of the Ozrics and other artists exploring similar and related musical territories first and foremost.

Formed in Belgium, colourful and dynamic psych/space-rockers Quantum Fantay have been playing their mix of instrumental prog, psychedelic and electronic rock with ethnic flavours and eclectic textures for over a decade now. Very much influenced by the Ozric Tentacles (with just a little pinch of Hawkwind) and comparable to other modern groups such as Mantric Muse, Hidria Spacefolk and Korai Orom, `Dancing in Limbo' is their sixth studio album that sees the group experimenting with consistently longer pieces for the first time, the four works on offer each running just over eleven minutes each for a welcome vinyl-length disc.

Truthfully the lengthier workouts here are really just made up of the little fragments that dart in all directions the band usually offers, but here they weave from one through the other with a cohesion and perfect sense of flow that means the longer twists and turns are a natural extension for the band. Far from being a mere clone band of the Ozrics that the group is sometimes dismissed as being, Quantum Fantay isn't adverse to including symphonic passages, heavier blasts and darker, more dramatic moods here as well, directions never really explored by `that other band'!

But nonetheless, opener `Nimbo' is easily the most overtly Ozrics-flavoured moment with plenty of looping electronic trickles, bubbling liquid synth gurgles, gentle flute drifts, up-tempo driving guitar alongside fiery drum bursts and skittering ska saunters all heading in a dozen directions. Ironically, Ed Wynne of the Ozric Tentacles guests on the second track `Rimbo', offering his usual phasing electric guitar soloing and some choice glissando moments, but the piece diverts quite significantly from the template of that group. A bombastic symphonic theme drifts in and out of the piece soaring over gliding synth breezes, and a foot-tapping beat charging the piece ever forwards brings endless empowering strength to the tune, with an addictive and dreamy middle-eastern flecked finale over dancing chiming keys.

Frequently victorious themes drift in and out of the up-tempo and propulsive `Cacimbo', a gutsy piece full of constant stomping momentum, overloaded with mysterious and pretty synth trills, sweetly pulsing bass, fiery electric guitar with some lovely reverberating fuzzy distorted delay and heavy grunting bursts, reflective gentle flute tranquillity and sly reggae ventures all thrown into the psychedelic stew. Closer `Limbo' is more of a slow-build, synths rising with a dramatic symphonic, almost orchestral grandiosity over dusty eastern textures grafted to the twisting guitar bite, drifting flute and an abundance of fizzing electronic breakdowns.

Quantum Fantay deliver exciting instrumental space-rock, always unpredictable and exotic, full of colour and energy whilst remaining endlessly melodic, and `Dancing in Limbo' is their strongest album to date.

Four stars.

Quantum Fantay's 2015 album was interesting in quite a few respects. Firstly, they had a new guitarist in Tom Tas, and secondly, they had used more guest musicians than previously, one of whom was Ed Wynne! Given that these guys have been more than a little influenced by the mighty Ozrics that is a huge compliment to what they are doing. Lastly, instead of a series of songs of different lengths we are this time treated to four songs that are all basically 11:15 long. I hate to think just how many albums I have listened to over the years, but I am sure that is a first for me, as bands tend to have the songs as long as they need to be as opposed to attempting to keep them to a particular length (apart from the old days when they had to be three minutes or less to be played on the radio).

This album takes a more direct approach than the previous one, with a more rock approach and less folk, but still with plenty of swirling keyboards and space rock stylings. Its straightforward approach means that this is instantly appealing, and there is less thinking to do with this music, just let your ears open up and then drown in the sensations. Yet again this is indispensable for anyone into space rock in general and the Ozrics in particular.