KOMETENBAHN

This is a very retro-styled electronic music group from Turku, Finland. Some of the members are known from other Turku-based bands in the ProgArcives: Ismo virta from folk-oriented KOSMOS and guitarist Kimi Kärki from the eclectic prog act ORNE. Kometenbahn is the first of the two full length studio albums released this far.

All titles are in German, underlining the influence of the 70's "Berlin school", ie. TANGERINE DREAM, KLAUS SCHULZE, ASH RA TEMPEL/ MANUEL GÖTTSCHING and many other Electronic/Krautrock names. Brief 'Prolog im Himmel' features the synthetic narrative, sonically similar to the one in the beginning of TD's 'Bent Cold Sidewalk' (Cyclone, 1978). 'Durch Den Kosmischen Dunst' (11:26) is the longest track, spacey and soft-sounding like the classic SCHULZE stuff, but more economically progressive. Guaranteed to please if you enjoy the mentioned artists.

'Nachtgeist' is built on a bass pulse over which electric guitars and synths weave their deeply atmospheric webs. Slowly evolving 'Sonnenwind' takes more time to impress the listener who has to be patient. But anyone familiar with artists such as Klaus Schulze are that, right? The sixth and final track is titled 'Mythos' after a less known German band. All tracks are filled with fascinating soundscapes, and compared to the Spiralo (2014) that features two 19-minute epics, this is in my opinion the more rewarding album.

This finely crafted music doesn't achieve to surprise the listener, it openly shows the deep respect to the 70's pioneers of Progressive Electronic, and offers a superb listening pleasure in their vein. An excellent addition to the friends of the genre!

Mimic bands, I kind of almost enjoy the term, coined by a fellow PA reviewer, describing the retro look alike sound of contemporary bands doing this kind of early Progressive Music flashbacks in this case Prog-Electronic ones.

I have yet not found a way to enjoy these "tributes" to bands, musicians or even releases I do still enjoy. To me life is too short as to repeat it, in anyway or anykind of time-life span energy consuming, task.

When E-MUSIKGRUPPE LUX OHR's "Kometenbahn", 2013, sounds like themselves, is when I realize how hard it is to have your OWN musical idiom in any music field or sub-genre, but above all how easy it is to undermine it or, even worse, ignore it in favour of comfort.

Great and very creative small, but truly unique, sections do happen, but as told, most of the time it will be almost impossible not to be reminded of Enigma (Michael Cretu's one, in this release's first track) and then Progressive Electronic and Krautrock bands and musicians of yore.

Polished, structured, friendly and promising first release.

***3 PA stars.