SOUND OF CONTACT

"Dimensionaut" is the debut full-length studio album by multi-national progressive rock act Sound of Contact. The album was released through Inside Out Music in May 2013. Sound of Contact formed in 2009 when lead vocalist/drummer Simon Collins (son of Phil Collins) approached keyboard/guitarist Dave Kerzner (Kevin Gilbert, Alan Parsons...etc.) about forming a band. The two of them started writing material and researching lyrical concepts (guitarist/bassist Kelly Nordstrom was also involved in this process) while hiring additional musicians for the project.

"Dimensionaut" is a concept album feauring the story of a protagonist able to travel through time and different dimensions and galaxies. Ultimately he returns home because of love, but is met with the dilemma that only he is able to travel through time/dimensions, and no one can travel with him. So it´s basically a sci-fi story of love, longing, and the choices we have to make as humans to find happiness.

Stylistically the material on "Dimensionaut" is progressive rock in the more polished and pop oriented end of the scale. Collins has a voice and singing style which are not far removed from his father´s ditto, and therefore comparisons to Genesis are inevitable. The instrumental part of the music isn´t miles from the iconic British progressive rock act either (funny enough closer in style to the mid-90s "Calling All Stations"-era Genesis, than to the Genesis releases featuring Phil Collins), but it´s actually Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson, I´m mostly reminded of, or maybe a contemporary act like Frost*. So while the music isn´t devoid of 70s progressive rock influences, this is predominantly a more fresh and modern sounding progressive rock release.

"Dimensionaut" is both well written and well sounding, so it´s a quality release on most parameters. Featuring 12 tracks (the closing track being a 19:36 minutes long epic) and a total playing time of 73:38, the album does feel a little long though and while there is a story to tell and the band probably needed this amount of music and time to tell that story, I think the long playing time means that the album overstays its welcome. You could also argue that Sound of Contact don´t bring much new to the table, and a slightly more personal and unique sound could have elevated the album to a highter level. As it is it´s however still a good quality progressive rock release and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

This is a surprisingly rich and moving prog album. The songs are consistently beautifully crafted and most are really special and memorable. The concept is well sustained throughout. It is one of the contemporary prog albums I find myself wanting to listen to most often other than Anderson/Stolt's Invention of Knowledge, but that is a very different genre.... and always with renewed pleasure. Often crossover and neo prog albums interest me rather than really get to me deeply the way the great prog albums of the classic Genesis/Yes/VDG era do.... And I spend too much time thinking "this bit sounds like that bit of that yes or genesis song .... etc). But here the fact it at times sounds like Genesis second era feels right as the guy is Phil Collins's actual son, not some musician imitating another. THis is DNA not plagiarism!!!! .

Independently of any resemblances, the album is as good as modern prog crossover gets. It is easily as good as a good Steven WIlson album for example which is what I guess I would compare the style of this to for people who have not heard it to get an idea of which prog universe this album sits in.. It is a clear heir of the better parts of the second genesis era (it especially reminds me of Duke and then there were three at points..... Undertow in particular ...... , a rather beautiful underrated song and even album in my view, by the way, unliked mostly because it is remembered by fans as a drastic change from what they were used to , while it is actually more similar to Trick of the Tail and Wind and Wuthering than people think)

Back to Dimesionaut: many high points. The two first tracks and I am a dimensionaut are proper symphonic prog Beyond illumination is a beautiful song with a fantastic choris though it is the one that is strangest in that it really sounds like a Phil Collins Genesis song even though it has a slightly out of context Sally Oldfield sounding featured artist on it . It is weird how SImon sounds a little quite a lot like his dad on it Makes you sort of love him like family if you are a Genesis fan!

Writing this makes me want to go and listen to the album yet again. I wish the bad had not split and look forward to the new Simon Collins album hoping it stands up to this.

Now quickly settling the obvious ... yes, Simon Collins has the father's skills in his DNA, obviously to recognize. Firstly, the drumming is favourable overall, no doubt. In addition to that I especially mean his voice appearing within those more charming radio friendly album parts. This exemplarily regarding I Am A Dimensionaut and Not Coming Down for example, where it seems to run into a competition more or less. And Closer To You even sounds like an explicit father/son collaboration for some reason. Overall though, compared to Phil's musical development, he's clearly making an evident turn towards prog music here. Well, basta, this definitely should be enough yet concerning unavoidable comparisons. Simon and the album both deserve it.

And so this appears like a balanced art/pop and progressive rock hybrid, though with the focus on the latter. Stunningly arranged songs like Cosmic Distance Ladder, Pale Blue Dot and Omega Point will prove that. And then it stylistically evolves into some art rock sentiment a la Steven Wilson's solo works. The nice Beyond Illumination sees the lovely Hannah Stobart contributing. Realm and some other songs are showing diverse Pink Floyd sentiments, either reminding of Clare Tory and 'The Great Gig In The Sky' or some Echoes' whale effects. With the eclectic monster track Möbius Slip we've come full circle, and a known theme from the first song returns again. Dave Kerzner, Kelly Nordstrom and Matt Dorsey are excellently contributing for a lush, partially also symphonic and psychedelic tinged sound. Recommended!

I had a hard time with this album. The brain child of drummer and vocalist Simon Collins, Matt Dorsey on bass and guitar, and (at the time of release) keyboardist Dave Kerzner, it was full of the promise of a modern progressive sound--and I have to say that the first half of the album is wonderful. It is a damned near perfect sequence of tracks that are united thematically and musically, with magnificent melodies, superb musicianship: it really does sound like a modern vision of classic progressive rock, reworked for our times. It nails all the elements that make prog great, and eschews the excesses--there is so much promise packed into that first 30 minutes...

...and then the album just loses its way. I find I have to struggle to get through the last six tracks. The songs begin to decline towards conventionality and pedestrian mediocrity, and frankly there are just too many of them. By the time the 19-minute "Mobius Slip" come along, I have almost zero interest in listening to it. It is too bad, because the first half truly is excellent, and would have made a great (if short) album on its own.

"Dimensionaut" by the Multi-national group Sound of Contact from 2013 was next album to hear, enjoy and review. It has a long play time and a very blue cover picture of a man walking on the group and a metal formation of eternity flies in the sky.

I like three or four songs on this album but unfortunately it's not especially much more than that. I have good things to say about the album, it's not totally bad so in usual order I will start with what's good. I can also say that it is the group's debut record and it features Simon Collins on drums and vocals(yes it's Phil's son), Dave Kerzner on keys, Kelly Nordstrom on guitars and bass and Matt Dorsey on guitars and bass. The album consists of twelve tracks of which two has a short lenght and one a very long.

I like the entering track "Sound of Contact" with a vocals repetation which people fond of Yes' music will recognize. It envolves to "Cosmic Distance Ladder", an instrumental song which is the album's second best. I like the driving guitars and the partial speed. In some aspects Sound of Contract succeeds to make a symphonic sound. There are referencies to prog giants such as already mentioned Yes and also Pink Floyd(screaming woman-voices on track 9) and one of the best things with this record is the competent vocalist. Simon Collins' voice is similar to Phil Collins but I can also hear something of Peter Gabriel in the best song: "Remote View" which I love. But I think his voice could have been used on better material.

Such as prog bands uses to do, they play a very long song in the end of this record. My opinion about that track is unfortunately negative. I don't get what's epic with that. Most of the album's tracks are very lame and I think many pop songs would be more interesting. As I use to think, this could have been better with a smaller format of time. I get what could be considered okey but not according to me. Could have been three stars but when these sounds couln't give me emotional contact I can't give more than two. Best tracks: "Remote view"(8/10), "Cosmic distance ladder"(7/10), "Omega point"(6/10) and "Sound of Contact"(6/10). The others got 4 to 5 points of 10 each.

I just had to write a review for this album! Over the past few years I have heard many Prog albums that I have enjoyed, and many more that have the same 'progressive' sound regurgitated over and over again - mostly forgettable and weak imitations of bands that did it much better. I have been a subscriber to Prog Magazine since it started, and ploughed through the sample disks with the occasional track drawing me to flavour a whole album, but most of them leave me wondering how there is apparently a 'Prog revival'. A few months back while listening to one of these CD's I came across a track by Sound of Contact called 'Pale Blue Dot', and initially I thought it was pretty good. Then as my working day progressed (nice pun there) I still have it rattling around in my head, over and over again. That night I was straight online to sample some more of the album , and then purchase it. Dimensionaut is quite simply the best Prog album of recent years. It has more than a hint of Genesis, a dosage of Floyd, and a large chunk of Devin Townsend in one of his mellower moods. Yes, Simon does sound like Phil - but this is no imitation of his fathers works. The whole album is quite simply fantastic, beginning to end. I read some people on here taking a dislike to some of the 'poppier' parts of the album, but I think they blend seamlessly with the heavier moments and what you get is a rollercoaster of an album that does not have boring moments, and entertains throughout. If you are into Prog music you really REALLY must purchase this album. It really is that good, and the Prog resurgence might just be more than a retro fad if bands start churning out stuff like this. Another Album I rate highly is Mystery's 'The World Is a Game'. This is the future of Prog. Simon and the rest of the band, I salute you. You have created the most exciting and complete Prog album for me for many years. Now get your arses back in the studio because I cannot wait to hear whats next!

A very solid freshman release from Simon Collins' new band! Their neo-Genesis-meets-Marillion sound is brilliant; Simon plays and sings like his father but also has a unique warmth to his style. Not quite as edgy as Phil - and actually a little more melodic, as one can hear on "Not Coming Down" and "Pale Blue Dot."

The band is in full force on "Cosmic Distance Ladder" an trippy, churning instrumental that borrows a lot of Genesis and Yes elements (and even a little Rush!) while still sounding fresh. "Mobius Slip" is the epic - a spacey-yet-dynamic 20-minute tour-de-force. There's not a bad track on here, though there isn't one that particularly blows me away, either. Most of them are nevertheless good to great, so I feel very comfortable giving this a very solid 4 stars.

Definitely check out this band if you're a fan of Porcupine Tree, Steve Hackett, Genesis, Yes, or Phil Collins himself.

Album Highlights:

+ "Cosmic Distance Ladder"

+ "Pale Blue Dot"

+ "Mobius Slip"

+ "Beyond Illumination"

Weakest Links:

- "Realm of In-Organic Beings"

- "Only Breathing Out'

THE SOUND OF CONTACT SOUNDS RATHER GOOD. 

Well I think the big question that is on everyone's mind is, does Simon Collins sound like his father, Phil Collins, vocally? The answer is 'Yes' he does, but not too an overly large extent. My feeling is that you get little wisps of Phil's voice here and there from Simon throughout the DIMENSIONAUT album, which is kind of a good thing because you are reminded of a legendary symphonic prog vocalist, but not to the point where it fully takes over one's individuality as an artist/musician. In this case, Simon Collins is his own man in the prog music world at this point, but he still got some help along the way to get there. 

Heeding some of his father's advice, Simon Collins is pointed into the direction to work with legendary producer/session musician in Dave Kerzner and have the album mixed by none other than Nick Davis, who in my opinion really made his sound engineering/mixing talents very evident on the 2007 Genesis remasters. Suffice to say, Sound Of Contact are in great hands as far as album production goes and it did prove to be a good point of direction bestowed by Phil Collins to his son. Nothing like good old fatherly advice. ;)

As far as the music is concerned, for all you Genesis fans out there, I shall make the point very clearly that Sound of Contact do not sound like early, middle or even late Genesis for that matter. Sound Of Contact are a band that are clearly and accurately marked in the cross over prog rock genre. There are some influences shown where the more commercial side of Sound of Contact's music do foreshadow that of Phil Collins solo career. For instance, the certain songs like Pale Blue Dot, Beyond Illumination, Closer to you and I Am (Dimensionaut) all have a very catchy, radio friendly choruses that do take me back to what Phil did with his solo career and maybe just a little bit of his work in 80's Genesis albums like Invisible Touch and We Can't Dance....ok.....so there may be a little Genesis in The Sound of Contact.  Also, Simon Collins  really does sound quite like grand master Phil when Singing the main choruses in each of those songs. It's a nice treat really and a great reminder of a past legend. 

Moving forward, on the more progressive side of things with regards to Dimensionaut's album structure, there is a monster epic at the end of the album clocking in at just a little under 20 minutes called, Möbius Slip. I must say that I was quite impressed with this track and it is divided into 4 suites. The first part, The Difference Engine shows a more space rock, Pink  Floyd inspired track that incites some similarities to Welcome To The Machine while part 2 (Perihelion continuum) envokes the heavier side to Sound Of Contact's musical side still greatly showing strong influence of that of Pink Floyd and a bit of Yes, especially the intro. Moving on to part 3, Salvation Sound and part 4 All Worlds All Times do sum up a very nice grand finale that actually does leave the listener wanting a bit more just because those 2 last parts of Möbius Slip have so much energy and edge to them that it's a shame you have to stop foot tapping. Other heavier, less comercial sounding  progressive rock songs of the album can be found in The Cosmic Distance Ladder, which Kelly Nordstrom's guitar sounds quite good and the Sound of Contact opener has less of a poppier- commercial sound to it, which again has traces of Pink Floyd, Steven Wilson and Rush with the opening guitar lick specifically. 

All in all, I can say that Dimensionaut is a decent album but not that of a concept album. I felt the conceptual story of the futuristic world and galaxy traveller trying to get back to the planet where he fell in love with a woman was rather stale to say the least. I don't like to be overly critical, but the inter-dimensional love story has grown rather prosaic to my ears and thoughts for that matter. It's not unique or really all that exciting. For me, this is where album loses points and I also feel that Demonsionaut, as a whole, is far too long. This album is around 74 minutes long and I can't say that a cross over prog album that is 70+ minutes is really gonna sit well with me, meaning I felt my mind wondering a bit at times cause of the nature and style of this album. I guess I should admit, I don't love the Cross over prog style genre that much and it is far beyond my area of knowledge and expertise, so that is another reason why the album doesn't rank as high as should with me, but out of respect for whom Simon Collins dad is I just had to check this album out and to see what all the fuss is about considering the fact that Simon Collins's, Sound of Contact band is up for nomination in the 'Break Through' artist category for the 2013 Prog Rock Awards. Also, I do want to say that I think Simon Collins is the real deal and very multi-talented at that. He can Drum, be Percussive and sing all very well. He even has a flare for album production as well, especially being under the tutorage of Dave Kerzner. Collins, along with Kerzner, included a cello on tracks 1,5,7 and 11. A female vocalist (Hannah Storbart) for versatility and contrast for the track Only Breathing Out.  In any case, Dimensionaut is a very decent debut and I think I will take it upon myself to explore Sound Of Contact's music as time goes on because the Dimensionaut album does showcase a ton of promise and for that reason alone I think Sound Of Contact are worth keeping tabs on. I really do hope they get the recognition they deserve and produce wonderful music for years to come. After all, Simon Collins does represent the Phil Collins bloodline and is what I think, the new hope in prog rock music to introduce younger generations to the wonderful world of progressive music. 

3/5

Excellent debut album. First 1/3 of album is 5 stars. Middle 1/3 is 3 stars (too consistently mellow and melodic). Last 1/3 is 4 stars. Mobius Slip might creep up to 5 stars with more listens...it's really good. So, on average, 4 starts for my liking.

I love Simon's voice & drumming and that it reminds me of his father's. I wonder if my love for the record is biased because of this as Phil is one of my childhood hero-artists. Regardless, I will be looking to see these guys live in Chicago when they tour & look forward to their next output. Here's hoping it's not 3 years away!

In awaking the wrath of the progressive purists who very wrongly feel that the glory days of the 70s will never be surpassed, I once again proudly exclaim that the past few years have been the best ever and 2013 is shaping up to be a real leviathan, just 40 years away from the hallmark 1973. Well happy birthday to you Progland!

Speaking of the past joining the present, Simon Collins is the son of Phil and it seems the bloodlines come from the rooftops, as the youngster has a more progressive inclination than one may expect and presenting us with a landmark debut album that may just be the next big thing. Sound of Contact initially grabbed my attention because of Dimensionaut's lavish cover, one of the most freezing presentations ever and then, of course recognizing the names of Collins and partner David Kerzner (both of whom participated on Steve Hackett's sumptuous Genesis Revisited Part 2). Then, within a short span, a visit to their website, listening a few samples, reading a few reviews and finally all the Amazon buttons were pushed.

Interesting that young Simon chose to follow a progressive path, like his celebrated father, in preferring to make music with a more profound instrumentalization than overt popstar inclinations. While he may fly the prog coup and become a Vegas star one day, I happen not to think so, or at the least, I hope not. I am perfectly reconciled with the 2 sides of Simon Collins musical vision , as there is a lot of fantastic prog workouts here, both short and epic, with stellar playing (a drum style dad would be proud of: fast , furious and explosive). Yes, there are also some commercial tunes that are not only quite catchy but also cleverly nailed together with some exalted musical interplay by all participants. These songs flirt from afar for some accessibility but somehow it stays fresh and very importantly, honest. Simon is looking for his own identity and yes, his voice sounds like a clone but it's his son, for krissakes! Phil must be beaming, the apple does not fall far from the tree, as he probably knows that his early Genesis gig was musically the most astonishing legacy he will have in the future. Pop stars fade quickly, perhaps mercy on us! Even the softer side is divided into a couple of killer mid-tempo ballads, the disturbing "Not Coming Down" and the absolutely exquisite "Closer to You" (could this make a dent in the airwaves?), plus the Floyd-Great Gig in the Sky-like "Realm of In-Organic Beings". There are a few lesser pop ditties that still are more than interesting and of course the purely proggy stuff, expertly prepared on the finale a whopping almost 19 minute opus "Möebius Sleep". On this biggie, Ayreon fans would be impressed with the huge squalls of synths and mellotron that shower the heavens, in a colossal symphony of sound make this one of the finest prog epic's in recent history, easily rivaling Porcupine Shrub's "Anesthesize", maybe even more progressive! The need exists to highlight once again Simon's clinical drumming, easily on par with his dad and that is saying a lot. Hey, you had a damn good teacher, so good on ya! From first second to the last, he just slams that kit, it's a beauty to behold. "Cosmic Distance Ladder", "Omega Point" and "I am a Dimensionaut" also rely on subtle atmospherics, sonic contrasts that span the spectrum, from hard-edged to jazz and symphonic prog, providing a vibrant modern sheen to the proceedings. The arrangements are bombastic and grandiose when need be. But "Möebius Sleep" steals the show and the audience with it! We should stand up and applaud !

My only little peeve is I would have liked a more prominent bass guitar presence as it's a bit buried in the mix, but I always complain about that! The stark keyboards keep in the background rather brilliantly along with the powerful yet discreet guitar work, the overall focus clearly on the song and the man singing and beating it. Like I said, at the very least, we the dedicated progressive rock fan should be encouraging him and not forget to acknowledge his courageous career choice in prog. This is serious bloodlines at work here and some massive potential, so guys, let's give him his due . Stay in prog , Simon! If his next album has only three 20 minute + ambitious tracks, I will pee my pants, and so would you, if what is hinted here is a true to form. Oh my, the current prog leaders would be worried about their throne, currently held by? ??Yeah, see what I mean? A terrific album and debut.

4.5 element travelers