COSMIX

Thanks to the London based label Finders Keepers Records, a comprehensive music compilation of more than 70 minutes playing time is available now. This collection delivers a fine overview about the band's unpredictable artistical carrier. COS have been a Belgian outfit, being active for around one decade, between 1974 and 1984. Hereby they were intensively influenced by the fairly related Jazz, Fusion, Canterbury and Zeuhl genres. Nicely appointed, the album title presents a little pun, yeah. Fully grasped by looking at the cover art at the latest, which is made of an appropriate 1970/80s look and feel. All five released studio albums were taken into account, where the 1979 'Swiss Chalet' is largely considered to be a little fail, eh, surely different at least. Multi-instrumentalist Daniel Schell has been the band's driving force, on board in every case, which means over the course of fourteen songs in total.

As expected expressive yet impressive female vocals are available throughout, contributed by Pascale Son (earlier band phase) as well as Ilona Chale. What makes it attractive to me, here we have accessible, melodic stuff overall, this based on a more sophisticated progressive rock context of course. Who will need some clues, Flamboya and L'Idiot Leon are showing a definite Caravan vibe, Nog Verder and Halucal are tending to Jazz Fusion, Babel features some contemporary disco leanings, Achtung TV-Watchers on the other hand comes akin to the Talking Heads somehow. Anyway, I've enjoyed the band's spirit, prolificness, versatility. Probably you may assign the attribute vintage, but assured, nothing is covered in dust here. Thus 'Cosmix' presents a still entertaining collection of Canterbury music that was recorded a few decades ago.