STAINED GLASS

The name of Kayo Dot is brought up one more time in the account of 2010 prog releases worldwide: the ensemble of Toby Driver, Mia Matsumiya & co. has just released an excellent EP by the end of this year - "Stained Glass". With almost the same line-up that recorded "Coyote", the 'Stained Glass' piece is a lovely example of how well the eerie introspectiveness of "Blue Lambency Downward" and the grayish chamber-rock machinations of "Coyote" fuse together when the mind is lucidly aware of texture and environment. The opus opens with a languid sequence of drum kit, bass and vibraphone, with the sax and violin not taking too long before completing the orchestral whole and Driver's reflective singing developing the remaining aspects of the concept's dark spirituality. In the beginning, this is post-rock mixed with soft minimalistic jazz, but soon the clouds of doom emerge and ultimately fill the sonic spectrum, which is when Kayo Dot enter pure Univers Zero territory. Driver's singing for the second sung section displays a Wyatt-like falsetto, while the keyboard interventions and slow rhythmic pace that develop a bit later remind us of Tortoise. Surreal yet candidly intense, you can tell that the band's maturity achieved in the previous two albums still remains a constant rule of creativity: enfolding moods and subtly developing colors delivered in KD fashion. From the 17'30" mark onward, the final climax is built up on a reflective note that properly enhances the current obscure emotions as if drawing a disturbing daydream with sounds. A great year for KD means a great year for all us listeners and seekers of magical sound.