KUNDABUFFER

I can't say I enjoy arguing with the established PA people (99% of whom are more educated in the musical matters than me), but I think this album - considering all its parameters - would likely fit better into the "good, but not essential" instead of the "masterpiece" category.

There are two categories where Kundabuffer could score Five Stars with many people: those would be its sophistication and precision. The album's complex musical structures are delivered with the accuracy of a Swiss clockwork, while the all-important time signature shifts are executed in a remarkably matter-of-fact , no-drama way.

In fact, the album is so precise and devoid of any audible human error that at times it sounds almost ... robotic? This strange feeling if further deepened by the distinctive lack of any egocentric musicianship that would "stand out and shine through". Everyone is playing in a prudent, respectful, risk-avoiding fashion - no yer tortured souls, no raw passion ... nothing like that. In a way, it's not unlike Orchestrion by Pat Metheny, on which he played all instruments.

Or, maybe this album was just meant to be a clever demo, in which this very promising band is showcasing their techniques and making themselves known to the global marketplace of quality music?

To sum up, on my "internal scale" ( I use 7 grades: 0 = awful, 1 = bad, 2 = below average, 3 = average, 4 = above average, 5 = good, 6 = excellent) Sympozion would score 4, which would translate into 3.5 stars on PA.

I am genuinely interested in finding out what the Sympozion's sophomore album would be like, how it would compare to this one, but I guess we will just have to wait until its ready!