Moraine
Groundswell
MoonJune Records
2014
Moraine have been around since 2005 and this is their second studio album and third work overall. I’m sure those who are already aware of them will know exactly what to expect.
For those who haven’t heard of them before I must refer to a couple of Moraine’s basic influences so as to give ‘em a hint of what they are about to listen to. Just bring King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Mahavishnu Orchestra or even Return To Forever on your mind for instance. Try blending KC’s prog rock abstract and odd style with MO’s and RTF’s jazz/fusion elements and a little bit of Zappa’s “insanity”… all accompanied with various experimental improvisations along the way. Did I confuse you? Well, there’s always the better option; simply listen to the track below!
Even though I’m not the most appropriate person to talk about this kind of music I have to say that Moraine are not close to my style due to the shortage of melodies. Hence, in terms of melodies & harmonies Moraine choose to follow a more abstract and probably “disharmonious” way. Surely, the members’ performances are spectacular and they can play their socks off but it’s a different thing to come up with strong and memorable melodies – especially when delivering instrumental music – and another thing to be a “master” instrumentalist. The violin and saxophone are adding extra points to the final outcome… and I’m quite sure that they would be a charm to see them playing live. After all, this kind of music is more about free, live and “weird” improvisations of the moment rather than following a certain protocol. Take your chances and make up your mind on your own… nevertheless, do not miss to see them live whenever they play nearby…
For those who haven’t heard of them before I must refer to a couple of Moraine’s basic influences so as to give ‘em a hint of what they are about to listen to. Just bring King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Mahavishnu Orchestra or even Return To Forever on your mind for instance. Try blending KC’s prog rock abstract and odd style with MO’s and RTF’s jazz/fusion elements and a little bit of Zappa’s “insanity”… all accompanied with various experimental improvisations along the way. Did I confuse you? Well, there’s always the better option; simply listen to the track below!
Even though I’m not the most appropriate person to talk about this kind of music I have to say that Moraine are not close to my style due to the shortage of melodies. Hence, in terms of melodies & harmonies Moraine choose to follow a more abstract and probably “disharmonious” way. Surely, the members’ performances are spectacular and they can play their socks off but it’s a different thing to come up with strong and memorable melodies – especially when delivering instrumental music – and another thing to be a “master” instrumentalist. The violin and saxophone are adding extra points to the final outcome… and I’m quite sure that they would be a charm to see them playing live. After all, this kind of music is more about free, live and “weird” improvisations of the moment rather than following a certain protocol. Take your chances and make up your mind on your own… nevertheless, do not miss to see them live whenever they play nearby…