January 2018 – T P A

RTFACT – Life Is Good

Life wasn’t good under the old Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Among the many things that were banned were jokes, conducting an orchestra and Beatles moptops. Western music was derided as imperialist and decadent, and a threat to the Soviet…

Pixie Ninja – Ultrasound

The flow of great music coming out of Norway continues with this excellent debut release from Pixie Ninja, who hail from Rognan in the north of the country. OK, let’s deal with the name first; it is a strange but…

Strawbs – The Ferryman’s Curse

It’s been eight long years since the more folky Dancing To The Devil’s Beat was released, but to use the parlance of the terraces, The Ferryman’s Curse is a return to form, at least for fans of the more symphonic…

Hitiro – Hitiro

For me, this self-titled release turned out to be one of the most enjoyable releases of 2017! With scarcely a mention anywhere, it arrived without a fanfare of hyperbolic furore, on the contrary, happenstance played a major part in this…

Ursus X – Orion

Orion is the first album by the Swedish duo Ursus X, comprising Bjorn Johansson and Staffan Luckander, and takes us into a rather beguiling instrumental journey with two ‘side long’ slabs of music, full of intricate musicianship and melody. The…

Nine Skies – Return Home

What initially attracted me to this CD was the fabulously evocative sleeve. It caught my attention and intrigued me enough to investigate it further. Nine Skies are a French Progressive Rock band from the Southern city of Nice comprising two…

Colosseum – Valentyne Suite

What more can one say about Colosseum? Their place in the history of jazz rock fusion is well known and deserved. Esoteric Recordings continue their re-releases of classic albums with Colosseum’s highly praised second album, Valentine Suite; re-mastering the main…

T P A

Month: January 2018