The umbrella of progressive music expands far and wide, and there is certainly something for everyone underneath it. The variety of sound and style is almost endless and once in a while, you come across music that just shakes you (in a good way!). An artist who takes in unusual sources for inspiration and transforms it into something that is different, appealing, and it just grabs your attention. Someone who travels a different path from the ordinary and creates a magical, mesmerizing world of sensory music. Zeitgeber does that with their fourth album, Fellow Prisoners of the Splendour and Travail of the Earth – Part 2.
Formed in Sydney, Australia, in 2022, the band’s brainchild is Evan McGregor, who drives the concept along with clarinet aficionado Phillipa Murphy-Haste. On this album he is once again joined by guitarist Tim Brown, who appeared and Part 1, and trumpeter Ellen Kirkwood. All world-class musicians as well as composers.
Fellow Prisoners of the Splendour and Travail of the Earth – Part 2 is the final installation and culmination which began with 2024’s album, Fellow Prisoners of the Splendour and Travail of the Earth – Part 1. Released in October of last year, Part 2 is considered as contemporary jazz, but I think there is much more to the music than just that label. I must admit I have held on to this album for a long time, for reasons of my perplexity and bewilderment, as with each listen, my view of the album changed. There were days when I walked miles with this playing and it transfixed me, while on other long walks I needed to turn it off. That is not to say I didn’t like it, but it demands time and complete attention on the listener’s part.
Quite frankly I have never felt this way about an album before. The music is beguiling and full of wonder, pulsating, repetitive, rapid, minimalistic, organic, and spiritual. It is the sound of the earth. It is primitive and it is complex. It is quite extraordinary.
Part 2‘s concept examines the nature of perception, chronobiology, and the diverse sensory worlds of living beings. Consisting of five tracks, four of which are mini-suites that bookend the album, and one track acting as a binder in the middle. While listening to the music, it seemed to me as one long musical piece, with small breaks in between. There is a lot going on across its 40 minute duration.
The opening two tracks, Echolocate – seeing with sound and Echolocate – squeezing your surroundings with phantasmal hands begin our journey with a quirky offbeat rhythm featuring trumpet, bass, and McGregor’s sensational drumming. McGregor’s drumming is the heart and the soul of this music and aptly showcased here and on all of the songs. Within the first three minutes, the listener is transported to this place of ubiquitous sound where you could actually feel the pulse of the music being played. It is as if your brain senses the music and wants to reach out to touch it. The monotonic beat is maintained until the bass, trumpet, and piano wash over the track flowing and keeping pace with McGregor’s drumming. With flourishes from each instrument as the track evolves, the listener still hears the drum foundation from which it all flows.
Slowing down slightly, the song segues into Echolocate – squeezing your surroundings with phantasmal hands, features a gorgeous trumpet tapestry which rides freely over the out-of-this-world drumming of McGregor, while the bass and piano maintain an impression of coordination and purpose. There are energetic bursts from McGregor, but he maintains his stride. There is restlessness and a sense of constant movement in this music. Here, I am thinking of migratory birds in flight or dolphins or schools of fish gliding through the waters. It’s quite mesmerizing.
Innenwelt (reprise) – the seismic sense has more of the progressive sound, one would expect from a contemporary jazz fusion album. Throughout, we have a superb syncopated beat and wicked bassline which gracefully follows the track, refreshing the musical palette with its energy and rhythmic prance. It is the shortest piece on the album but one that cohesively braces the other four tracks well within the framework.
The album finishes with another mini suite, Zugunnruhe-unrest and Zugnnruhe-taking flight. The word, “Zugunnruhe” translates roughly in German, ‘movement or migration’ and/or ‘restlessness and anxiety’. Here we take all of what we listened to and attempt to tie it up in a meaningful and comprehensive way. Angular and playful, the unrest track introduces the listener to a world of vivid colours and sounds. Phillipa Murphy-Haste’s clarinet play on this tune is spellbinding and a sheer joy to listen to. There is a foundational repetition that works so well here with the drums being the centrepiece. Growing and moving, the music generates a sense of time and space. taking flight, the final cut on the album, unifies with such exquisite beauty; the immaculate piano guiding the rhythmic depth of the drumming, and the haunting glow of the clarinet is just alluring. What a unique piece of music to listen to.
This was more than deep listening for me; it was a profound experience. The album is an interpretative statement on the evolving conditions and physical space we find ourselves in. In a sense, we are all prisoners on this planet, but the prison we are held in is a wonderous splendour in reality. The floating orb we call Earth is, in fact, a timeless magical place filled with all sorts of amazing creatures, great and small. Fellow Prisoners of the Splendour and Travail of the Earth – Part 2 is then an empathetic look at all the creatures on planet Earth, who struggle each day with incredible courage, purpose, dignity, and strength.
Immensely engrossing music which is meticulous, hypnotic, ancient and contemporary, a truly immersive listen. With Earth Day just passed (April 22nd), Fellow Prisoners of the Splendour and Travail of the Earth – Part 2 is musical art, honouring Mother Earth and her creatures above and below.
Before rounding off this review I would highly recommend a listen to the album predecessor, Part 1, released in 2024 and also available on Bandcamp.
At its core, Part 2 is an ongoing fascination with perception – not just as a psychological or sensory process, but as a biological anchor that shapes how different species experience reality. Be warned, though, it’s contemplative and at times challenging, but the rewards are well worth it.
TRACK LISTING
01. Echocolate – seeing the sound (10:18)
02. Echocolate – squeezing your surroundings
with phantasmal hands (8:37)
03. Innenwelt (reprise) – the seismic sense (2:56)
04. Zugunruhe – unrest (7:48)
05. Zugunruhe – Taking Flight (10:18)
Total Time – 39:58
MUSICIANS
Evan McGregor – Piano, Drums, Bass, Synths, Didgeridoo, Harmonium, Percussion
Phillipa Murphy-Haste – Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Viola
~ With:
Ellen Kirkwood – Trumpet
Tim Brown – Guitar
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Art As Catharsis
Country of Origin: Australia
Date of Release: 24th October 2025
LINKS
Zeitgeber – Facebook | Bandcamp (Art As Catharsis) | YouTube
