Past, Present & Future
Overview
After 14 years Joel Vandroogenbroock
returns with a new Brainticket album.
Swiss based Brainticket released a
trio of classic Krautrock albums in
the early 70's: Cottonwood Hill
(1971), Psychonaut (1972) &
Celestial Ocean (1974). On this new
album Joel is backed by Hedersleben
1. This album was recorded back
to back with Hedersleben's Upgoer.
Joel Vandroogenbroock -
Keyboards/Flute/Sitar
Kephera Moon - Keyboards/Vocals.
Bryce Shelton - Bass
Nicky Garratt - Guitars
Jason Willar - Drums
Kysten Bean - Voclas/Guitar
The Reviews for Past, Present &
Future
Bought this based on Nicky Garratt
playing guitar, and wow, never expected
this at all, what an excellent,
excellent album, nothing like his muted
punk riffs of yore, unless of course you
could consider his guitar playing on
1982's Sensitive Boys an hint a where he
would eventually travel to. A real
Brainticket to the station of headmusic.
Greg Wagner - Amazon - USA
Cannot believe this - an all-new
Brainticket release. When I saw the
advertisement / notice for this title at
first, I assumed it was going to be a
2-CD but it is, in fact of seventy-five
minutes duration + available on a
2-vinyl album. Tracks here that I happen
to favor (the most) are "Dancing On The
Volcano - Part 1" and the out-standing
twenty-one minute "Dancing On The
Volcano - Part 2", the awesome
"Singularity", the stunning "Egyptian
Gods Of The Sky" (true progressive art
rock gem, to say the least) and
"Brainticket Blues" which in all
honestly (to me) sounds as though it
could actually be maybe a lost track
from the 'Cottonwood' or 'Psychonaut'
sessions. Those five cuts that I just
mention tally up to a total of 48
minutes - and quite easily -could have-
been the entire disc. Also enjoyed
"Riding The Comet" which has a cosmic
vibe to it. Noticed that vocalist
Kyrsten Bean (Hedersleben) sounds
incredibly like Carole Muriel. Rest of
this CD's stellar line-up: Joel
Vandroogenbroeck - organ, synthesizer,
sitar, piano & flute, Nick Garratt
(UK Subs) - guitar, Bryce Shelton
(Hollow Mirrors) - bass and Jason Willer
(UK Subs) - drums. Guaranteed to bring
the bearer many wonderfully galactic
spins in their CD players for some time
to come. This is true aural pleasure.
Highly recommended.
Mike Reed - Vine Voice - USA
Fifteen long years since Alchemic
Universe escaped from Planet
Brainticket, finally, Joel and Co
(mainly vocalist Kephera Moon, former UK
Subs! axeman Nicky Garratt, drummer
Jason Willer and keyboardist Jugrgen
Engler) log-in with Past, Present &
Future (2015). An exhausting trip of
over 70 minutes, including 2-parter
Dancing On The Volcano garnering an
opening 30, Brainticket re-awaken the
gods of Ramses via crystallised pieces
of Swiss kraut-rock. Recalling
intergalactic trips from heady days long
gone when sitar and synths were kings
(CELESTIAL OCEAN, COTTONWOODHILL, et
al), Joel reaches for the stars for
instrumental Reality Of Dreams, while
there was an 007 feel by way of Proto
Alchemy. In the mystic words of Kephera
(with help from Kyrsten Bean as guest),
exotica and female narration of a
cinematic scale represent the
retro-fried closing triumvirate of
Singularity, Egyptian Gods Of The Sky
and the cool Brainticket Blues. Mind
over matter, with extensive listens to
PP&F, BRAINTICKET will book you
aboard to sit aside them before they set
their sonic synths for the heart of the
sun.
MC Strong - Progressive Rock
Archives - USA
It's hard to believe that Brainticket
came out with a new album, Past, Present
& Future. Joel Vandroogenbroeck gets
help, this time, with members of Die
Krupps, UK Subs, and Nik Turner's band,
as well as some Oakland, California
musicians (this album was recorded in
Oakland, with parts also in Joel
Vandroogenbroeck's own Pinar Studio in
Mexico, where he resides). I guess I saw
that coming anyways, with the Space Rock
Invasion tour that included them,
Huw-Lloyd Langton from Hawkwind, and
Nektar. I am in totally disbelief about
Kyrsten Bean (I now know for sure, she
just posted on the comments section of
my review!), she's an absolute dead
ringer for Carole Muriel! It's as if
Carole Muriel was under an assumed name,
which would be absolutely silly if she
did, but Kyrsten Bean is a separate
person. It's been 15 years since the
last offering Alchemic Universe, while
welcomed by many, many disliked the
techno leanings. Here on Past, Present
& Future the techno has been
completely ditched in favor of real
drums. Past, Present & Future sounds
like it should be a semi-compilation
with previously released material and
new stuff, but it's 100% all brand new
material. The title is appropriate for a
different reason as you get elements of
the old Brainticket, reminders of
Cottonwoodhill, Psychonaut, and
Celestial Ocean without being total
rehashes, while bringing something new
to the table. The two part "Dancing on
the Volcano" is nothing short of
amazing, particularly the over 20 minute
"Part 2" where they get into a funky
jam, and then mellow out in a more
ambient section, then some really nice
flute playing from Joel
Vandroogenbroeck. "Reality of Dreams"
has more of an Indian flavor, thanks to
the use of sitar. "Proto Alchemy" is an
instrumental, guitar-driven prog piece
with some spacy synths in parts. "East
Moon" features some nice piano passages,
as well as some great prog rock
passages, while "Singularity" is a
rather upbeat number with some ethereal
female voices to go with it. "Egyptian
Gods of the Sky" has an Egyptian feel to
it, bringing to mind Celestial Ocean,
complete with spoken words from Kyrsten
Bean (as mentioned sounding undeniably
like Carole Muriel). Then there's
"Brainticket Blues". Something
completely new to Brainticket: them not
taking themselves seriously! It's their
own take on the blues, nothing like BB
King or Muddy Waters (or Eric Clapton's
venture into the blues), with flute from
Joel Vandroogenbroeck, and more of that
Celestial Ocean-type, Carole Muriel-like
spoken word from Kyrsten Bean, but it's
still blues, as only Brainticket can do.
This is what I've waited for. It's
really worth getting!
Benjamin Miler - Amazon - USA
Belgian flutist and pianist Joel
Vandroogenbroeck is an important
representative of the progressive
movements from Germany since the early
’70s, beginning with the formation of
the legendary krautrock band
Brainticket. Taking inspiration from the
innovative spirit of early krautrock
bands such as Amon Duul II, Can and
Tangerine Dream, Joel Vandroogenbroeck
also incorporated the knowledge he
acquired at an early age through
classical studies and an exponential
state of love for jazz and its unique
progressions. He would first appear on
vinyl with the Columbia Records Eje
Thelin Quintet LP ?So Far, released in
1963 and full of the hard-bop sound that
had dominated jazz in the first half of
the ’60s. One year later, he would
appear again with Eje’s band, creating a
live record captured at the Deutschen
Jazz Festival in Frankfurt, Germany on
May 6th, 1964. These were the initial
imprints of an individual who would help
define the electronic and rock
influences that are still affecting
contemporary music. Quincy Jones
recognized his talents as well, taking
him on tour all over the world with his
Orchestra. These previous experiences
touring with some of the worlds leading
jazz musicians and taking up studio
session residence with jazz, soul and
funk groups through the ’60s was an
important process for the design of
Brainticket, blending some of the most
sophisticated, exotic and dynamic pieces
that the krautrock movement produced.
The earliest formation and the core to
the band featured Joel Vandroogenbroeck
on organ and flute along with guitarist
Ron Byer and drummer Wolfgang Paap. The
trio would expand the group before the
1970 release of their debut LP
Cottonwoodhill on the Italian imprint
Hallelujah, with the label adding the
controversial print on the inside
jacket: “Advice: After listening to this
record your friends won’t know you
anymore. Warning: Only listen once a day
to this record. Your brain might be
destroyed! Hallelujah Records takes no
responsability.” This was in no means a
part of Joel’s message nor did it have
intention to be included on the album,
added by the label from the association
of drugs towards the records release by
media and the counter-culture of the
time. Regardless of these types of
potential road blocks, the group charged
through and presented futuristic sounds
for the world to bridge together under.
Brainticket would re-release
Cottonwoodhill a year later with the
German based label Bellaphon and these
are the prints that circulate widely,
helping the band reach a level of
popularity in Europe that propelled them
to even greater heights with the
follow-up LP’s Psychonaut and Celestial
Ocean. 1973’s Celestial Ocean is a
high-mark in the entire progressive rock
movement of the ’70s and was given life
by the help of the long-standing imprint
RCA Victor. Prints were made available
in record stores across Italy and
Germany at the time of its initial
release and it was met with a lot of
praise from fans and critics around the
world. The packaging on the cover is
incredible, adding to the legacy that
Nektar, Pink Floyd, King Crimson and
many other prog bands were bringing to
the world of album art at that time.
Joel Vandroogenbroeck would embark on
many paths after these first Brainticket
records and it’s all a documentation
very worthy of ones time. The popularity
of Brainticket has strengthened around
the world in many ways in the 21st
century and it’s beautiful to see Joel
Vandroogenbroeck activate the band once
again to offer important reissues and
more importantly, new recordings.
Teaming up with Cleopatra Records for
the stunning 4-disc box set The Vintage
Anthology 1971-1980, the first three
Brainticket LP’s were featured in their
entirety along with rarities and
outtakes. The label also launched the
Space Rock Invasion DVD on September
3rd, 2011, showcasing the newer line-up
Joel has been working with in this era
of his life. Staying on board with the
team at Cleopatra, Joel Vandroogenbroeck
and his newly organized Brainticket are
back with a phenomenal album in Past,
Present & Future and it brings back
the musical vibrancy of his first three
Brainticket records of the ’70s. Joel
Vandroogenbroeck brought on board an
exceptionally talented group of
musicians to help bring his vision to
life that includes Nicky Garratt, Jürgen
Engler, Jason Willer, Kephera Moon and
others. Past, Present & Future has
been pressed on both CD and deluxe
180-gram 2LP vinyl, with a running time
set at an impressive 75 minutes. Without
giving too much away, this album is
brilliant from front to back and really
captures the integrity and density of
Brainticket at their origins. The
mastering and overall quality of the mix
is in the most superb state you can hear
from Brainticket, bringing forth the
modes of their past worlds and updating
it with the innovation in recording
technology that’s occurred since. Modes
of the middle east and other regions
find footing, creating a kaleidoscope of
sonic impressions that slips into the
mind with bliss and power. Past, Present
& Future is marvelous progressive
rock music and we highly recommend
looking further into this one in 2015.
Erik Otis - Soundcolor Vibration
I must admit I rather enjoy seeing
artists from the “Golden-Days” either
still active musically or become active
once again after a protracted absence.
Such is the case with Swiss Krautrockers
Brainticket. Their first album was
released in 1971 which was then followed
by two more albums in the seventies, then
two in the eighties and finally one in
2000, then the long break till now. Past
Present & Future is their seventh
release and as such picks up where the
others left off with only slight
modernization. The authentic psychedelic,
space-rock feel is all over these
nine-tracks. The seventy-five minutes of
music is infused with spacey synthesizers,
hypnotic pounding rhythms, lonely organs,
flutes, hushed trippy vocals and, well,
you get the point. This is music for the
floating mind. Most of these compositions
are in the six or seven minute range with
one epic length twenty-one minute track.
The tunes weave their way through various
spacey segments with cymbals taking the
focus while other instruments seem to
noodle away in the background. The mood is
filled with minor notes, minor chords and
little structure. This is certainly true
of the longer song but even the shorter
more “composed” pieces go from organized
and structured moments to more jamming
segments to ultimately total improvisation
and then back again. As such the album’s
title is totally apt as the music does
indeed reflect much of the past, certainly
the present and even perhaps something of
the future. Fans of bands such as
Hawkwind, Ozric Tentacles or any of the
classic Krautrockers of the seventies will
find much to enjoy with the music on
display here. If that’s your thing, you
have been notified. Act accordingly.
Jerry Lucky - The Progressive
Rock Files - Canada
Hedersleben now call themselves
Brainticket! You might say. But of
course Brainticket is still and
especially the Belgian Joel
Vandroogenbroeck, but this is no longer
living in his home country quite some
time now. The early 70s of last century,
he founded his Brainticket any case in
Switzerland, has quickly become the only
constant in the group and took the band
name then go anywhere with, where he
stayed a long time. A good 15 years
after the publication of the last
Brainticket album (" Alchemic Universe
") Vandroogenbroeck sets now in the
spring of 2015, the seventh studio album
by his band before. And this is - as
indicated above - identical to the
formation that the first Hedersleben
album (see " Upgoer ") has recorded.
Obviously it was previously already live
on tour together. Has remixed "Past,
Present & Future" by the way none
other than Jürgen Engler of the Krupps.
In musical respects Vandroogenbroeck
here goes far back into his own musical
past. A spacey psychedelic Retroprog can
be found on "Past, Present &
Future," the music clearly approaching
(or it builds), which is found on the
first three Brainticket albums.
Vandroogenbroecks gurgling and swirling
electronic organ is at the center of the
musical scene. There are also all sorts
of Electronic Flow, hissing, roaring and
buzzing, no further keyboard sounds,
Nicky Garratt's whining and
harder-rocking electric guitar and the
powerful rhythm section. Not
infrequently also be heard the voices of
the two female band members.
A kind of retro space rock is the
result, voluminous, earthy, psychedelic
and sometimes slightly herbaceous, just
like a blend of the historic psych-prog
à la Brainticket and the modern Herb
space rock of Hedersleben. The whole
thing is very varied and above all very
authentic from the speakers. The typical
Brainticket hypnotically repetitive
moment duck missing any more (you can
hear the long "Dancing on a volcano"
that constantly reminded of the band's
classic "Brain Ticket" from their debut
in this respect), such as exotic moments
(the sitar deposits " Reality of Dreams
") so Vandroogenbroecks Flute, freer
cosmic bizarre Electronics tissue and
various alienated, mysterious
esoteric-Stim inlays. Sometimes what is
offered is rocking a little harder,
jazzy keys runs are woven,
hymn-symphonic retro keyboard pads or
lyrical, dreamy piano deposits (just
listen to "East moon"). In the long
"Dance on a volcano" jamming the music
once something free-format then.
"Past, Present & Future" is an
amazingly successful and entertaining
remarks Joel Vandroogenbroecks, although
musically speaking little new processed
(but that probably does not want to),
but fans of the first three
Brainticket-works (maybe the music of Hedersleben)
should make quite a bit of fun in the
special and friends of
Spacig-Psychedelic-herbaceous-Retroprogressivem
in general. Then you could get from me
even more!
Achim Brelling - Babyblaue Prog
reviews - Germany
In 2015, Cleopatra Records reissued
fabled experimental Krautrock band,
Brainticket's 1973 album, Celestial
Ocean. However, keyboardist and flutist
Joel Vandroogenbroeck has abided by a
slow pace when releasing subsequent
material for mass consumption. Known as
a risqué unit that mirrored some of the
avant musings evidenced by fellow 70s
ensembles, Can and Amon Duul, the
musicians are back in action with a
rather urbane and radiantly produced
musical statement.
Highlighted by thrusting grooves,
layered electronics, and ethereal flute
passages, the ensemble also projects a
dynamic gait via buoyant jamming and
trancelike psychedelics. Moreover,
Kyrsten Bean and Kephera Moon's vocals
are often modulated into liquefying
vocoder type effects, casting a
pleasantly bizarre additive to the grand
schema as Vandroogenbroeck's silvery and
resonating organ parts are periodically
fitted with jazzy inflections.
The musicians finalize the album with a
slowly paced blues motif, simply titled
"Brainticket Blues." Again, the
vocalists' liquefied voices abet the
neo-ambient electronica vibe,
paralleling the leader's soulful flute
lines, crisp organ parts and streaming
electronics treatments. They grind out
an easygoing disposition with lyricism
pertaining to the rings of Saturn,
space-rocking and other intergalactic
connotations. Indeed, it's a cosmic
blues augmented Nicky Garratt's sliding
guitar notes that generate a
transcendental dreamscape component. And
while this band doesn't possess the
voluminous recorded output of its peers,
the musicians always give it their best
shot while taking pride in producing
qualitative frameworks and provocative
outcomes. Thus, Past, Present &
Future is an appropriate title since the
musicians merge and reinvent patterns or
stylistic tendencies from various
musical eras while also instilling a
freshly concocted solar wind into the
big picture.
Personnel: Joel Vandroogenbroeck: organ,
piano, synthesizers, sitar & flute;
Bryce Shelton: bass & 8-string bass;
Jason Willer: drums & percussion;
Nicky Garratt: acoustic & electric
guitars; Kyrsten Bean: vocals &
electric guitar; Kephera Moon: vocals
& keyboards.
Glenn Astarita - All About Jazz
- USA
The case of Brainticket is one of the
most special for ProgRocks.gr, because
they could theoretically be worth
presenting new movement a name with a
history of nearly 50 years is more than
low.
It all started in 1968 by the jazz /
soul shape Dee Dee Barry And The
Movements with leader of the Swiss based
Belgian polyorganista (basically
flutist), Joel Vandroogenbroeck.
Following the explosion of progressive
experimental psychedelia, the
Brainticket formed then not only been
one of the brightest and most unique
krautrock bands, but there were also
pioneers of that sound, combining vast
psychedelic / space with trippy prog
form of a mutating experimental concept,
as it appeared in each tray of the
inspirations of genius and
uncompromising music like
Vandroogenbroeck.
The first three releases,
"Cottonwoodhill" (1971), "Psychonaut"
(1972) and "Celestial Ocean" (1974),
collected all the elements of the myth
of Brainticket. Asserting the primacy of
the most extreme psychedelic recordings
in rock, the original (not just for the
season) ethnic mysticism was influential
even less psych version of the purely
orchestral, different and beautiful
"Adventure" (1980) and "Voyage" (1982 )
that followed.
The Brainticket reappeared 18 years
after the electronic "Alchemic Universe"
(2000), but abstained quality and
aesthetic of the greatness of their
previous works, as those of mediocrity.
The news circulating the fifth disc of
Brainticket 44 years after their debut
was reasonable to deal with prejudice.
In "Past, Present & Future" o
Vandroogenbroeck partnered with Kephera
Moon (Dragontime, Hedersleben), the
Jürgen Engler (Die Krupps) and with
experienced punk musicians like Nicky
Garratt (UK Subs), Geoff Myles
(Stormtrooper, Chelsea , The Smart) and
Jason Willer (UK Subs, Alaric, Cross
Stitched Eyes). All of them (with
Vandroogenbroeck) found the band of a
single Nik Turner, the instigator of
this coexistence, who described the new
album Brainticket as: "a sonic journey
that has been set to push the sonic
boundaries into the astral plane and
beyond! ".Hyperbole?
... Into the astral plane and beyond!
History has shown that record returns
after a long absence assemble high
probability of failure, let alone
whether they are legendary figures. Time
is relentless and the music is
constantly progressing, like the sound
aesthetics, the current modern trends,
the data at the executive level, etc.
Noticing the sad picture of many giants
of the 70s today, fears for the seventh
album by Brainticket was justified. Yet,
they were overcome finally completed
long before the hearing of the starting
"Dancing On The Volcano, Part 1", which
by hypnotic groovy krautrock mutates
into spaced out prog and then it starts
the lengthy second part of "Dancing On
The Volcano". This is a rare krautrock
epic, intensely rhythmic and dance funk
character highest level before the
ambient «emptying" in the middle and
oriental melodic closure dominated the
charmers flute Vandroogenbroeck.
If the good things stop here, no one
would complain I think. Yet they
continue to typically psychedelic and
oriental "Reality Of Dreams" and the
(surprisingly?) More directly prog /
space "Proto Alchemy" and "Riding The
Comet".The biggest surprise for every
connoisseur of Brainticket comes in
masterpiece "East Moon", not so much for
the film right atmosphere but because of
the leading role of klasikotropis melody
keys that strategically gives the torch
to explosive prog riff of "Singularity",
the which is the heaviest track of the
album.
The music of Brainticket had never so
much weight on guitars and here it seems
that for the first time in the course of
the great band satisfy the balance
between wind, electronics and electric
sounds. The Jürgen Engler doing a bit of
everything (synth, talk-box, guitar,
keyboards) contributes significantly to
that and Nicky Garratt if anything
amazes with pithy playing the guitar,
and the excellent drummer Jason Willer,
Chosen of Nik Turner and he. The most
impressive however presence here is none
other than the Kephera Moon, who plays
keyboards and sings in a unique way,
where appropriate. And this, because the
spirit of the album "requires" at
several points the lyrics 'just' be
recited, as in mystical "Egyptian Gods
Of The Sky" (direct reference to
"Celestial Ocean"), where the Moon is
transformed into a priestess and nails
the narrative, just as the obsessive and
sexy performance in all expected groovy
"Brainticket Blues", which closes the
album.
The Joel Vandroogenbroeck managed to
erect an amazing band of experienced and
very talented musicians to compose
pieces that combine experimental with
catchy element and the occult with
funky, bridging the krautrock tradition
-to which is partially responsible and
idios- with the music of today. This is
denoted as intended in the title and
implemented so impressive in various
ways to track, supported and lyrics.
Traveling back and forth in time is
transferring timeless musical elements,
suggesting the coveted time
dianysmatikotita in a future match
between man and technology.Source of
philosophical concerns leader of
Brainticket here is obviously the book
of Ray Kurzweil "The Singularity Is
Near", the first book in which the term
was based mellontologikos "singularity".
The "Past, Present & Future" is a
very interesting proposal for space /
cosmic music of tomorrow, without drains
timeless recipes, but also to innovate
without investing in inspiration, energy
and completely successful production of
Engler, even if risking (rather
successful eventually) with diversity.
The jewels in the discography of
Brainticket is now six. No exaggeration
Mr. Turner.
Kaltsas Dimitris - Prog Rocks -
Greece
Total return
In the years 2015 and fifteen years
after the disappointing "Alchemic
Universe" or if you want 33 years after
the "Voyage", the last notable record
their attempt, the Swiss Brainticket
reappear with claims and knocking on our
door to our ears. I admit that with this
band discography I have stayed in very
good impressions of the first classical
triad, somewhere in the early
polyakousmenis 70s.Since then I always
tried to learn the news, but more
something was not pulled in
particular.This movement but has
something extra, which deserves a great
deal. The "Past, Present & Future"
is what will make you listen to
everything once more, will accompany
some special moments, you'll take with
you for listening 'on the road', will
make you hear colors and see sounds, as
they said and older.
Since the beginning of the hearing is
understood that in this movement we have
an abstract and rapid passage through a
grid of electronic and physical images.
The inaugural "Dancing On The Volcano,
Part 1" the nine-minute duration puts us
well on fluttering sound space, followed
by the twenty minutes and put "Dancing
On The Volcano, Part 2", where the band
has time and comfort natural feel to
stretch skillfully throughout krautrock
available as kaleidoscopic rocket with
female vocals enhance Traveler thought.
Then comes the "Reality Of Dreams" with
well played sitar, while in "Proto
Alchemy" have the heavy guitar riff
accompanied by small electronic
sounds.Here we had a guitar scream of
agony, monotonous and simultaneously so
successfully appealing and somewhat so
continues the "Riding The Comet". To
piano takes the baton to "East Moon",
giving a different feel to the hearing
and creates a bit of a let's say more
improvisational mood, and therefore we
see and hear a different side of the
band here. The old good Brainticket come
to "Singularity" with smothered voice on
the guitar with strong percussion to go
up and down and this sweet sensation of
"Miss" is now conscious and irrevocable.
As we reach the end we feel that we see
the roots of this creature and this is
visible in the "Egyptian Gods Of The
Sky". To previously created today ...
with this seductive slow, relaxed mood
and these little horns miracles to be
submitted to the majestic and imperative
interpretation of Kephera Moon. In this
seven-minute song we have what happens
in most psychedelic album, as evil tale
with unexpected end before the
"Brainticket Blues" which is exactly
what the title says the measures of the
band.
The Brainticket show to incorporate any
music exists, and the experience and the
story anyway have. Besides, the album
title says it clearly: "Past, Present
& Future". Very interesting proposal
from a band that came back very strongly
with this movement to remind us of the
glorious past, to coordinate our present
but above all, to take us in the future!
Bon voyage!
Costas Rokas - Prog Rocks -
Greece
Psychedelia and a lot more show up on
this release. Overall it’s space rock or
progressive rock, though. Comparisons to
Hawkwind are at times valid, but I hear
everything from Nektar to Curved Air on
this. I like the album a lot. I’ve done
our standard track by track review, but
I’ll say that this really is the kind of
thing that works better as one long work
than a bunch of individual songs.
Purchase it and spin it that way. You’ll
want to thank me for the advice, but
it’s not necessary. Just enjoy it.
Track by Track Review
Dancing on the Volcano Part 1
Electronic sounds open this and it
powers out into some killer space rock.
It’s high energy and classy. It’s also
still electronic more than it is
anything else. There’s a dramatic,
slower, poetry reading section later
that definitely makes me think of
Hawkwind quite a bit. A weird space jam
ensues before they move out to more
rocking space sounds. Flute wanders over
the top of a space jam beyond there.
Dancing on the Volcano Part 2
This instrumental comes in with mellower
space jamming. It has a very free form
kind of mode early. It eventually shifts
out to driving, hard edged space rock
that really rocks. It drops way down to
very mellow sounds as it continues
forward. With flute dancing over the
top, this has some great melodic
elements and is builds outward. It
eventually angles toward more rocking
sounds, but never rises completely up.
The piece is over 21 minutes in length.
Reality of Dreams
Starting with some pure psychedelia, the
cut works through a number of different
sections. It’s really a great
combination of psychedelic rock, space
music and prog, with each of those
dominating at different times.
Proto Alchemy
A mid-tempo number, this space rocker
has a harder edge than some of the rest.
Still, the melodic elements and general
textures keep it spacey. Like most space
rock, not much changes quickly, but it
does change. There is an especially
mellow bit right at the end.
Riding the Comet
This has a lot of energy with keys and
drums driving the start. Somehow, to me,
it has some elements of surf guitar
music, but it’s also not far removed
from something like Nektar. In many
ways, this is the most blatantly
mainstream prog piece here. It’s still
got some definite Hawkwind space built
into it, though. It has some mostly
spoken vocals later. This is quite a
cool tune.
East Moon
Piano drives the start of this cut. That
piano continues prominently as the song
moves forward. While much of this
instrumental is definitely the space
rock one expects, it does work toward
jazz at points.
Singularity
I love the killer driving riff on the
start of this one. It works out toward
more science fiction based space prog.
There are a number of shifts and changes
going on with this tune. It’s a killer
rocker.
Egyptian Gods of the Sky
Suitably Egyptian in sound, this prog
rocker is very tasty. It’s theatrical,
dramatic and quite rocking. It’s still
got plenty of space melody in the mix,
too.
Brainticket Blues
Blues combines with psychedelia and
space rock on this killer retro textured
tune. The flute adds quite a bit to this
piece.
G.W.Hill - Music Street Journal
- USA
The Psychedelic rock band Brainticket
was founded in the early 1970s by the
Belgian multi-instrumentalist Joel
Vandroogenbroeck. It evolved out of
founded in 1967 Soul Jazz Band "Barry
Window and the Movements" (singer Barry
Window from Basel, Switzerland), whose
members Joël Vandroogenbroeck, Ron Bryer
and Wolfgang Paap together with some
like-minded southern German Krautrock
musicians formed a new international
combo. Brain tickets first album
Cottonwood Hill is reputedly the setting
of an LSD trip and is still regarded as
one of the psychedelischsten albums
ever. Now Vandroogenbroeck brought an
exceptionally talented group of
musicians and artists on board. The
longtime guitarist for the UK Subs,
Nicky Garratt, offers most guitars on
the album, with additional production
and instrumentation by Jürgen Engler of
the German band Die Krupps. In addition,
drummer Jason Willer & vocalist /
keyboardist Kephera Moon, both of
Hawkwind co-founder Nik Turner Band and
others. The brand new studio album with
ambitious and melodically sophisticated
compositions of the band since its
extraordinary debut album "Cottonwood
Hill" from 1970! This is the album to
which Brainticket fans have been waiting
a long time, an album that honors the
past, extends the future, and is ready
to enjoy the moment ! to be
Krautrock - World - Germany
With its mind- frying freakouts,
Brainticket’s 1971 debut album
Cottonwoodhill stands as an all-time psych
classic. This latest album is presented as
‘Krautrock’, which might have been true
when classically trained jazz pianist Joel
Vandroogenbroek started out. However, as
later albums showed before he retired the
name in 1982, there was more stirring here
as he forged his strain of cosmic
jazz-prog. Now he’s re-emerged as a
sophisticated new creature on this first
Brainticket album since returning in 2011.
Vandroogenbroek has surrounded himself
with different line-ups on every
Brainticket album. Co-conspirators here
include two new female singers and UK Subs
guitarist Nicky Garratt, mixed by Die
Krupps’ Jurgen Engler. The sound on tracks
such as the 20-minute-plus Dancing On A
Volcano is rich, dense and multi-textured,
straying into vibrant early 70s-style
psych- prog, while flutes and sitars drape
the hallucinogenic Reality Of Dreams. Only
the motorik of Riding The Comet could be
called Krautrock, but boxes should be
irrelevant when dealing with such
widescreen, multi-hued visions.
Prog Mag - UK
After being banned for glorifying
drugs, Brainticket’s mindblowing 1971
debut album might have been lost forever
had LA’s Cleopatra label not excavated
and reissued it. They sustained the
ensuing buzz by releasing subsequent
early 70s sets by the group, including
Psychonaut and Celestial Ocean.
Brainticket has always been classically
trained, Belgian-born jazz pianist Joel
Vandroogenbroek and whoever’s sailing
with him at the time. After retiring the
name in 1982, he exhumed it for 2000’s
Alchemical Universe and now returns with
a new line-up including singers Kyrsten
Bean and Kephera Moon, plus, somewhat
bizarrely, UK Subs guitarist Nicky
Garratt, who also co-writes.
It’s the first Brainticket album to
benefit from modern studio technology,
Vandroogenbroek making the most of new
textural enhancements on the epic cosmic
jazz fry-up Dancing On A Volcano and
sitar-stroked Reality Of Dreams. Rather
than the “krautrock” trailered on the
package (which really only drives the
sleek Riding The Comet), Brainticket
seem more intent on courting exotically
conceived strains of early 70s prog
(Singularity), luminescent sound
painting (Egyptian Gods Of The Night
Sky) and intergalactic prog-jazz (East
Moon). The acid might have worn off, but
Brainticket can still provide a uniquely
heady experience.
Record Collector Magazine - UK
It’s been 15 years since the last new
Brainticket album – Alchemic Universe,
released in 2000. Fast forward to 2011
and Brainticket founder and ship
commander Joel Vandroogenbroeck teamed
up with members of Farflung and
Pressurehed, plus Abby Travis on vocals
to join the Cleopatra Records sponsored
Space Rock Invasion tour that brought
Brainticket, Nektar and a solo acoustic
Huw Lloyd-Langton to the U.S. I caught
the tour in Cleveland I am not
exaggerating when I say that Joel and
company put on one of the best live
performances I have ever seen (CLICK
HERE for some YouTube videos). I also
had the opportunity to interview Joel,
who indicated that he was hoping all the
activity and visibility would result in
an album of new material.
It took almost four years but it’s
finally arrived. Vandroogenbroeck isn’t
joined by the musicians who accompanied
him on tour in 2011, but instead we have
the excellent Hedersleben, the
same band who backed Nik Turner on this
past year’s U.S. tour: Nicky Garratt on
guitar, Bryce Shelton on bass, Jason
Willer on drums, Kyrsten Bean on guitar
and vocals, and Kephera Moon on
keyboards and vocals. Maybe this is
Cleopatra Records new Space Rock house
band? And of course we have Joel on
organ, piano, synthesizers, sitar and
flute.
Past, Present & Future includes 9
tracks and clocks in at 75 minutes of
music. The album opens with the two
part, 30 minute Dancing On A Volcano.
The band lay down a funky rocking groove
over which either Bean or Moon take on
the Carole Muriel role reciting
otherworldly spoken word narratives,
which alternate with spaced out
Prog-Kosmiche keys and bubbling synth
effects. Near the end of part one we
descend into a darkly contemplative
passage with classic Prog and spacey
keys, a beautiful flowing flute solo and
trippy guitar. It’s like a combination
of early 70s Brainticket, Meddle era
Pink Floyd and even a wee bit of
Genesis. Part two starts off with
freeform jamming and sound exploration
before launching into a reprise of the
Funk-Rock that opened the set. But this
time we’re in more overtly Prog infused
Space Rock territory, with head boppin’
and hip shakin’ grooves that leave
plenty of room for jamming exploration
by the individual musicians. About
halfway through we transition to a
dreamily introspective theme, with
flowing soundscape waves, heavenly keys,
lulling atmospherics, and an
Ambient-Jazz vibe. And when the flute
takes the melodic lead it feels like the
deep space Jazz soundtrack to some 60s
film. Absolutely fantastic. If these 30
minutes were the entire album I’d be
satisfied. But there’s more…
Joel’s magic sitar leads the way on the
Psychedelic Space-Raga rocking Reality
of Dreams. Proto Alchemy is a
majestically plodding Space-Prog
instrumental with a cool combination of
doomy bassline and Jazz jamming keys.
Riding the Comet starts off like the
perfect theme song to an old sci-fi TV
show, before morphing into a good time
swinging slab of cosmic dancefloor fun.
East Moon consists of grandiose, concert
piano led symphonic rock. Singularity
alternates between high intensity
Space-Prog with alien efx’d spoken word
and hypnotically dreamy melodic
segments. Egyptian Gods Of The Night Sky
has a Book of the Dead type narrative
theme, with music that is both
Psychedelically dreamy and hauntingly
dissonant, making for an alluring blend
of Kosmiche and Avant-Prog. Finally,
Brainticket Blues is precisely that…
sultry Blues with a jazzy cosmic edge.
In summary, Brainticket 2015 mines
territory that will be familiar to fans
of the 70s albums, but have not
contented themselves with a mere retro
experience. Vandroogenbroeck has
collaborated with an ace ensemble of
musicians to create music that draws on
the past but is heavily informed by many
of years of experience since. I think
its damn good.
Jerry Krantz - Aural
Innovations USA
I just knew a new Brainticket album
would come my way. After all there was
the Space Rock Invasion tour that
included them, Huw-Lloyd Langton
(ex-Hawkwind), and Nektar, so it was
time a new Brainticket album came our
way. After all 15 years passed since the
last one, Alchemic Universe, while
welcomed by many, many did not take to
well to its techno leaning. I'm happy to
report with Past, Present & Future,
the techno approach has thankfully been
ditched, in favor of real drums, again!
Members of Die Krupps, UK Sub, and Nik
Turner's band are in this version of
Brainticket, along with (naturally) Joel
Vandroogenbroeck, now 76. It's
Brainticket, I hear elements of the
Brainticket of old, like Cottonwoodhill,
Psychonaut, and Celestial Ocean, but
they don't rehash that, and bring in
something new as well. I also love the
production, no loudness wars that make
listening a headache regardless of
quality (go listen to Eloy's The Tides
Return Forever or Ocean 2, great music,
but that loudness war makes listening to
them a headache due to unnecessary
volume). Also the fact the music doesn't
sound overly contemporary, but not
overly retro either (I do hear both
analog and digital synths). Kephera Moon
sounds so unbelievably like Carole
Muriel you'd think it was her under an
assumed name. Just one listen to
"Dancing on the Volcano Part 1" or
"Egyptian Gods of the Sky" and you'll
see what I mean! "Dancing on the Volcano
Part 2" features an extended funky jam
that gives way to an ambient part, and
some nice flute playing from Joel
Vandroogenbroeck. "Reality of Dreams"
has a more Eastern feel to it, complete
with sitar. A couple cuts venture more
into '70s-like prog instrumentals like
"Reality of Dreams" and "Proto Alchemy",
while "Egyptian Gods of the Sky" will
remind you of Celestial Ocean with the
spoken dialog and Egyptian theme. Then
there's "Brainticket Blues" I get a kick
off! Blues does Brainticket style, you
will never mistake this for BB King or
Muddy Waters. First you have Joel
Vandroogenbroeck's flute playing. Then
you have Kephera Moon's spoken dialog
sounding like Carole Muriel, and it
sounded like it was lifted right off
Celestial Ocean. You obviously hear the
blues style, but nothing like regular
straight-up blues (which usually bores
me). Usually Brainticket takes
themselves seriously, but "Brainticket
Blues" shows that rare not-so-serious
side. To see 2015 gets started off with
some this good, I'm happy to see a new
Brainticket album. Just what I needed,
and if you like Brainticket, this one
should be in your collection.
Progarchives - USA
Fifteen long years since Alchemic
Universe escaped from Planet Brainticket,
finally, Joel and Co (mainly vocalist
Kephera Moon, former UK Subs! axeman Nicky
Garratt, drummer Jason Willer and
keyboardist Jugrgen Engler) log-in with
Past, Present & Future (2015). An
exhausting trip of over 70 minutes,
including 2-parter Dancing On The Volcano
garnering an opening 30, Brainticket
re-awaken the gods of Ramses via
crystallised pieces of Swiss kraut-rock.
Recalling intergalactic trips from heady
days long gone when sitar and synths were
kings (CELESTIAL OCEAN, COTTONWOODHILL, et
al), Joel reaches for the stars for
instrumental Reality Of Dreams, while
there was an 007 feel by way of Proto
Alchemy. In the mystic words of Kephera
(with help from Kyrsten Bean as guest),
exotica and female narration of a
cinematic scale represent the retro-fried
closing triumvirate of Singularity,
Egyptian Gods Of The Sky and the cool
Brainticket Blues. Mind over matter, with
extensive listens to PP&F, BRAINTICKET
will book you aboard to sit aside them
before they set their sonic synths for the
heart of the sun.
Progarchives - USA
For those following along at home,
and even more so for fans of a)
Brainticket and b) delirious Swiss
Krautrock, yes, it has been over 14 years
since the band released a new studio
album! I know, right! Brianticket founder
and leader, Joel Vandroogenbroeck may well
have opened his recording career with
Brainticket in 1970 with a trio of albums
that bounced off the presses like they
were going out of fashion -
Cottonwoodhill, Psychonaut (1971), and
Celestial Ocean (1973); the latter now
re-released this month also as a 2-CD
deluxe edition version of the masterpiece
album, that now comes accompanied by a
rare live concert from the same year - but
he then slowed his musical roll down to
just over an album a decade thereafter!
The brand new Brainticket album is Past
Present & Future, which begins with an
epic 2-part composition that has to be
heard to be believed. Maybe it took him 14
years to get this one song, ‘Dancing On A
Volcano’ just right, who knows, but it is
most certainly one hell of a way to open;
and reintroduce Brainticket and
Vandroogenbroeck back to the musical fold.
Listening to Past Present & Future,
it’s easy to identify that this new studio
recording has got to easily be one of
Vandroogenbroeck’s most accomplished, most
ambitious, most sophisticated of works.
Evoking the familiar rhythms and melodies
of his past work, yet expanding into whole
new horizons beyond the scope of what he
might well have only dreamt he had been
able to accomplish back in the 70’s, the
new album dips and sways, skips and holds
its ground, but never stumbles.
Incorporating the musical sensation of
moving back and forth through time, the
unity of man and technology, inspired by
Ray Kurzweil’s book The Singularity Is
Near, that premise of Machines become
human, humans become machines is brought
to the fore here as both a conceptual
warning - and a damning promise.
CD Reviews - USA
German Krautrock (mixture of rock and
electronic music) band, Brainticket
originated in the early seventies by
Joel Vandroogenbroeck. He was the
"youngest jazz pianist" to earn the Art
Tatum award at age fifteen and toured
Europe as a member of the Quincy Jones
Orchestra. Vandroogenbroeck became
interested in the Krautrock sound
created by the band Tangerine Dream and
decided to start a band of his own
called Brainticket. They released three
albums in four years and developed an
underground following before disbanding
in 1974. They regrouped again in the
early eighties to record two albums, but
was quickly put on hiatus. One more
Brainticket album appeared in 2000, as
Cleopatra Records found interest in the
band, releasing a four-CD box set
entitled "The Vintage Anthology." Now,
fifteen years later, the latest
formation of Brainticket is releasing a
new album "Past Present & Future."
The new nine-song release begins with
the two-part progressive rock adventure
"Dancing On A Volcano," which totals 30
minutes long. The talking sound clips,
mixed with the outstanding musicianship
takes your mind on a journey with the
worldly feel of "Reality Of Dreams" and
the space-rock of "Riding The Comet."
The dream-like vocals of "Singularity"
is a nice contrast to the hard rock
rhythm of the song. The album finishes
up with the seventies-style blues of
"Brainticket Blues" that closes the
album with a timeless rock feel. The new
album was released on February 17th
through Cleopatra Records.
JP'S Music Blog - USA
Krautrock pioneers reveal tracklist for
first studio album in 15 years.
Founder Joel Vandroogenbroeck is joined
on the record by longtime UK Subs
guitarist Nicky Garratt and musician and
producer Jurgen Engler from German
industrial outfit Die Krupps. Drummer
Jason Willer and singer/keyboardist
Kephera Moon, both from Hawkwind
co-founder Nik Turner’s band, complete
the lineup.
Vandroogenbroeck says of album opener
Dancing On The Volcano: “From the
original Brainticket rhythm, destiny has
led us to the South East Asia
meditative, mature philosophic concept
of life. The last movement of the piece
leads us to the sensation of dancing,
moving, fully present, living time
again.”
Prog Magazine - UK
Unglaublich. Vandroogenbroeck muss
das gleiche Zeug rauchen wie vor fast 45
Jahren.
Damals stand 1971 auf den Kalendern, als
der Belgier mit seiner Mischung aus Kraut,
Psychedelic, Space, Elektronik und
leichtem Jazz mit Cottonwoodhill das Tor
zu geheimen Regionen des menschlichen
Gehirns öffnete. Die beiden Folgealben
Psychonaut & Celestial Ocean schlossen
gemäßigter daran an und dann war erst mal
Ruhe mit Brainticket. Es folgten zwei
Alben in den Achtzigern und 2000 "Alchemic
Universe". Nach nun fast fünfzehn Jahren
Pause gibt es mit "Past Present &
Future" endlich wieder eine Scheibe der
Band.
Wobei sich das Wort Band allerdings auf
Joël Vandroogenbroeck beschränkt, denn nun
ist auch Carole Muriel nicht mehr im
Line-up. Aber keine Bange, auch auf "Past
Present & Future" gibt es mit Kyrsten
Bean wieder diese hypnotische
Narrator-Stimme, die Joëls Kompositionen
diesen unverwechselbaren Touch gibt. Bryce
Shelton, Kephera Moon, Jason Willer sowie
Nick Garratt sind bekannt von den
kalifornischen(!) Krautrockern Hedersleben,
ja eigentlich ist es sogar die komplette
Band.
Dass Vandroogenbroeck gerne auf 'neue'
Musiker setzt mag verwundern, denn
Brainticket ist auf allen Scheiben als
Brainticket zu erkennen. Das zeigt, dass
er eindeutig das Brain ist. Und der Mann
ist 77 Jahre alt, da kann es auch durchaus
sein, dass die Begleiter früherer Tage die
jetzigen anders verbringen.
Da Nomen oft Omen sind, ist auch der
Plattentitel nicht schlecht gewählt. Die
beiden Tracks "Dancing On A Volcano" und
da besonders der Zwanzigminüter "Part 2"
sind eindeutig past as past can be. Es
werden eindeutig Sequenzen aus
"Cottonwoodhill" ("Brainticket, Pt. 1")
herangezogen und in das Jetzt übertragen.
Dieser quirlige, die Gehirnsynapsen
durcheinander wirbelnde Drive ist auch
heute einfach nur genial.
Auch die bekannte Flöte und die Sitar,
Vandroogenbroeck Markenzeichen, sind auf
"Past Present & Future" vorhanden. Wie
durch ein Wurmloch werden verschiedene
musikalische Galaxien erreicht - indisch
meditative ("Reality Of Dreams") oder
doomige, mit einer floydigen Quintessenz
("Proto Alchemy"). Spacig geht es zu und
in "East Moon" leitet ein Piano gekonnt
über in eine fast orchestrale Fusion aus
Prog und Jazz, um schließlich klimpernd in
eine Art Ewigkeit abzudriften.
Großes ägyptisches Kino hält "Egyptian
Gods Of The Sky" bereit. Äußerst
stimmungsvoll kann man die Pyramiden im
Sonnenuntergang vor dem geistigen Auge
sehen. Geheimnisvoll erzählt die Stimme
Geheimnisvolles aus dem Orient. Aber es
gibt auch (wieder) eine Bluesnummer auf
dem Album. Jedoch sollte man von
Brainticket keinen Zwölftakter wie vor
biersabbernden Bluesjüngern im Club
erwarten. Die üblichen Zutaten der Band
sind allesamt vorhanden: dezenter Synthie,
Flöte und natürlich Frau Narrator. Und es
ist mehr als logisch, dass sie des Öfteren
»what have we done?« stoisch ins Mikro
haucht. Als wolle sie uns sagen, dass
Blues eigentlich nicht das ureigene Metier
der Band ist. Aber, das Stück heißt
"Brainticket Blues" und es fügt sich
perfekt und harmonisch in
Vandroogenbroecks Kosmos ein.
Auch 2015 steht Brainticket den älteren
Sachen aus den Siebzigern in nichts nach.
Das schwere Orgelrollen, die sparsamen und
immer dienlich verwendeten
Weltraumsynties, die meditative Flöte und
die erzählende Stimme...
Joël Vandroogenbroeck hat gut daran getan,
seiner Sache treu zu bleiben. Diese
Symbiose aus Psychedelic, Prog und Kraut
ist einfach an nichts gebunden. Vielleicht
an die Fantasie aber sicher nicht an die
Zeit. Die Reise durch Raum und Dimensionen
nimmt auf Zeit keine Rücksicht. Und so
kann "Past Present & Future" durchaus
neben dem Siebzigertriple bestehen. Möge
die Zeit auch für Vandroogenbroeck keine
Rolle spielen. Trotz des für einen
Rockmusiker doch hohen Alters, bin ich
immer auf Neues aus seiner Feder gespannt.
Er sollte sich für ein Folgealbum
vielleicht nicht nochmal 15 Jahre Zeit
lassen.
Line-up:
Joël Vandroogenbroeck (organ, piano,
synthesizers, sitar, flute)
Bryce Shelton (bass & 8-string bass)
Jason Willer (drums & percussion)
Nick Garratt (acoustic & electric
guitars)
Kyrsten Bean (vocals, electric guitar)
Kephera Moon (vocals, keyboards)
Ulli Heiser, Rock Times -
Germany
There are cult bands and then there are
bands who are almost mythical in their
cult status such as Brainticket. These
are bands that get passed down through
the ages in hushed corners of record
shops or parties and taken on to yet
another listener who then repeats ad
infinitum. It is music that belongs to a
certain group of people in the know and
history is littered with albums that
relays this mythical cult status.
Cottonwoodhill is one such album.
Always set apart from their krautrock
peers by the use of unusual
instrumentation in their sound,
Brainticket straddles the border of
psych, prog and kraut in ways Amon Duul
only hinted at on Yeti. Relatively
succesful there career all but ended
after a run of four albums in 1982 only
for a brief return in the early
noughties. Now they are back again with
their first proper album in an age,
Past, Present and Future.
For those hoping for a return to the
sound of old then you may be in for a
treat in parts of this record and as the
opening epic of ‘Dancing On A Volcano
part 1′, followed by the equally epic
and even longer ‘Dancing On A Volcano
part 2′ (respectively 8 mins and 21
mins) take hold you will be able to
wallow in the fantastic, twisted world
of Brainticket once again.
Indeed, most bands would settle with
these first two songs as a single
release these days and this is where the
album ultimately fails. The sheer
expanse of Past, Present and Future
means it is very difficult to take in a
single listen and as such, a flow is
difficult to grasp. The other issue is
that much of it is filler (in as much as
Brainticket do filler) and doesn’t quite
match up to the genius that is at play
behind the music. Too many moments sink
into a sort of tepid lounge jazz feel
without testing the expanses of your
mind enough.
By ‘East Moon’, Brainticket are riding
free again and with the flute being the
one instrument that binds the album
together, the lead into ‘Singularity’
and the stunning ‘Egyptian Gods of the
Night Sky’ make that long sitting almost
worthwhile. Throw in some rather funky
movements on ‘Brainticket Blues’ and one
gets the feeling that shorn of a few
tracks, this album could have been a
masterpiece.
It may not be Cottonwoodhill but it
certainly holds its own in the
Brainticket back catalogue. Setting
aside the lengthy aspirations, there are
moments here which are quite unlike
anything you will hear again and it
seems that age has not dulled that need
to experiment. The excellent production
means the music sweeps around your head
as it delivers it’s requisite squeaks
and squonks, the vocals drift in when
you least expect it and the flute stakes
its claim for a return to progressive
music. And that’s what this ultimately
is, progressive music for progressive
people.
Martyn Coppack - Echoes and
Dust USA
Have you ever wondered how a certain
music genre got it's name? Who got to
decide that a certain style of music
should be called such? I've wondered
that about Krautrock. It's basically
Sixties psychedelic, space, jazz, rock
fusion music. The same thing was being
done in America and the UK at the same
time. But if your band is from Germany,
you get the special designation of
"Krautrock." The funny thing is that
Brainticket founder and principal player
Joel Vandroogenbroeck (say that last
name three times real fast) is from
Belgium.
Joel Vandroogenbroeck
So Vandroogenbroeck, who appears to be
as old as Methuselah, has been doing
this Brainticket gig for better than 40
years. The Brainticket spin on the whole
Krautrock thing is to take the whole
psychedelic and space rock motif and
twist it with world music
(Vandroogenbroeck plays sitar among
other instruments), and then put all
this in these prog jazz fusion
arrangements. In other words, it's more
experimental psychedelic space rock
weirdness like Amon Duul II, Can and
Tangerine Dream or Hawkwind on the
English side.
The music turns, essentially, on
whatever instrument, organ, piano,
synthesizer, flute, sitar, that
Vandroogenbroeck chooses. (I keep using
his last name over and over to make your
brain force you pronounce it over and
over. You can thank me later.) But
mostly the songs amount to ethereal
synths and quirky guitars over bass and
drums that weave between a rock and jazz
groove. The songs are also largely
instrumental, but Dancing On A Volcano,
Part 1, Egyptian Gods of the Night Sky,
and Riding The Comet, by example, have
some chick doing spoken word vocals.
Basically, it's one long strange trip
into Vandroogenbroeck experimental and
psychedelic musical mind. Oh yeah, the
last song on the album is called
Brainticket Blues, but has nothing to do
with blues music. Well, maybe a little
in the rhythm section. As I said,
general Krautrock weirdness. If you like
this type of music, I say buy it, light
up a doobie, and space out.
Craig Hartranft - USA
Better than any of Brainticket's last
efforts but then again....
"Past, Present & Future", 2015, is
by far more focused and mature and shows
Joel Vandroogenbroeck's (BRAINTICKET'S
mastermind) best music writing
attributes as some of his unmovable
influences from earlier times, when
Krautrock or to be geographically
accurate "SwitzRock", met the USA's
Jazz/Rhythm & Blues scene and
revolved, as many other countries and
popular musical styles, around it.
"Dancing on the Volcano pt.2", this
release longest track (21+- minutes) is
full of these blast to the past kind of
outdated Funky influences and sadly it
is just a long jam whose scarce
highlights are overshadowed by quiet
cliched improvisations. Now kind of
removing this track's unmemorable
aftertaste and recovering track one
"Dancing on the Volcano pt.1" which is
proportionaly opposite and memorable
than its second part, this release will
satisfy most Krautrock followers who
were into this 60's & 70's eclectic
synth/space-Rock/Blues-Indo/ Raga style.
As for me, this release promises so much
but actually stays short of being ground
breaking or really daring in its
entirety. Its closeness to the "past"
instead of "present or future" serves as
a tribute or memorabilia but also shows
clearly a void of new musical ideas.
Truly memorable and proposing as daring
compositions: track one "Dancing On The
Volcano Pt.1", track 7 "Singularity" and
"Egyptian Gods of the Sky" track 8. ***3
PA stars.
AdmirArt - Progrock Archives
|