ULTRAPHAUNA

An album of ten separate "snowglobes" tidy little universes all unto themselves--at least, that's what the band would have us believe.

1. "Spilling from the Mouths of Babes" (5:44) a song that sounds like Asian music that NORTH SEA RADIO ORCHESTRA has coopted and Westernized. I love the song's sparse spaciousness. (8.875/10)

2. "Mont Tauch" (10:10) multiple violin tracks (or some that are keyboard samples) occupy the first minute of this. Then bass, Fender Rhodes chords, and cymbal-less drums take over until 1:40 when the full drums break out and violin returns as the principle melody-maker. Nice cinematic jazzy that reminds me of Mark ISHAM's soundtrack to Alan Rudolph's 1988 film, The Moderns. Timba Harris' violin retains a kind of Eastern European/gypsy melodic sense throughout, even when accordion-like keys and CRIMSONian-like rhythm section take over on the low end. At this point I'm very much reminded of the music of Francesco Zago and especially his YUGEN project. At 5:30 the music becomes more Spanish American celebratory (though I hear Jean-Luc PONTY as well in Timba's electric violin). The drums really push to the front here until the operatic break at 7:30 when keys-backed violin leads the triumphant Spanish forward into a patch of BEATLES melody-scape. A very cool, dreamy-fantasy passage that plays out pretty much to the song's end. (18/20)

3. "Summoning the Maker" (4:26) an unusual blend of intercontinental sounds and melodies (Western techno keyboard bass giving way to Percy Jones/Mick Karn-like "lead" bass play, DEAD CAN DANCE-like Arabian violin melodies, odd Asian rhythms from the percussive instruments [including hand claps]. The finished product is quite reminiscent of many DCD songs. (9/10)

4. "Sssst" (6:24) opening like some bluegrass-tinged chamber folk music by the GOAT RODEO crew, the song develops slowly, more Asian-like with lots of spacious noiseless gaps between individual instrument ejaculations. At 1:39 bass player Toby Driver initiates a repeating bass line within/over which violin, toy percussives, and a child's xylophone regulate their intermittant incidental contributions while Dorothy Wave sings in a near-monotone ANNETTE PEACOCK- like "crazy" child nonsense lyric. At 4:25 the structure and melody become more Scandanavian folk. The keys and full drums fill and play out while Dorothy's heavily-effected vocalise are layered and woven into a magic carpet flying around over the top. Cool, quite unorthodox, and very interesting. (9/10)

5. "Little Maker" (6:55) dissonant chromatic chords from an electric piano open this before cinematic jazz bass line joins in and multi-tracks of effected violin play a pretty melodic riff over and over, and later, harmonized. Orchestral percussion instruments are played around with in the background. It's really the bass and now-regular and repeating two electric keyboard chords that hold this song together as the violins and percussives throw their contributions into the mix like lead soloists. The solo violin work in the fourth minute is pure classical violin (no longer heavily effected) exploring independent melody lines--which sometimes move into Indian, Arabian, or even Romany territories. In the sixth minute Timba's violins move back into the etheric background and become treated and layered again, but the, in the seventh minute, the whole becomes very Gershwinian: very clearly Western classical. Very cool! (13.75/15)

6. "Collidascope" (9:49) opens with an extended Zeuhl-like passage with all instrumentalists sincerely focused on their own contributions to the weave--which, overall, is quite cool (in a PiNioL kind of way--without the lively Japanese lyrics- -this is an instrumental). A few stop-gaps before restarts allows for guitar-like keys, violin, drums, and throbbing bass to impress-even to sound, at times, like a chamber piece (especially when the keyboard uses the harpsichord feature). In the eighth minute the sound palette even goes Latin/Calypso for a bit before reverting back to the more classical chamber-Zeuhl feel for the finale. (17.5/20)

7. "Behind Mine" (6:47) it takes two minutes of spacey electronic atmospheric chords to set up what sounds and feels like a funky STEREOLAB dance tune. Oddly, all of the singing occurs within those opening two minutes! After that there is some really nice melodic play from all of the instrumentalists creating what turns out to be quite a catchy (if rather simple) harmonic weave. And then it ends as it started: with 40 seconds of atmospheric synth chords. Interesting! (13.25/15)

8. "I'm You Now" (4:45) pitch-shifted electronic drums familiar to me from the mid-1980s Hip-Hop/R&B scene (Tom Tom Club, Whodini, et al.) within an overall funked up TOM TOM CLUB-like fabric and style--especially with Dorothy's mutli-track vocals (which sound kind of like "Wordy Rappinghood"). Very cool! In the second half of the third minute the "orchestrated" passage sounds very James Bond cinematic. Not very proggy but very cool--very hip--and danceable. (9.25/10)

9. "Wow, João!" (9:00) opens as if this is going to be a Django Reinhardt-Stéphane Grappelli-styled song (with more modern, XTC-like rhythm section). Clavichord and syncopated drum line are a bit annoying while the bass tries to hold it together until the break at the end of the second minute. After a little reset bridge the bass, cymbals, and clavichord re-establish the basic rhythmic structure for Timba's violin to try to lead with his repetitive melody-making riff. Several other pauses and resets (while the drummer maintains a 2/2 beat) occur over the next few minutes with multiple attempts at variation before the violin finally succeeds at breaking the line of stagnation--but then he himself starts to breed boredom and tedium with his almost parodiacal repetition. In the eighth minute things are brought to a hault for the bass to have some freedom for expression. Weird song that is obviously a serious exercise in discipline and fortitude. (17.25/20)

10. "Pearl" (4:01) happy-go-lucky music that reminds me of Kavus Torabi's KNIFEWORLD music. The melancholy second half (2:30 to end) is almost dirge-like. (8.66667/10)

Total Time 68:01

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of adventurous progressive rock music; definitely an album I highly recommend for all self-proclaimed prog lover's to check out for themselves. Maybe not the best album of the year but certainly one of the most interesting!

Here we have the debut album by duo music of Timba Harris (violin) and Dorothy Wave (vocals, keyboards) who extended to a quartet with the addition of Toby Driver (bass) and Joel Murray (drums). All four of these musicians have a long history in the RIO and avant scene, being involved in the likes of Estradasphere, Secret Chiefs 3, a.P.A.t.T., Kayo Dot, Extra Life, Duo Probosci, Barberos, Grails, Tzadik Composer Series and others, so even before listening to this one has a good idea what the style of music is going to be like (plus it has been released by Dur et Doux, always a great clue). Ten songs with a playing time of more than an hour, this is music which switches from soundscapes to music which is more direct, often with Timba at the driving heart, melodic yet always striving to push boundaries, never satisfied but always searching for the next musical adventure.

Perhaps surprisingly, given the history of those involved, this is a very easy to get inside on the very first time of play and it only gets better with repeated listenings. It could never be described as being commercial, yet there is something here which is compelling, and repeated hooks and styles brings us deep inside their world. At times it is almost oriental, with the sliding violin and fuzzed bass with xylophone keyboards on "Summoning The Maker" taking us deep into Japan. There are multiple layers within the arrangements, yet there is also a large use of space so we never feel as if it is too much, never too overpowering, with plenty of room for us to be inside and investigate. The label says to file this under prog pop, avant rock, avant pop, prog rock, and while some of those are often associated with Dur et Doux it is indeed rare to see "pop". For fans of the above labels, plus RIO, this is a very enjoyable debut and it will be interesting to see where their journey takes them.

A brand spanking new prog band to emerge in 2023, ULTRAPHAUNA is the collaborative efforts of multi-instrumentalists Timba Harris (Estradasphere, formerly of Secret Chiefs 3) and Dorothy Wave (a.P.A.t.T.) formed somewhere in the vastness of the USA. While technically a duo, this debut NO NO NO NO features studio contributions from bassist Toby Driver (Kayo Dot and Maudlin of the Well) and drummer Joel Murray (also a.P.A.t.T.). Eclectic and varied, ULTRAPHAUNA has developed its own stylistic approach with notable influences ranging from Gentle Giant and jazz-fusionists Return To Forever to the whack job approach of Mr Bungtle and Estadasphere. If i had to tag this i'd call it chamber folk meets avant-prog.

A lengthy affair, NO NO NO NO features 10 tracks that that add up to 68 minutes of playing time. Quite a commitment for today's overtaxed music freak but one that is ultimately satisfying as each track delivers a distinct personality, brilliant creativity and a never-ending display of clever arrangements. The addition of the violin gives the entire thing a gypsy swing feel much of the time with catchy hooks and warm fuzzy emotive tugs. While most of the album is dedicated to instrumental workouts, Wave contributes some scattered vocals which work quite well to break the monotonous abstract tone. It appears her vocals are wordless and act as another instrument to weave around the already complex contrapuntal ethno-cinema-chamber-metal?go-round (as claimed on the Bandcamp site.)

It's an an interesting album for sure with moments that remind of Magma a la zeuhlish bass grooves and what sounds like a Kobaian chant and at other times sounding right out of the Secret Chiefs 3 playbook with knotty avant-prog otherworldliness only set in a proggy gypsy camp. Toby Driver was very much involved with this project and although he is not credited as a bonafide member he not only performs bass but does a stellar mixing job. Despite his involvement there is absolutely nothing on NO NO NO NO that resembles his most famous projects Kayo Dot or Maudlin of the Well. This is instantly likable prog that borrows from ethnic melodic sources and then teases it out into complexity with various references to the past but ultimately ULTRAPHAUNA sounds like no other and has earned a differentiation gold star from the start.

Conjuring up a whole plethora of moods and mirages, ULTRAPHAUNA scores in my world on this stellar debut. Noticeably missing form the lineup is the rock guitar which is replaced by the violin and keys which adds to its own idiosyncratic sound. From the gypsy swing opening "Spinlling From the Mouths of Babes" to the Secret Chiefs 3 sounding "Summoning The Maker" and Mahavishnu Orchestra inspired "Collidascope" to the ending quirky circus pop "Pearl," ULTRAPHAUNA proves itself as an instantly likable and creative force in the crowded world of modern prog. A band not only to look out for in the future but one that should be noticed now. Not a bad track on this one. Perhaps the one thing that could've been improved is the running time as the album is a lot to take in on a single spin as it does tend to meander but if you find yourself with the time to check it out, it certainly doesn't disappoint with no track that makes you want to skip.