THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE

I was blown away by the last album from HOGIA, 2023's 'The Light of Ancient Mistakes', as even though it was their seventh album it was a major step change in what had come before ? think the difference in Big Big Train after 'Bard'. But whereas the latter was due in no small part by the change in line-up, HOGIA is still the duo of Malcolm Galloway (lead guitar, synths) and Mark Gatland (bass guitar, additional guitars and synths) while they have again been joined by flautist Kathryn Thomas who has been there since the second album (although just one song this time) and guest singer Ethan Galloway (again just one song). The earlier albums demonstrated hints of what was to come, but it was only with the last one that everything really gelled and I am delighted to say that here we have more of the same.

With a band comprised of two true multi-instrumentalists, the ideas can be driven through as opposed to needing to explain them to others, and with Galloway also a well-known minimalist classical composer they have a very broad approach to their music. There are times when the syncopated runs are almost mathcore in the way they are attacked, others fall into almost symphonic prog, crossover is always present while they also mix in pop (especially Pet Shop Boys) and rock (David Byrne) and art rock. The result is an incredibly well performed and broad release which has a great deal going for it so one never knows quite what is going to happen next. They also release their music physically with detailed booklets containing lyrics and lots of glossy photographs, something not many independent artists do these days, sadly.

Also, we have a full explanation of some of the songs on the album, and the thinking behind the title itself. "Heisenberg's 1927 uncertainty principle overturned that perception. He showed that for the smallest objects we can detect, increasing the knowledge of one aspect of the particle decreases our knowledge of another aspect. This was most famously demonstrated for position and momentum. Although the uncertainty principle was discovered in relation to quite technical aspects relating to measurements of subatomic particles, I think it was part of an uncertainty revolution in human thought. We fundamentally cannot be certain about some aspects of the world around us. As physicists were overturning our assumptions about the nature of matter, Kurt Gödel showed in 1931 that any system of mathematics must have limitations. Psychology showed that our memories and self-perceptions can be wildly inaccurate. And the history of the 20th century is a testament to the dangers of trusting those who are blinded by certainty. Several historical events that combine quantum physics and inter-personal uncertainty are explored in the album. Two of these relate to Werner Heisenberg, the pioneer of the uncertainty principle, and a leader of the German nuclear programme. One focuses on his disputed conversation during the Second World War with his former mentor Niels Bohr. The second relates to Moe Berg, the American spy and former professional baseball player, who was sent to attend a lecture by Heisenberg, at which he was supposed to decide whether to assassinate him. Although quantum theory might seem obscure, academic, and at times almost ridiculous, it nevertheless provides some the most accurate predictions of experiments ever found in science."

If this doesn't capture the overblown thinking of classic prog what does? Yet the music is fresh and very much of today ? definitely worth investigating.

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