VAGABOND'S VIEW

A little-known but bright young star in the European retro prog scene, Dominik Mueller plays all the instruments on his first record 'Vagabond's View'. Led by his keys and fleshed out with bass and drums, Mueller pulls off a convincing if basic-sounding freshman effort. The music consists of both landscape atmosphere a la Bo Hansson and driving, semi-classical dirges of simple but accomplished structure. Mueller is able to squeeze a lot out of a little and impresses frequently with cleverness, taste and a keen sense of the music his progressive forebears created. Mueller's father raised him on the British and European progressive rock he loved, including Jethro Tull, ELP, Genesis, Bo Hansson, Arkham, and these influences are heard throughout this album without being imitated.

The four tracks move along at a good pace and allow a healthy sampling of Mueller's requiem style, showcasing his penchant for acid church psychedelia and some very melodic synth work. The centerpiece is 'The Hermit', a classic early-style prog number with dramatic changes and a hallowed atmosphere with a bit of Floyd for texture, climaxing powerfully with some heavy synth. All in all, an outstanding debut for this young composer demonstrating great skill, integrity and vision.