MUNDOS PARALELOS

What do you get when you blend King Crimson, Jethro Tull and Brand X? Probably the closest answer would be "Mundos Paralelos" by the very good Argentinean band TANGER.

The real problem with this album is to categorize it, because the Jazz influences are more than obvious, but there's too much happening to limit them to a single sub-genre as Prog Fusion, so the word Eclectic describes them perfectly.

But let's check the tracks one by one:

The album starts with "Ansiedad", a song that impresses me most because the way the band managed to make it flow from start to end without any problem, despite the different sounds and moods you can find. The main reference would be obviously Jethro Tull because of the preeminent role of the flute, but the Jazz structure is more than clear, very good starter.

"Circulos Concéntricos" is a different blend and flavor, the Psyche intro collisions with the development of the song which sounds reminiscent of "Larks Tongues in Aspic", it's amazing how the guys from TANGER are able to blend, what seems impossible to blend.

"Mundos Paralelos" begins with an acoustic guitar intro that leads to a softer track with some Bossa Nova aroma, the sweet flute is evidently the lead instrument, soft and melancholic, maybe too simple for some progheads, but not everything has to be ultra complex to be good.

"Siete Pulsos" brings us back to Prog Fusion territory, even when the folk element is always present, the drum, bass and guitar interplay make a good background for the flute, at the end a FOCUS inspired section reminds of Jan Akkerman, not as strong as the previous, but still good.

"El Castillo" strangely starts with a vague resemblance to ALAN PARSON'S PROJECT, but when the flute enters, the sound dramatically changes into some kind of Ambient/Jazz with a touch of Folk and a hint of Anglagard, strange track, but nice.

"Metamorfosis" begins with a very good guitar work "a la FOCUS", but again you can feel many different things happening there, soft Jazz enhanced wit the electric piano and then a rhythmic section with bass and bongos, a bit too soft for my taste.

"Dos Dimensiones" is a totally different business, closer to Folk than to Jazz, a dreamy and mysterious track with some "Bossa Nova" aroma, again too simple for me, but still good. There's a song by the Peruvian band FRAGIL called "Lizzy" that sounds very close to "Metamorfosis".

"Insomnio" is more my kind of song, more elaborate, complex and closer to Rock, the keyboards, drums and bass interplay is very efficient, still some folksy touches, but the aggressive sound is more of m taste, excellent material.

"Marquesinas" reminds me of King Crimson from "Three of the Perfect Pair" era, of course with some Latin Jazz tones as usual in TANGER, but as in the previous track, this guys prove they are ready for more demanding stuff. The flute semi-solo inspired in Ian Anderson is simply magic, another good track. When the closer "Nova Lisboa" starts, I thought I was before a King Crimson album, seems inspired in "Starless", the bass and guitar work is excellent, this is the kind of song you need to close an album.

Would love to give 3.5 stars to "Mundos Paralelos", but our rating system doesn't allow it, so I will have to go with three stars, because the album is way ahead of the average, but still I feel they can give more.

I sincerely recommend this album for Progheads with a wide taste, who love Folk, Jazz and King Crimson.

Argentinean ensemble Tánger doesn't seem to leave their`primer, continuing to grow in sound and texture while solidly retaining their signature fusion-oriented prog style. Two years after their magnificent opus "Ciudad" they released their 2008 effort "Mundos Paralelos", again with a repertoire fully written by bassist/keyboardist Luis Colucci. The band remains a robust ensemble, even stronger than on any of their previous efforts. Actually, this factor may not seem so obvious given the largest amount of softer passages, but it is clear to me that the instrumental dialogues established by the musicians have reached their maximum point of energy so far, deliverign in a very calculated manner. The opener 'Ansiedad' kicks off with some spacey synth layers complemented by percussive adornments: the basic pace set by the cymbals prepare the stage for the full ensemble's work. The guitar inputs, the playful flute lines and the particular rhythm section's dynamics show undisputed hits of what Tánger's musica lessence is all about. The lead guitar elaborated all through minute 4 is simply splendid. 'Círculos Concéntricos' goes to more extroverted places: provided with a well-ordained melodic basis, the magical flute lines and the 80s KC-inspired guitar riffs make me wish the track would have been a bit longer than its 3'51 span. The namesake track shifts to a much calmer mood, a tango- inspired one that creates an air of solemnity. The controlled energy of the guitar and the sensual rhythmic cadences help to generate a special, melancholic ambience. This kind of mood is reiterated in 'Siete Pulsos', albeit with a more explicit sophistication in the tempo shifts and a more vibrant overall mood: the listener will notice some influences from Jethro Tull and Focus' classic eras, which have always been among Tánger's main references. 'El Castillo', built on a 9/8 tempo, adds a delicate tension to the album's general atmopshere with its weird, yet gently delivered chord progressions. The augmented flute input is mesmerizing in a way that enhances the track's lyrical focus. 'Metamorfosis' is a mid-tempo piece of pure jazz-rock in which the lead guitar is placed on center stage. For this one, flutist Damián Lois is in charge of keyboards and extra percussion. The Latin-jazz elements are evident, and so are the intimate textures that may remind us of late 70s Weather Report. The Argentinean Creole folk thing returns to the fold in 'Dos Dimensiones', which sets a lighter mood and a more fixed structure than track 3. 'Insomnia' is pure rocking Tánger at their Tulliest: the patent progressive sophistication and the dynamic equilibrium between guitar and flute are beautifully sustained on a clearly jazzy rhythmic sturcture. 'Marquesinas' also gives preferential room to the band's rockier side: a 5/4 tempo, amazing flute flourishes, an almost Frippian guitar lead, subtle synth layers that add some softness to the whole... this is the proghead's paradise. A new version of 'Nova Lisboa' (original from teh debut album), renewed with an enhanced touch of Crimson, closes down the album with a proper high spirit. So fr, the musical trend created and followed by Tánger has been an ascension toward increasingly richer sonorities - "Mundos Perdidos" is their new top achievement , as well as one of the most beautiful prog recordings to come out of a Latin American country in 2008.

This is, in my opinion, the best album from Tanger's discography where the all the influences shown on their previous albums seem to flow very naturally arriving to a unique style. Here the band reaches a great equilibrium from hard and subtle moods, always working together as a team. The instrumental performance is quite good, and the sound very clean, with not much overdubs (just a few synths and doubled guitars) Not very long tracks, rich melodies, naturally flowing counterpoints between guitar and flute, well done solos, a solid rhythmic base and well used odd meters make the album coherent and very interesting to listen.