DISTRESS SIGNAL CODE

Greek band LUUP is not your average band.It's more a one-man project led by flutist Stelios Romaliadis,who is collaborating with different musicians on different tracks.He started LUUP in 2007 and he released his first album ''Distress Signal Code'' just two years earlier on Musea Records.

Beware,this album is far from anything related with progressive rock,except the presence of VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR saxophonist/flutist David Jackson.This one is pure Ambient Folk Music of a relaxed atmosphere with some hints from Jazz here and there.And the album could actually be a good soundtrack for a deep-sensed movie but not a recommended work for a wide audience.Repetitive,monotonous and calm musicianship all the way with some alternating male and female vocals depending on the track under some ultra-slow tempos of mainly loops and flutes with a bit of saxophone work thrown in.For its most part there is nothing to really tell about,this work could only send me to bed sometime earlier than expected,despite its unique approach.Its whole listening was really a hard and painflul experience for me.And as I found myself extremely dissapointed,a few glimpses of music life towards the end made smile a bit.''Our waves'' follows the same path but the combination of this style with the spoken parts and the electronic loops really touched me.Bass guitar,loops,flute and cool saxes under a trully fine groove is what ''Urban legend'' has to offer and this is a great and recommended style,reminding me of JAGA JAZZIST. ''Memories of the Future'' is a haunting piece with spoken words,mellotron and glockenspiel among the usual instrumentation and has a unique atmosphere.I wish the whole album was like its last quarter...

''Distress Signal Code'' is as Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde.It is an album with some great pieces but also a lot of boring minutes.It is an album with a very personal and original style,but this style is not for everyone certainly.It seems like a work made from one person for personal,deep and esoteric reasons...and thus it can't be really approached on an easy basis...2 stars.