VIER

Between the second and third albums there were some changes in the Perfect Beings camp, most notably the loss of the rhythm section so that the band were now operating as a trio with additional guest musicians. Ben Levin provides drums on the album which was released at the beginning of 2018 , but he has since been replaced by Sein Reinart, and while Johannes Luley picked up the bass duties alongside his guitar, he has now happily put aside the four strings for Jason Lobell. This album also sees a much higher use of woodwind and brass, and since the album they have been joined by saxophonist/flautist Brett McDonald. Also, they are no longer releasing their music on their own label but have signed with Inside Out, a major step forward in so many ways.

With so much happening in the personnel front, it probably isn't surprising that the band have also created a sound that is different to what has gone before. It took me a long way to come up with a way of best describing the music, but in the end I felt that the only real description that worked for me was "Yes, distilled and concentrated". Yes have always been an important aspect of the music, but here Perfect Beings have taken it to a whole new level, much more so than the original band. Johannes has revelled in playing fretless bass, bringing it even further to the fore than Chris Tristram had previously, while Ryan Hurtgen is as powerful, clean and melodic as he has always been, and Jesse Nason is happy to keep it all together with a modern sounding approach to keyboards.

A big musical difference between this and the other albums is the use of saxophone (particularly) and other brass and woodwind instruments. Max Kaplan (various saxophones and clarinets) has had a huge role to play on the overall sound of this album, and while the guests don't feature on every song, where they are used they have immediate impact. Japanese koto and erdu musicians are used alongside cello, tabla, flugelhorn, flute, bass flute, trombone and the Vienna Symphonic Library, all brought into a musical journey, divided into four movements. It is an incredibly deep album, with a breadth of thought that goes on forever, and at times moves into the modern orchestra soundscape area that is normally thought of as being the domain of Karda Estra. Yet, even with all this going on, it is still an incredibly light album in many ways, one that it is easy to get inside the heart of, which allows the listener to be swept along on an amazing musical journey. It is an album that cries out to be heard on headphones, when there is enough time to sit and relax back into it.

This is easily their finest album to date, and I fully expect it to be in my Top Ten albums at the end of the year as I can't expect to come across many more finer than this.

I rarely post 5 stars review, because IMHO 5 stars means something extraordinary. This album is close to it. It's packed with great melodies and hooks, clever arrangements and inventive solos.

Style? Really hard to say: one piece sounds like acoustic ballad, next - electronica, next- dreamy piece a-la classic Pink Floyd, then something that sound like a bit of Yes. Besides, there are lot of short, but tasteful and beautiful sax solos. There is even a piece of orchestral classical music that sounds a bit similar to Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade! And very good vocal!

Is it what they call "prog"?

And all of those pieces blended together in very clever and smooth way, so they don't sound disjointed. And it doesn't have any weak tracks!

A reviewer on Amazon called this album a modern Tiles of Topographic Ocean. I don't think this is a compliment, because Vier is better! I disagree: I love classic Yes (not that circus that called "Yes" now!), but even bigger fans of the Tiles admit it has many boring and inconsistent moments.

As a contrast, Vier does not! I listened to it probably eight or ten times already, and each time I discovered something new and interesting. And I'm sure I have some new discoveries ahead!

And did I mention that sound quality is pretty good?

Perfect Beings' Johannes Luley stated in a recent interview: "Take a break, put the headphones on and shut off your mobile phone for a couple of hours. It's good for the soul". Those unable to understand or to apply this rule in their lives may not realize the meaning of the presentation that follows and will definitely not conceive what kind of an album Vier really is.

For quite a long time now, progressive rock community deals with matters of existential self-identifications. I stand sorrowful and observe the vast majority of artists treating as "progressive" whatever music with a higher degree of technicality (as if the rest of musical world has no right to be skilled), repeatedly copying again and again all the icons of the past and eventually turning progressive music into another sterile and stiff artistic form, naturally at the expense of any genuinely innovative new voice. And while all these happen within the masterfully crafted prog microcosm, Los Angeles' Perfect Beings release their 3rd album as if they were always ready for it, with no fanfare and no illusions. More importantly, with no self-identification syndromes since the creative triplet of Johannes Luley (guitar, bass, keys, production), Ryan Hurtgen (Vocals, piano) and Jesse Nason (keyboards, piano) looks like it has completely skipped these issues.

In a cute cliché, we regard many nice albums as "trippy". What is this trip really and how is a spiritual journey with/through music signified? However one defines a journey or however often one uses that word to describe music, there are only very few albums that deserve to be treated as a Journey as Vier. Not because of its 72 minutes duration (divided into four 18 minute long compositions, each one covering a vinyl side) as we have seen many extra-long and completely pointless "journeys" of such type. What makes it a Journey is its unpredictable nature. Quoting William Blake: "Improvement makes straight roads but crooked roads without improvement are roads of genius". It is precisely this chaotic genius which is the source and the purpose of this album. During these 72 minutes every known musical norm seems to be ignored. There is not even one repeated part, no verses and choruses, not even one easy, catchy, accessible or expectable moment. Nothing to cling to, nothing to recollect or to refer, nothing to give the listener a sense of a moment's rest ? the listener or the band. On the other hand, this is not glass-cold or abstract music. It always sounds warm and familiar and it always evolves moving forward, totally indifferent of what lied before or of what will follow next. It is eventually music that rather defies Time or its products. On the contrary, as the geometrical shapes of the cover suggest, Vier feels like it is dedicated to the exploration of space. Like it is ever moving or completely lying still, Vier expands so much to the point it reaches the final borders of human expression. It is so broad that it can unavoidably turn only towards its own self. Ryan sings the lyric "Enter the center " many times during "Guedra". The quest for that center is one of the two key phrases of the album.

So, Perfect Beings righteously deserve to be characterized as "progressive" but beyond this, nothing else feels definite. Vier absorbs so many different sonic elements that it isn't safe or 100% certain to regard it as rock album. Each one of the 4 compositions/chapters seems like being constructed by different structural materials. "Guedra" and "Annunaki" deliver some rock sounds of course but "The golden arc" starts an open dialogue with Contemporary Music and " Vibrational" is mainly a new age/electronic creation. Let me put it other way, in no case Vier is influenced more by Yes for example than Tangerine Dream, Mike Oldfield, Stravinsky, world, jazz or fusion music. All these influences are expressed with such a composing and arranging freedom that evoke feelings of awe. A bunch of talented contributors add their own touch but I need to specifically mention Max Kaplan, as his saxophone makes a real difference each time it appears.

To fully experience Vier, the listener needs to dedicate his/her energy equally to its lyrical aspect. The included poetry may seem transparent, abstract or even surreal at first, but I sense that words desire to break the exact same barriers as music. Enigmatically mentioning mystical Moroccan dances, Lotus trees, ancient Mesopotamian gods, geometrical terms or the Powhatan native tribe, may seem puzzled or irrelevant but, as already said, Vier tries to find a Center beyond the thresholds of perception. Amidst that philosophical quest lies Western civilization's typical human being and the forming of a lifestyle that seems to be far away from nature and from our profound spiritual truths. Of course, as any great piece of art, this album won't provide us with easy answers. Actually, this is portrayed in the second key-phrase: "Mysteries, not answers". It seems like begging for even more questions. Be warned, no one here will answer for you, no one will think for you. You have to do it on your own and it's going to be a long and solitary Journey.

There is no end to all the things I could write about Vier. Words must give their way to silence though and music must take it from here. Perfect Beings have already performed a small miracle for anyone that cares to accept it and Vier seems to be an album that will choose its listeners and not the other way around. I don't even know how "good" this album is ? in terms of entertainment ? and it will take me months to unlock its secrets. I don't know how high it will be in my end of the year list. What I do know for sure is that, after listening to prog music for 27 years now, Vier is an album capable of renewing my faith in the possibilities of a truly innovative and revolutionary progressive rock and that it is a highlight for sophisticated music of the current century. For bold listeners only.

Originally posted in againstthesilence.com

Though I've owned this album since its release I've had a terrible time trying to pull together a review. The music is so dense, so intricate, with so many unexpected twists and turns and covers the full 72 minutes of disc space that it makes it an overwhelming nightmare for a reviewer who's typical approach is to incorporate a song-by-song blow-by-blow report. I've finally given up and decided to just record a review for posterity's sake while trying to give my general and overall impressions.

This is a very dense album filled with very busy performances as dictated by the very busy mind of Johannes Luley. His musicians are all right on point, well-coordinated and up to Johannes' performance standards. The music is very seriously composed with very intricate constructs and weaves and very frequent changes in tempo, style, and theme. This latter point is actually part of the album's downfall: it's just too busy, too unpredictable, even after numerous listens (I played the Guedra suite twice on my radio show). The other part of the album's inability to connect with and engage me is Johanne' often unusual and odd choices for melody and instrumentation. I think Johannes a genius on a par with other American composers such as Phideaux Xavier, Dan Britton, and Damon Waitkus--all of whom create amazing music that is somehow (usually) too obtuse for my immersion and enjoyment. (But I loved Moth Vellum!)

I really enjoyed the first two Perfect Beings albums and as well Johannes Luley's other albums: Moth Vellum and his solo album "Tales from Sheepfather's Grove". But I didn't know that Perfect Beings had released their third album until I saw someone review it on YouTube. How fortunate it was that I caught that bit of news and was able to order a copy for myself.

On the first two albums, Perfect Beings created a wonderful blend of classic prog (particularly Yes) with eighties pop (like Tears for Fears or even a bit of Frankie Goes to Hollywood in one song) and modern prog. The two albums were released in 2014 and 2015, and then there was a three-year gap for this third offering, "Vier". During the intervening years, two members left but only one new member was brought it. Perfect Beings also got picked up by the major label Inside Outside. What's most impressive however is how this new incarnation of the band went ahead to record an album that takes a big leap onward from the first two.

This album features a slew of guests and a broad variety of instruments, including koto, er-hu, Tibetan singing bowls, and tabla, along with a collection of traditional western instruments. Considering that Johannes Luley is a guitarist trained in jazz and influenced by the likes of David Gilmour, Steve Howe, Jeff Beck, and Wes Montgomery, it's rather surprising to notice those tracks without any guitar playing! All this should suggest a band with a vision for music and sound over a simple prog rock band.

The album is in four parts, and on the double vinyl release, each part takes up one side. I can't help but draw a little comparison to "The Wall" here because each part (one side of vinyl) is a string of music tracks that not only segue into one another but do so very inconspicuously at times. Given that a song might abruptly change into something very different, it's difficult to know when a new track begins without looking at the track number. Then there's a track like "The Persimmon Tree" that introduces a new melody in the music during the final minute or so and then this melody suddenly picks up power and fullness as though to reach the beginning of some climax in the music but actually it's at this point where the next track "Turn the World Off" begins. Back to Pink Floyd, there are at least a few parts with sustained, atmospheric keyboard chords that are reminiscent of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" here and there on the album, and a bit of David Gilmour-styled guitar playing in "America". That sax solo at the end of "Enter the Center" could also be inspired by "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". I'm also curious about the notion of building a pyramid (not a wall) and how the final track is called "Everything's Falling Apart" and the lyrics say something about having to get out of this place. Then the music becomes quiet and slowly builds in volume until everything just stops at once. Was there some inspiration from Pink Floyd on this album?

The music served up on "Vier" features some familiar Perfect Beings territory such as in the excellent beginning of the album "A New Pyramid" or "Altars of the Gods", which brings in that Steve Howe style of lead guitar. But then there's the incredible "The Persimmon Tree" which is non-rock and sounds like the score for a ballet, or "Hissing the Wave of the Dragon" with it's delightful Chinese-themed music, at least in the first half. Or how about the exciting, galloping pace and tension of "Lord Wind"? There are a lot of unexpected and awesome surprises cropping up on this album. Many of the songs also build up to some climax which is so sweet to hear but then soon the music settles down into the next track. It's an album that keeps you guessing and it has little in common with the previous two albums, but rather really does seem like a big leap off in a different direction at times.

If there's anything that might turn some listeners off, it's that many of the tracks are rather sparse instrumentally, with some passages supported only by a guitar or keyboard and a back up instrument in percussion or a synthesizer key pulsing. Because of the frequency of these less dynamic parts, some listeners may feel the need for a relaxing armchair and comfy cushion, and sometimes the stretches to the next moment of excitement might seem a bit far with a payoff that ends too soon. As I listened to the album for possibly the fifth time, I found myself appreciating the simplicity in those more serene, atmospheric parts: a single instrument with a simple melody, backed by a second instrument keeping it very simple, and then the vocals.

How much you get out of these relaxed passages depends on how you listen and consider the music. I'd probably prefer the first two albums more for swiftly changing, dynamic music, but then again, that's not the intent of "Vier". As with other Johannes Luley recordings, everything is there for a reason.

Huge disappointment !

I had been blown away by the variety, richness and balance of II and looked forward to the sequel. Unfortunately, in 2018 the Vier discovery was a big disappointment for me.

Despite a promising first part, boredom wins me over with each new listening attempt. Is it due to the change of personnel? I do not know. Still, for me the result is too long, unbalanced (a lot of singing, the music serves as an accompaniment and really has little space) and too soft (not rock enough). Vier is divided into four parts. Each has its own personality. If the first "Guedra" is in the line of II, "The Golden Arc" displays an interesting influence of classical music. From "Vibrational", which is more in a space-rock register à la Eloy, it really spoils. This stuff is bordering on a Stoilterie, a lot of singing, not much music, and to top it off electronic percussion? It still seems to leave with "Anunnaki", but no. It is short lived. Again, I get stuck in a soft, soft, soft ditty? without forgiveness.

I heard a comparison with Tales From Topographic Ocean ". Is this a joke? In fact, I ask myself a question: is it a solo album by Ryan Hurtgen? I think that should satisfy the collectors, or for the fans of modern prog (Spock's Beard / Flowers King).