MAR DE ROBLES

During the last ten years, South America has been a very prolific land of good-to-great prog new bands, with Mar de Robles from Chile being one of the most notable examples. Their sound is built upon the influences of 73-75 King Crimson and psychedelia, while absorbing lots of latin jazz fusion colours and South American folk textures. Mar de Robles cleverly mixes the fire of rock and the magical tenures of exotic folk, with perfect fluency and immaculate proficiency. The guitar and sax parts are somewhat aggressive, as well as dissonant without going too wild about it. A big deal of sensuality is provided by the percussive instrumentation: the drummer/percussionist duet displays an awesome level of precision and energy. On the other hand, the flute parts are more pastoral, in this way creating an interesting contrast to the lead guitar riffs and solos. The compositions and the musicianship are equally great: it's incredible how this band manages to convey a well defined musical identity during 53 minutes and avoid getting repetitive or boring - in fact, this band sounds evenly refreshing and exciting from the opening right to the closure. Additionally, the lyrics are heavily social oriented, criticizing the alienation of modern urban society and proposing a kind of return to the natural link of humankind to Mother Earth. The lyrical themes are basically an expansion of the need to trascend that Mar de Robles assumes as their artistic credo. Among the fiercer numbers, the most accomplished in my opinion are Tantic, Mylodon and V'S, while Nomades and Aire Chileno (my two fave tracks, actually) offer a more explicit combination of electric fire and acoustic sensibility. Overall balance: an excellent addition to any good prog collection.

Very Crimsonian... this album really sounds like the early Crimson but is refreshing with a great work on flute and sax; some drops of prog, some drops of avant gard, some drops of 70's psychedelic... At the end, you will have many great songs. Good debut of this interesting chilean prog band. Please: many attention to "Nomades" the best song of the album (to me)...

While writing this review I discovered that this five piece Chilean band doesn't use a keyboardplayer. Quite embarrasing for this 'vintage keyboard freak' to discover (I played this CD two times) but on the other hand this is a very good point for Mar De Robles. This is their debut CD, well, from now on I'm eagerly looking forward to their next one, what a great music! The level of the musicians is very high and the compositions are pleasant, varied and elobarated. In general Mar De Robles sounds swinging, due to the outstanding rhythm-section: a powerful, often 'buzzing' bass and energetic, propulsive drums. The range of the instruments is wide, from flute and saxophone to guitars and percussion like djembe and conga's. The Spanish vocals are inspired and loaded with emotion but half of the songs is mainly instrumental. My man on this CD is the guitarplayer with his fiery and often wah-wah drenched guitar soli and strong riffs.

THIS IS AN EXCELLENT DEBUT CD!

Fine and even quite rough fusion prog from Chile. Influences must include Mahavishnu Orchestra and King Crimson. The gutarist as well as the whiole band is stylistic and you can hear some owesome guitar and saxophone solos.The rhythm is at moments quite challenging but changes then suddendly into an airy atmosphere.

The melodies are somewhere between Chilean folk and VdGG darkness. The singin is imo the weakest point in the album. I don't like his hoarse voice and the shouting style. In the music itselfr there are great moments when rough sound of bass or guitar meet gentle sound of the flute and cymbals. The basist uses the stick, ofcourse.

The sound quality is excellent. They have not heard of dynamic compression in Chile luckily! The sounstage is great and even astonishing: some effects seem to come fron the rear loudspeakers though I don't have such! I would not hesitate to give this five stars if the singer was better. The musicians and the music would deserve it. Now they have to settle with four.

FOLK- FUSION FROM CHILE

Great debut from this south american prog act that blends Jazz-Rock fusion and latin Folk with a slight Avat-garde edge and a clear King Crimsom influence. Their sound, althogh it has some chaotic moments, is fresh, fluent and accesible. The music has many ingredients that make it very enjoyable, highlighting the use of sax, flute, Chapman stick and assorted percussions.

The sax player Julio 'Lucho' Tobar is also the lead vocalist of the band and maybe the only flaw on the disc (his singing, not his sax performance which is very good). Nevertheless his voice is not quite annoying but is far from being a good singer. Fortunately the musicianship and the great composition of the melodies are beyond that little weakness, having in mind also that many of the songs are instrumental.

To make a review of each track would be a bit difficult for me due to the complexity of them, but at least i can give you an overview of the (IMO) best songs:

"Involucion", very Crimsonian tune with a strong sax in the beginning followed by lots of flute, jazzy guitar and a great bass line. "Tantic", one of my favourites of the album, excellent composition with flute and guitar alternating several times and good percussions and very lilt. "Milodon" starts with a wild guitar solo and a very latin rhythm with many changes and a 'Rushesque' solo at the end. "El Flecha" another rhythmic instrumental track with great bass and a good combination of flute, guitar and sax. All songs are very good and the album is an excellent first effort that can attrack fans of the jazz-fusion and prog-folk genres and followers of bands like King Crimson, Santana, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Cabezas de Cera or even VDGG.

4 stars.

Viva el Prog!

4.5 stars. This is one record that seemed to be made for me from beginning to end. Like Eric mentioned in his review I didn't realise either that there are no keyboards on this album. I was just enjoying the scorching lead guitar, chunky bass and the sax / flute melodies too much to even notice. There also is a drummer and a percussionist rounding out the sound. The vocalist by the way sings in Spanish and is very dramatic in his delivery a lot of the time. I should mention as well that there are samples used at the start or end of the songs here.

The first track "Intrduccion Al Universo Conocido" for example features the sound of someone walking and then opening a door, and then changing channels before flushing the toilet. This is a short intro song(no music) of one minute. "Involusion" is an uptempo track with sax, drums and guitar standing out to begin with. Percussion arrives then a calm as bass only can be heard before vocals a minute in and a full sound returns. Flute is great with more terrific bass lines. Another calm after 2 1/2 minutes with gentle guitar, flute and bass. Percussion joins in, and the song takes off again before 4 minutes. Vocals and a nice heavy sound as flute plays over top. Great section ! Blistering guitar follows. Sax is back. Nice.The song ends with samples of traffic sounds, then birds and water. "Nomades" is pastoral to open as gentle guitar and flute play. They are then joined by bass, drums and reserved vocals.The guitar 2 minutes in grinds away beautifully as bass comes in and more passionate vocals. It settles back down a notch before 4 minutes.The percussion, strummed guitar and bass melody to follow is cool. Flute 6 minutes in joins the melody. More great guitar before 7 minutes as bass and drums play on. Some crazy laughing comes and goes. It ends with the birds chirping.

"Tantic" is one of my favourite songs on here, it opens with some nice bass as the guitar comes in grinding away. Flute joins in. This sounds fantastic ! Love the guitar. Flute and bass after 3 minutes as it has settled down. More amazing guitar after 4 minutes and later around 5 1/2 minutes. More samples to end this one of water and other sounds. "Milodon" is another favourite, it opens with some heavy bass as guitar, drums and flute join in. Check out the ripping guitar solo to follow. Incredible. Vocals after 2 minutes, then flute takes the lead with gentle guitar. Percussion before some strange vocal melodies. Drums then keep a steady beat as guitar cries out much like on RUSH's "Xanadu" song. More fat bass follows 5 1/2 minutes in and then a full sound. More samples. "Aire Chileno" again brings to mind RUSH to open before tribal-like drumming and flute take over. The bass is throbbing and the guitar comes and goes. Vocals 1 1/2 minutes in. I love the guitar / bass melody 4 1/2 minutes in that goes on and on until it becomes even heavier with sax a minute later. Vocals are back after 7 1/2 minutes. Great song.

"El Flecha" is a cool sounding tune with prominant flute and bass. Sax after 2 minutes with some grinding guitar a minute later as drums pound away. "V/S..." opens with some outstanding guitar with bass and drums. Flute joins in. Bass solo comes and goes. Guitar 3 1/2 minutes in is angular again just the way I like it. Flute, gentle guitar and bass after 4 minutes. Vocals 5 minutes in. Bass solo follows as guitar again makes me smile. Dead silence after 7 minutes for a minute. Why ? Laughing ends it.

I really have a connection with so many bands from Chile, and it's no different with this remarkable band. This was a blast.

I think Mar de Robles is one of the best bands playing nowadays here in this country, and I had the pleasure to see his 10th anniversary show in 2008. Those are ten years of music, and only two CDs. That's Chile and prog.

This debut CD is really beautiful, in a kind of conceptual format, with lyrics in some songs, and with a clear aim of what they wanted to do. Maybe it's discussable that of the lyrics, considering that they were suppressed from their second release, but that is only a detail. The core of the music, the north, it's clearly defined on this CD. This flute/sax and guitar leaded progressive rock, with a close relation with the most native aspects of these lands, builds a particular sound of anger, love, sorrow and companionship.

The second percussion builds a sincere background of Chilean airs, and the bass playing gives a value added to the music itself; great work from Cristián Larrondo, here playing bass guitar and fretless bass.

I love this band and I love this CD, from the beautiful mellow verses of Nómades, to the angriest madness of Milodón, all the hard guitar work and the softly flutes. Mar de Robles made an excellent debut album and, for all of our joy, not only the debut.

Very promising debut!

Some years ago I had the luck of witnessing a great show by this Chilean band, as a support act of my beloved Mexican act Cabezas de Cera, I remember I left the place really happy, surprised of how good they were, and of course, I bought their albums. Mar de Robles are a band from Chile, as I mentioned, who so far have released two albums (I really hope to see a new one soon), their self-titled debut was released on 2003.

Since this first album they show high quality music, original compositions that please the strictest prog fan. The album has eight songs that make a total time of 53 minutes, and it starts with "Introducción al Universo Desconocido" , a one minute intro with radio noises and words in different languages, like listening to the news. It leads to "Involución", an explosive atomic bomb of music, with great saxophone, bass and drums. A minute later it changes, slows down but then it arises again, when the vocals appear and make a fast and nervous sound, accompanied by constant guitar and a cool flute. The final minutes are spectacular!

"Nómadas" has a less explosive sound, actually it is a soft and calm track with nice guitars and flute, the voice is not really my cup of tea, it is good but that's it, in moments I prefer the instrumental passages. After two minutes the song's direction changes, so as the rhythm, the guitar is heavier now. Well, this song is pretty rich because it changes and changes in so little time and space, and all of those changes are for good, none of them are lost so each and every of them are necessary to the music's structure. Love the bass sound here!

"Tantic" starts with some bird whistles, and then bass starts its quirky sound, seconds later it is joined by guitars and drums, and then by flute. After a minute the rhythm becomes faster and more challenging, great guitar riffs appear and a wonderful musicianship is shown. What a great decision was the introduction of percussion, I love how the band manages to work with a percussionist and a drummer.

"Milodon" starts once again with the prominent bass sound, and seconds after is joined by the other instruments. That combination of winds, strings and percussion works really well with Mar de Robles, none of the instruments is the leader, all work together as a team, all have their moments. After that introduction, the guitar makes some cool riffs while bass and percussion work as rhythmical base. Then it is the flute which makes its spot. After two minutes vocals appear, with great lyrics (in the whole album), and then as you imagine, several changes in the song.

"Aire Chileno" has a bombastic start, then those percussions and bass work together and create a fantastic sound, a nervous rhythm which is contra rested with the beautiful flute sound. What is remarkable on this song is the use of harmony vocals in some parts, most evident is at the final part, which sounds pretty good. This is another cool track that shows once again their quality.

"El Flecha" is probably my favorite song here. I love how it is progressing and that fantastic game of nuances and moods that shares. The music creates an atmosphere of anxiety or tension, the rhythm is fast, it provokes something on you, like standing up and look for something in despair until you find it, I love the nervousness incited, and how it all ends. The bass sound is once again great, as well as the percussion which always add a wonderful rhythm.

Finally: "V/S?" which seems to follow the same line as the previous instrumental track. The sound is pretty alike, elaborated and challenging, showing off the musician's skills and creating a strong composition. Nothing new to add actually, though it is an excellent closer.

Mar de Robles is a band I like a lot, I love this debut and believe me, it is just the beginning of a high quality band. My final grade is four stars, recommendable for any prog rock fan.

Enjoy it!

Rancagua-based Chileans Mar De Robles got together in mid-90's, when Rodrigo Moris and Cristi'n Larrondo met each other as members of a Hardcore band, which did not last long.They formed then a Pink Floyd tribute band, eventually developing original ideas with Julio Tobar on voice/sax/flutes, Cristian's brother Ignacio on percussion and drummer Luis Lopez.In early 98' Lopez left to make room for Victor Munoz and this line-up recorded and self-procuced the band's self-titled debut.It was finally released on Mylodon Records in 2003, containing pieces written between 1997 and 2003.

Mar De Robles' sound draws influences from both the Progressive Rock and Jazz/Fusion styles with light Ethnic colors here and there.It is a very well-balanced work with some incredible instrumental parts next to groovier moments and the expressive vocals of Julio Tobar.Guitars, bass and drums play the prominent roles in Mar De Robles' music, going from very complex workouts and breaks to heavy riffing, melodic solos and jazzy overtones, often with a slight KING CRIMSON inspiration.However their music contains plenty of flute and sax parts to become even richer, at moments these seem to be the leading instruments with some impressive solos.Among the harder passages the band sets series of more minimalistic and calmer soundscapes with light bass, percussion and flutes to soften things up.Smooth Ethnic vibes here and there add the album another welcome dimension and the overall mix is a very tight Fusion of different moods and influences.

An album with a heavy amount of energy and passion behind the well-crafted compositions.If you are enjoying this type of music or even more you are a fan of modern Chilean Prog bands, ''Mar De Robles'' is definitely the album to search for.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.