MACHINE AND THE SYNERGETIC NUTS

Excellent typical japanese prog band with the toughness of Ruins hovering over their heads. But they are actually much more into the 'prog thang' than that duo's excentric music. With keyboards, mainly organ, in the front line and compositions that tackle every angle of the fusion and RIO schools, you get a very distinctive sound coming close to an 'original sound' of their own. I am not sure which of their 2 cds i like best. But both come highly recommended if you like your fusion with some originality in the composition and maybe a bit of RIO influence for good measure!

The leader of modern Prog/Fusion Japan offers another product in Machine and the Synergetic Nuts, a band formed in late-90's in Tokyo by keyboardist Noriya Iwata and drummer Sudoh Toshiaki, formerly with Noise Rockers Melt-Banana.With Hiroyuki Suzuki on bass and Masahide "mahi-mahi" Hasegawa on saxes the Japanese quartet recorded their self-titled debut between 2000 and 2003 at Alibababa Studios, released in 2003 on Toshiaki's own Alibaba Records.

Machine and the Synergetic Nuts deliver in their first work quirky and frenetic Jazz-Rock with plenty of Canterbury references and Avant-Prog touches here and there.Half about of the tracks have this lovely Canterbury feeling ala SOFT MACHINE/NATIONAL HEALTH with dominant synths, fiery electric piano and attacking saxes.The sound ranges from dreamy Fusion themes with powerful bass lines and light keyboards to fiery Jazz-Rock with tons of twists and turns.The rest of the album is somewhat split between loose Jazz/Fusion and dissonant Avant- Prog with extreme piano experiments, energetic sax textures and numerous solos and interplays.But all the material displayed is performed with inspiration and passion and the arrangements sound pretty tight despite the evident mood of the group to deliver unconventional music.

Instrumental Japanese Jazz-Rock of great quality, that deserves even a listen by Canterbury- Fusion and Avant-Prog fans out there.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.