SINFONIA DELLA LUNA

Mugen is one of those japanese bands that make you feel you are listening to a pastoral italian band. The music is ethereal, full of magical changes, lots of full range keys, If you like fine keyboards, go for it.The singer has a great voice, though sings in japanese. Enjoyable even in the quietest moments. Ricardo Otero, Mexico.

This is another masterpiece of the symphonic prog. Even japanese prog sounds very different than the occidental, I think that Mugen brings us a beautiful experience, with some Genesis and classical influences. "Sinfonia della Luna" and "Dance... Romantic" are two great pieces of prog rock. Sounds like a magical tale of an ancient stroyteller. More than essential. If you want to continue this experience please listen "Leda et le Cygne"...

Fairly derivative sympho-prog from Japan. The 18-minute title suite ought to be entitled "Variations on a Theme by Tony Banks", considering the amount of times they plunder synth parts from "Dance on a Volcano"!

Actually, they remind me less of Genesis overall than light-classical sympho in the vein of the Enid, Sky, Gordon Giltrap and the like. It's super-ultra-mega-lush stuff with tons of synthesizers and Mellotron, with the occasional acoustic guitar wafting through. Drums are used sparingly.

Vocalist Takashi Nakamura rather gets on my nerves. He's not bad as far as technique or pitch-control goes, but his style of singing is very arch and stilted, often going into a rather annoying clipped, staccato kind of singing as on "Magical Wand". He's the biggest road-block to my enjoyment of this album (apart from the obvious unoriginality).

Apart from the language, the effect of listening to Sinfonia Della Luna is like that of a kinder gentler 1970s Italian symphonic band, which is not a bad space to be in. Certainly Mugen shows a bit too much Genesis influence especially in the opening suite and "Dance Romantic". But the lovely "Ballo della Luna" seem more inspired by the romantic end of prog in the geographic sense of the word, and showcases Takashi Nakamura's gentle and soothing voice as well as the band's measured approach to its art and its ability to create and build atmospheres. Akira Kato's guitars are used sparingly but add a welcome warmth and oomph early (acoustic) and late(electric) in "Ballo". Even the bonus cut "Leonardo" is pretty. But if you are looking for a rawer attack or even some of the schizophrenia of other Japanese symphonic bands, steer clear. This is one for the quiet moments spent contemplating the moon.

First studio album by Mugen, Japanese band championed by keyboardist Katsuhiko Hayashi and aiming at the preservation of progressive rock after the end of the 70s. Tha band's overall style is rooted on influences received from PFM, Renaissance and The Enid, with touches of Genesis, late 70s Wakeman and Camel scattered in places whenever things are taken to more a more intense level. The final result of the sort of sound elaborated in this album certainly makes the band a hybrid of Pageant, Mr. Sirius and Midas: this band is evidently apart from the peculiarly sinister symphonic trend of Outer Limits, the Canterburian ideology of Ain Soph and the Crimsonian dogmatism of Bi Kyo Ran. The namesake piece opens up teh album with agile, epic moods, with atmospheres tightly placed on recurrently slow tempos: the spacey intro is just lovely in its eerie portrait of cosmic atmospheres. The emergence of some explicitly extroverted arrangements manage to generate an exciting dynamics in the main melodic developments. 'Magical Wand' has a more defined agility, and indeed it sounds related to the neo-prog standard in some ways, but arguably the highest dose of agility is concentrated in track no. 4, entitled 'Dance? Romantic' - this track comprises influences from ATOTT-era Genesis and "Criminal Record"-era Wakeman. The brotherhood of digital and vintage keyboards on an exciting rhythmic structure that alternates 5/4 and 7/8 tempos makes this track a particular highlight. Between these two tracks is 'Venezia', a moderately pompous exhibition of typical symphonic prog staged as a ballad. 'A Parade of the Wonderland' is a brief pastoral excursion that announces teh core theme of teh album's closer, 'Ballo della Luna'. This one gets started with lovely acoustic guitar harmonizations, and it eventually turns to a magnified exercise on symphonic splendor, combining the elegant energy of Bozzio-era UK and the constructed vibe of late 70s Camel. This is how the original vinyl ends, but the CD edition brings a bonus track called 'Leonardo', a pastoral song with subtle cosmic undertones. Even though it is a bonus track, it sure provides an adequate ending for this listening experience. Even though this album does not match the energy that will be exprssed in the band's final release "The Princess of Kingdom Gone", this happens to be, IMHO, a very good addtion to any good prog collection. I grant 3.75 starts to this one.

Fully symphonic with even a classical approach, the music that is featured on this album should please all the ELP fans for the synths use. Classic ISP lovers will also be delighted, I assume.

The accent is set on the extensive use of keyboards and ranges from bombastic to pompous. Romantic, melodic and sweet: this is a short description of what you can discover here. The long opening song holds each of these ingredients and is by far the most interesting part of this album.

The shorter songs are well played, but are a bit simple in structure and too much straight forward. Of course, the mellotron adds a superb value to the overall music played ("Venezia"). Some "Genesis" reminiscences are noticeable during "Dance Romantic". Not bad at all.

The other long track of this album "Ballo Della Luna" is also an excellent piece of music with a majestic finale where magnificent guitar meets aerial mellotron. It is my fave of all and contrasts with the mellow and childish "Leonardo".

A good album: three stars.

Mugen's debut sounds to me like it's occupying a sort of middle space between vintage symphonic prog and the sort of melancholy pop-orchestral material often used in Japanese movies or anime of this era, much as in the UK the neo- prog scene was trying to blend vintage prog with then-current rock music. In both cases, you have the artists in question seeking to balance their love of prog with an attempt to connect with the audiences and market they were working with - with the UK neo-proggers you had the British music scene in the wake of punk, whereas Mugen and other 1980s symphonic units you had the Japanese music scene to contend with.

This seems particularly evident to me in the use of keyboards and synthesisers on the album (primarily handled by Katsuhiko Hayashi, though lead vocalist Takashi Nakamura adds some synth work here and there and accompanying vocalist Takako Morita also contributes keyboards on Ballo della Luna. The keyboard sound on the album ranges from the then-vintage (just listen to that organ!) to then-current, with the band's compositional approach delicately making best use of this broad range of textures. Add subdued backing and mellow, melancholic vocals, and you have an approach to prog which Mugen and their peers made their own during this time period.

I will comment on each track based on first impressions and further thoughts derived after scrubbing through the tracks for certain moments of each piece. My timestamps are in accordance with the runtime of the album, 52:07 runtime. Please skip to the end for my short summary on the album if you'd like.

Sinfonia Della Luna - Track 1

This composition failed to be as memorable as I expected it, considering it is the title track of the album. The composition was fine but disappointingly inoffensive and stilted. The introduction with the keyboard horn section was actually very haunting and had a great realistic sound for 1984. The mood it conveyed was, as my imagination interpreted from the gorgeous album art and my experience with other Japanese groups, a melancholic and ominous sense of impending change or conflict in an ancient landscape-some kind of Euro-Anglo fantasy world. And for that, I commend the band and the imagination of the atmospheres in and of themselves, but there were many moments that didn't leave as much of a strong impact that I'd expect from a progressive band nearly 10 years after the peak of many contemporary groups. The keyboard patches used throughout the album in general tended to be rather convincing and tasteful with their timbre. However, I can't forgive how the mixing of this album was done. I'm skeptical as to how much involvement the keyboard player in general had behind the console. The keyboards are simply too loud. This effect would really come to bother me around the 6:45 mark, when the double time, rocking section started to come in. As great as they sound, they totally overpower everything, maybe except for the vocals sometimes. This would become more apparent as the introduction faded into the next section, which was faster and began with a marching drum. Speaking of which, the vocalist's performance was fine, but I have to disagree with others complimenting his pitch. Therre were some notes sung with very noticeable poor intonation. The vocals being slightly buried in the mix isn't necessarily a quality of prog mixing I don't enjoy-it can actually be the best decision to make with some performances. However, even the pitch discrepancies were very obvious when the perfectly intonated keyboards washed over it.

Anyway, during the marching drum section there were these very faint, delicate and somber arpeggios being played by the keyboard that were again, very haunting and emotional. I wish a harder riff was developed upon using that theme. Instead, however, after a few bars they kicked right into one of the main riffs and... boy it was cheesy. The diatonic Mixolydian harmony, the flute lick panned left, the weak and quiet bassline, the absence of guitar-wayyy out of left field. The phrase ends and kicks straight into a piano patch panned hard left which plays a sort of mysterious, conniving melody in a minor key. Not as cheesy, and I assume it was there to justify the tonal change that would come. Leading into a repeat of that same riff, now this time with a simple backbeat and louder bass, was a tom fill that I can point to as another criticism of the mix. The drums sound very weak. Yes, I'm spoiled by all of the post 90's music created during the age of CD's, where drums could be ginormous and beefy in the low end, in stereo, without the limits of mastering for vinyl records or cassettes. However, I don't think it's a stretch to say that a better engineer could have made them very powerful, because that's what the song deserved. At 6:38, when the hard rocking section gets introduced, I was a little underwhelmed because of the basic quarter note rhythm on the kick drum and bass guitar. Once it kicks into the 7/4 riff, I was more captivated. The synthesizer line was cool and now we're finally in the minor key, or perhaps the Dorian mode. Finally, some more angst and darkness! However, my criticism of the mix really comes to ahead in this moment. The synth and organ are so loud the bass and kick drum get swallowed in it. I may be exaggerating, as the bass's pitches and mid low frequencies are still audible, but it loses impact. The kick drum was pillowy because of the lack of the beater sound in the mix, which by 1984 I KNOW was something that engineers could have thought to point a mic at.

Despite these issues, the ensuing parts left some regal, scheming, mystical and combative impressions, as if a series of events were happening in tandem in a fantasy world, with a few characters racing to get somewhere to unleash or stop something terrible from happening. 7:33 to 7:40 had a really cool 5/4 moment. A rather awkward and stilted riff jumps immediately in between it and some more great riffs. It's all played straight ahead with a dead simple backbeat in bars of 4 and 5 in a pattern. Only a flute and bass perform a mischievous melody that, sadly, only added to the cheesiness. However, this moment passes quickly, and it repeats the figure from before. From 8:19 to 8:50 the half time synthesizer riff, the organ part, the bassline and drum pattern coalesced into a badass moment! I just wish the bass and drums sounded so much stronger and were performed with more excitement. To make an unfair example, if Bill Bruford performed the exact same part with all his might on the same kit, the microphones would pick it up, the drums would cut through. I can tell because there are some moments where the drummer can be heard hitting the snare drum or kick drum noticeably harder and the impact is felt.

After another short section with the strings taking over the main riff, we suddenly get a drastic tempo change headed by a drumbeat in isolation. Soon the rest of the band comes in and it sounds like we're building up to another big moment. However, it goes into another cheesy keyboard riff, this time led by the synth and strings. A more rocking double time riff occurs but it doesn't sound as dangerous as the other rock riffs. They juggle back and forth for some time, not leaving much impact because the metric modulation between them doesn't feel justified nor emotional. This isn't aided by the switch to a major key.

The saving grace is when the next section, a beautiful atmospheric, pastoral moment arrives at 10:33, led by a flute patch and an acoustic guitar patch. This grows into a melancholic and angelic moment, as string and choir sounds dominate the atmosphere with these gorgeous, lush chords. The drums and bass play alongside it for added drama. The chord that it opens with sounds nearly identical to the track Forest Prayer Sanctuary from the original soundtrack to the video game Mother 3. Give it a listen, it's only 40 seconds. And if you like that, go ahead and give the rest of the soundtrack a try. I digress. This is probably one of the other stand-out moments from the song. It develops into a similar theme at 16:03, however, this theme is just completely inferior. The backbeat is boring, the synthesizer tone is not as effective. The cadence that develops starting at 17:17 is an improvement, growing into a modulation in a modal or minor key. At the 18 second mark, triumphant, up-tempo synth riffs come back in with some energetic drum accompaniment, all leading to a swell and a rising pitch bend into one last note from the band. These last 40 seconds do not feel deserved.

Overall, this track was something of a disappointment, though I appreciate many facets of it and there are plenty of melodies and themes that were impactful. I suspect the keyboardist was far more schooled and experienced as a classical performer because the rock sections sounded uncharacteristically triumphant and jolly placed alongside the somber and atmospheric sounding parts. More blues influence and inclusions from the guitarist could have done this song some favors, but frankly I think simply omitting many of the themes in this song would just make for a better experience. I don't see the need for such a length, I will commend the band for not making the song feel like it's dragging on, however.

Magic Wand - Track 2

The brass synth introduction with the drum crashes and bassline were good and strong. The most memorable part sadly happens soon after, with the inclusion of a simple, stripped back phrase with quarter notes on the keyboard playing a minor chord with the drummer keeping time on the kick and adding fills. The vocalist has a simple, quiet vocal line on top of it, reverb adding depth to the sound. The synthesizer and string patches in the slower dramatic intro riff drown his voice and the rhythm section as usual.. very annoying. Simplistic moments with character like these are actually more memorable than some of the "epic" sounding parts the band plays.

Continuing, the song develops into what I'd call the main riff, which again, is more exciting than a lot of what's been performed on the album already but is nothing special. Some cool things include the triplet arpeggios played by the organ, hearing a hint of fuzz on the bass tone. Otherwise, this song is mediocre.

Venesia - Track 3

The introduction with the piano and vocalist is a nice change of pace, and the melancholic mood continues. The added foundation of the organ and drums briefly entering. It's hard to talk about this song because there is little repetition in the arrangement but to summarize, the loud, fuller moments sound generic, and I think the way that the chord progressions sometimes anchor on major chords isn't so interesting. The outro, the last 30 seconds or so, is the most interesting part, with an exciting drum beat and faster tempo. This song is a symphonic prog ballad that doesn't stand out compared to others.

Dance... Romantic - Track 4

The song begins with a facsimile of the song's main melody, but when the band comes in the main melody is performed only it's in a different key. I don't appreciate the modulation because I rather enjoyed the key the intro was performed in and wish instead the melody continued and the rest of the band added on in a King Crimson esque style, like a jam. The phrase repeats again, though with a bass and drum hit, which was tasteful, but then after that it develops into a rather stilted 7/4 pattern. The vocalist's voice is especially fragile in this song, even when singing the more agile melodies. 29:22 to 29:30 was a great capstone to the previous phrases because of the harmony, which leads comfortably back into the section from before. At 29:55, I really enjoy the electric piano's tremolo rhythms. The 7/4 pattern repeats again but at 30:19, this campy reinterpretation of the main theme occurs with the synthesizer nice and loud and in a major key again. It doesn't last long, thankfully. At 31:00 the fuzz bass returns again and some group vocals and claps are introduced, which sound really corny but are actually executed tastefully.

The biggest crescendo happens at 31:55, where a really genuinely epic moment happens lush with strings and choir sounds. It leads into a double time 7/4 melody, more energetic than before. This itself also builds into a more apt rocking moment that slows down to medium tempo rich with somber organ chords and a synth melody. The song ends with a peculiar and sudden outro with pizzicato strings. It doesn't feel like it has any compositional connection with the rest of the songs in an overall sense, but I guess it fits. This track was fine, but nothing special for symphonic prog.

A Parade Of the Wonderland - Track 5

I really could not enjoy this one, and I think the keyboardist really must've had some pushback because this track is a measly two minutes long and isn't very engaging. It's simply a lullaby with acoustic guitar and really really poor performance from the vocalist. I can't be certain if the singer is singing "out" notes on purpose or not, though I wouldn't be surprised if it was intentional. However, I don't think it's necessary, and any casual music listener would mistakenly call them "wrong" notes-justifiably so because they sound ugly. As it develops, the guitar's plucking rhythm sort of has a bizarre, nested tuple feel, though I'm sure there's a more accurate description for it. The impression is almost psychedelic as if we're supposed to interpret the musician or the world of the song as breaking down. One major disappointment on my part is that I cannot understand the lyrics, which is fair, but it may be holding me back from understanding and interpretating the compositions themselves. I feel that dark lyrics juxtaposed with the happier sound may justify the "out" notes as a sort of tongue-in-cheek thing. Nevertheless, this is my least favorite song on the album.

Ballo Della Luna - Track 6, Final Track

The acoustic guitar introduces us again into another ballad style section, this time more mystical with the exciting dissonant arpeggios, especially at 37:52. I love that. The vocals are just as disappointing as usual. When the strings come in, they overpower the guitar to my frustration. The artificial church bell sound that comes in is a nice touch. When the song emerges from the haze of mellotron again around 39:40, I'm glad to say the falsetto vocals are actually in tune and the soft delivery suits the atmosphere. Another quirky little organ lick comes in after this section, which is not appreciated because it leads into a mid-tempo 6/8 section, which at first is tasteful, but more garish brass synth introduces a melody in the major key. Thankfully the boys get their act together and that synth is replaced with a quieter, less buzzy synth tone as the chords and melody modulate to a minor key. An organ riff is played underneath with an awesome tone and jazzy chords that give a rather bluesy impression that's always been uncommon throughout this album. It's short lived, but thankfully segues into a big string swell with hits from the bass and drums to add grandiosity. The vocals are given lots of space to sing a dramatic melody in a soft tone which leads beautifully into the climax of the song at 43:47 which, YES!, includes an electric guitar solo beautifully executed. My only issue? The keyboards are too loud!!! Even when the solo ends and the guitarist plays an arranged counter melody to the keyboard part, it's completely buried! The way the performers end on a note that only hangs for about a few seconds before it quickly is dropped feels unsatisfying.

Leonardo - Track 7, Bonus Track

Ahh, how Musea blesses us so! Always appreciate a bonus track for a progressive artist! In this case I'm especially pleased to say that Leonardo actually fights to be my favorite track on the album! There's a lot to compliment from the gorgeous mix and master to the lovely voice of Takako Hayashi. The acoustic guitar playing haunting arpeggios again is nothing unique but the arrangement on this song is bar none the most cleverly put together of the songs on this disc and I rather wish it made the cut on the original album because it's a much better representation of the band's capabilities. The mood is longing, mournful even, and Hayashi's voice completes the yearning for femininity that the band's sound only gestures towards on the other songs. I would say this is the song you should download, add to a playlist, etc. because it's a genuinely beautiful symphonic prog song that's unfortunately been a hidden gem for all these years. Lovely tune.

Summary:

Mugen open with their epic, which leaves a lot to be desired, but there are some good moments where the compositional elements all coalesce into moments that either rock pretty hard or create vivid impressions of fantastical landscapes rife with emotion, loneliness and romance. Magic Wand is a fine diversion but not very memorable. Venesia is a generic symphonic prog ballad. Dance... Romantic needed different decisions in the arrangement to be a successful time-hopping prog rocker in the vain of other bands with innovative odd-timed riffs, though it may charm you. Parade of Wonderland is a poor lullaby. Ballo Della Luna is similar to the opening track, and the guitar adds a new dimension to the sound I sorely missed, but still leaves a lot to be desired. Leonardo was not on the original, but I highly recommend you listen to it out of any of the other songs. The mediocre vocal performance, the imbalance of the mixing which favors the keyboards above all else, and the pure cheesiness of some of the songwriting has made this album age worse than many of its contemporaries and even the classics that I'm sure inspired the band. They can't all be zingers!

Possible Influences/For Fans Of...:

Genesis

Yes

Pulsar

Camel

Renaissance

Musea Record Label