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55:12

Gregor Samsa

Post Rock/Math rock


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Gregor Samsa 55:12 album cover
3.97 | 32 ratings | 7 reviews | 19% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 2006

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Makeshift Shelter (4:52)
2. Even Numbers (10:06)
3. What I Can Manage (7:11)
4. Loud And Clear (2:51)
5. These Points Balance (7:41)
6. Young And Old (7:33)
7. We'll Lean That Way Forever (3:41)
8. Lessening (6:36)

Total Time: 50:31

Line-up / Musicians

- Champ Bennett / guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Nikki King / Rhodes, keyboards, vocals
- Jason Wood / bass, keyboards
- Billy Bennett / drums, percussion, vibes

Note : The actual instrumentation could not be fully confirmed at this moment

Releases information

CD The Kora Records ‎- TKR 04 (2006, US)
CD Own Records ‎- OWNREC32 (2006, Europe)

2xLP Own Records ‎ (2006, Germany)

Thanks to avestin for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
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GREGOR SAMSA 55:12 ratings distribution


3.97
(32 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(19%)
19%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(53%)
53%
Good, but non-essential (25%)
25%
Collectors/fans only (3%)
3%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

GREGOR SAMSA 55:12 reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Prog-jester
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars When you're taking a name from Kafka's work, be prepared to any kind of miracles ;) The main one is that GS may be the most interesting band from Shoegaze realms in Post-Rock country these days.

It is mellow and mild, with rare climaxes, mostly song-oriented with both female and male whispering vocals. My eternal GY!BE-greed had been satisfied with tracks like "Even Numbers" (heavenly!!!), "Young and Old" and "Lessening". Girl's vocals are so tender and thin, somehow reminding me of Trip-Hop manner. Musically GREGOR SAMSA is mostly acoustic, almost pastoral, close to MONO or IMMANU EL in terms of creating peaceful and calm music. Excellent Post-Rock that reassures my love to the genre. Extremely recommended and not to be missed!!!

Review by ClemofNazareth
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Folk Researcher
4 stars Kafka’s ‘The Metamorphosis’ is one of those stories I read as a teenager and again as a liberal-arts undergraduate. I think it’s somehow appropriate that I never noticed the main character had a name, and that it was Gregor Samsa.

The band Gregor Samsa reminds me quite a bit of Sigur Rós but with vocals that are closer to the sad and earthy sound of Efrim Menuck in his A Silver Mt. Zion incarnation. The mood of this music is quite a bit like both of these bands; sad but not overly melancholy, sonically very analog-sounding which gives it a very real and tangible character, and overall seeming to chronicle a little slice of The Struggle without being morbid or fatalistic about it. I like that.

The use of a theremin and lap steel gives the music an American tone that sets it apart somewhat from its many Canadian and Nordic post-rock counterparts, and the tendency to explore the sometimes sparse chords that make up each track rather than try and overwhelm listeners with walls of sound and crashing crescendos is also a rather unique characteristic that makes the music quite appealing. Not that there aren’t buildups and crescendos – there are, they just don’t form the complete mark of the music. And Nikki King’s vocals are a pleasant change of pace from so many other post-rock bands. Not too many female singers in this genre, and she complements Champ Bennett beautifully.

My main impression when listening to this music is that these guys don’t seem to be in much of a hurry; to make music, to express themselves, to get through life. Every track is even-paced, laconic, and designed to give emphasis to each instrument, usually by means of highlighting them individually as they enter into a composition. It’s an interesting style and one that does not seem to become too familiar or mundane despite repeated playing. The long and lazy “Even Numbers” is very representative of the sound of the rest of the album and every time I play it I’m surprised that ten minutes have elapsed so quickly. “Loud and Clear” on the other hand seems much longer than the couple of minutes that the label says it runs. This is a very interesting talent of seeming to morph time that the band has.

There aren’t really any standout tracks here, but no weak ones either. This is a very consistent album that seems to have a theme even if that theme is not quite apparent.

I would recommend this highly to fans of the genre, as well as to progressive music fans who are looking for very well-orchestrated ‘mood’ music that can be played in the forefront and not simply as background sounds for a lazy afternoon. Frankly your afternoon might end up becoming lazy when you play it though, but you could probably do with a bit of a rest anyway so go ahead. Four stars and lookng forward to the next one.

peace

Review by The Truth
COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars A wonderful blend of the classic post rock sound, ambient, and shoegaze. Gregor Samsa has come up with something stunning.

The only reason I knew this band existed is because I love the author Franz Kafka. The band's name is derived from the main character in his book The Metamorphosis and this led me to really want to hear this band.

I was rather pleased to hear this fresh new post rock sound that has the melancholy that makes me love post rock and yet contains other elements that make it amazing. Shoegaze is a wonderful object to add to the thick texture the album has and it produces a wonderful sound.

One interesting thing about this album is that unlike quite a few post rock bands where the vocals detract from the pleasure of the listening experience, this is actually used as a stimulant. Only a few bands can pull this off and they happen to be my favorite post rock bands.

Great little beauty, go ahead and try it if you love post rock. If not, start loving post rock by listening to it.

Latest members reviews

4 stars Too often does post-rock fall into the trap of repeating patterns with increasing volume with the goal of each track to build a wall of sound to immerse the listener. While a legitimate structure, it can become tiresome after a while, so it's refreshing that Gregor Samsa has chosen to take the genre ... (read more)

Report this review (#299926) | Posted by Forscyvus | Tuesday, September 21, 2010 | Review Permanlink

4 stars This is one of the most wonderful albums I have ever heard, of course this isn't anything groundbreaking, or absolutely astonishing, but I just feel so pleased listening to this...it's soft, gentle, mellow and sweet, and extremely heart-breaking. Gregor Samsa have two vocalist, who often harmoni ... (read more)

Report this review (#260325) | Posted by JTP88 | Monday, January 11, 2010 | Review Permanlink

4 stars This disc is excellent and as sad and contemplative as it gets, but really the e.p. material they have released is a little prefered by me.....This band has a bright future ahead of them though, as they use just the right mix of ambience/feel/atmosphere that just saturates your being and envelop ... (read more)

Report this review (#153079) | Posted by avalanchemaster | Wednesday, November 28, 2007 | Review Permanlink

4 stars Gregor Samsa describe themselves as "Slow and sad. Slow and happy, but never fast and anything." That pretty much takes the words out of my mouth. The most common Post-Rock formula (at least in people's minds) of "silence to violence" fails to capture Gregor Samsa. As the band said, everything ... (read more)

Report this review (#130933) | Posted by Equality 7-2521 | Tuesday, July 31, 2007 | Review Permanlink

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