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SNAPSHOTS

Disen Gage

Eclectic Prog


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Disen Gage Snapshots album cover
3.92 | 39 ratings | 5 reviews | 22% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 2016

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Me (5:27)
2. Them (10:45)
3. Chums (5:09)
4. Memories (5:15)
5. Foolery (4:49)
6. Equilibrium (7:05)
7. Trip (8:06)
8. Hangover (1:55)

Total Time 48:33

Line-up / Musicians

- Sergei Bagin / guitar, synth (1,2,7,8)
- Konstantin Mochalov / guitar
- Nikolai Syrtsev / bass
- Evgeny Kudryashov / drums

With:
- Feodor Amirov / synth (1)
- Vladimir Rasinov / guitar (3)
- Kamille Sharapodinov / guitar (4)
- Gini Ruggero / sax & voice (6)
- Arkady Fedotov / synth (7)
- Alexander Kuzovlev / guitar (7)

Releases information

Digital album (2016)

Thanks to nikols for the addition
and to projeKct for the last updates
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DISEN GAGE Snapshots ratings distribution


3.92
(39 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(22%)
22%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(49%)
49%
Good, but non-essential (16%)
16%
Collectors/fans only (5%)
5%
Poor. Only for completionists (8%)
8%

DISEN GAGE Snapshots reviews


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

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by admireArt
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars If there is someway to explain what goes on in this Disen Gage, 2016, "Snapshots", the easy way would be to point out some kind of music references and these will turn out to be many and yet not that accurate.

Eclectic to the top but also very close to the RiO/A.G. styling as daring to break some rules along its way. Its non-stop mutability (just that) reminds me of Radiohead's early efforts. Let me throw some names, but as told, these all are just references.

The playful and folkish like attitude of Samla Mammas Manna, the undercovered complexity of The Thinking Plague, the ignored Rock in Opposition side of Alice Cooper's very early works, the controlled cacophony of Schoenberg's ways, the hot guitar riffs of Carlos Santana, the unfriendly "friendly" nature of Frank Zappa's instrumental humor, the clean cut guitar of Chet Atkins, the ongoing distant solos of Manuel Gottsching as the cosmic sweeping synths' nature of Ash-Ra Tempel, the colors of Miles Davis experimental Jazz works (Tutu), the clockwork like abrupt change of time signatures and variety in instrumentation of King Crimson and whatever else you can detect as some kind of reference.

All blended in perfect and polished balance adding up to a unique sound formula to the point of trascending the repetition of influences tagging. In fact all these references happen simultaneously or instantly.

Rich in creativity and extremely fresh, their lack of "stardom hunger", allows the music to go places most hungry for fame musicians will never dare to even dwell into. These freedoms are explored but never to the point of self-indulgence, opposite to that everything just falls into place making perfect sense and believe it or not lots of fun happens here.

What else? Well, no mainstream Prog found here!

****4 PA stars.

p.d.-Track one is the weak point of this release, so just let it run past it.

Review by BrufordFreak
COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Awesome instrumental prog from Russia from this band of seasoned veterans and their guests. This is a very eclectic album in that, as the title infers, each and every song incorporates a completely diverse style. It's like you mixed the Eastern European folk-filled good humour of FARM MARKET with the funky side of VESPERO. Oft times one hears music themes that sound quite cinematic, with others riding the pulsating groove of a kind of Jamaican Krautrock ("Memories"), or a purer representative of the Kosmische Musik tradition ("Trip"), while others are flavored with the bounce of folk traditions ("Foolery" and "Me"). Throughout this album the bass play is a standout for its thick and melodic funky-jazzy grooves, while the drums are tight and supportive, and the guitar work skillful and expressive. The contributions of the guests (vibes, synths, saxophone, voice) are notable and helpful (like VESPERO's Arakady Fedotov on spacey synths during "Trip")

1. "Me" (5:27) plays as if Carlos Santana or Jeff Beck played on a Russian folk song--at least until the nice little bass solo at 2:40--which then sets up the great explosion into heavier jazz rock territory. Quite fun, creative, and well done. (9/10)

2. "Them" (10:45) is perhaps the most cinema soundtrack-sounding song on the album--even through it's several shifts and turns. Bass play, fuzzy, distorted guitar leads, and xylophone-like keyboard are standouts. (9/10)

3. "Chums (5:09) opens with a Spaghetti Western distorted guitar riff and sparse drum play. Then solo lead guitar enters presenting a kind of CHET ATKINS sound. The rolling guitar strums at the two-minute mark bridge to an out and out Country-Rock fusion in which two guitars-one clean and Atkins-like and the other dirty and -like--are kind of loosely dueling while also masterfully supporting one another. Great song! Some nice, familiar melodies in that second half. (9/10)

4. "Memories" (5:15) displays a bit of a Rastafarian side to the band--mostly in the bass line--while the drums and guitars are more rock n roll. The song gets more psychedelic and spacey as it travels with two guitars soloing against each other at the same time in the end. (9/10)

5. "Foolery" (4:49) has a corny, folk-like beat with an incongruous fuzzy guitar and chunky bass. The weakest song on the album--though fans of Eastern European folk might really dig this one. (8/10)

6. "Equilibrium (7:05) sounds like a jazz & funked up Math Rock tune in which the bass play is its most adventurous though it may stand out a bit at times from the rest of the band's weave. Sax and male voices humming are featured in the second half. (9/10)

7. "Trip (8:06) is the true Kosmisches song on the album as guest Arkady Fedotov's space synths steer us into distant galaxies start to finish despite the influences and suggestions of the others. Great job by drummer Eugeny Kudryashov in keeping the ship on course. There is even a little uncredited trumpet (sample? synth?) snuck into the journey in the seventh minute. (9/10)

8. "Hangover" (1:55) is an awesome little weave of complex bass play, melody-establishing fuzz guitar and syncopated hard hits of piano chords to seal off the album's end. Nice! (9/10)

Great performances on solid compositions throughout this enjoyable journey of instrumental music.

Review by zravkapt
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Disen Gage is a quartet from Russia and this is their fourth album, the first since 2008. Instrumental and guitar-centred although there is room for synths. Some guest musicians contribute added guitars, synth and brass. This is the first full album I have heard from them, although I have heard some earlier tracks. What little of their music I heard reminded me somewhat of the band Djam Karet. The music found here is diverse but most of the time does not sound too derivative of anyone in particular. "Me" opens as a waltz, which was kind of unexpected. You even get Disney like strings going "pluck-pluck, pluck-pluck." Halfway a jazzy bassline turns the music into moody hard rock/metal which somehow still has a melodic sense of the waltz part (especially the guitar).

"Them" is the longest track. I really like the thick, dub-y bass here. After a groove is established it later on picks up tempo and horns join in. A guitar repeats a memorable melody throughout. I like how the drumming changes slowly and subtlety. Drums stop at one point and vibes replace them. Sounds like reggae with harpsichord towards the end. "Chums" begins with some classical/Spanish guitar playing against a hard rock riff. It then turns into some kind of weird country-rock. Then it becomes funky country-rock. "Memories" starts out very funky then slowly turns into symphonic rock. In the middle it turns spacey. "Foolery" starts out as some kind of polka-rock (these guys are pretty diverse). The melody stays in one place for the most part while the rhythm changes a bit.

"Equilibrium" is a highlight. It starts off as some kind of sunny, melodic indie-rock. Centres around a great melody which is sometimes played on guitar, other times on saxophone. Nice echoed sax soloing leads to male and female vocals harmonizing the great guitar/sax melody. "Trip" starts out sounding both trippy and avant before it changes into jazz-funk. Keeps morphing into space-fusion. Gets funkier again and a trumpet(?) appears. Ends on the space-fusion vibe. Disen Gage is a perfect example of what an "eclectic prog" band would sound like. Diverse but disciplined, as opposed to all-over-the-place and careless. The sound and production is really well done (the bass in particular sounds great and really stands out). I will give this a well-deserved 4 stars.

Review by GruvanDahlman
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars There's a lot going on these days in the realm of progressive rock. Icons of the past team up and young talents show off their collective muscles, producing daring and endearing pieces of work. Russia has not been a country I have explored in any great lengths when it comes to progressive rock but in the past year or so I have come in contact with a couple of bands that truly shows that prog knows no boundaries, musically or nationwise.

"Snapshots" is an instrumental album, starting off with "Me". That song gives me the feeling of sitting in a jaded bar, listening to some band playing music aimed at pleasing but the overall context of the place brings the music into mellow and sad territories, instead of a joyful celebration of life. The second section brings the music up several notches, going from post-war mellowness to contemporary musical intrigue and excitement. I don't know how this comes across but believe me, this is good stuff. I see it as an introduction to the things to come. The show is ready to begin.

Eclectic, yes. That is the word to describe Disen Gage. Already the next track, "Them", shows the band heading into different territory. It's a sort of disjointed musical landscape that makes you feel uneasy. "Chums" is again a mellow piece with great jazzy sensations and melody. "Memories" brings echoes of King Crimson with it's soaring Fripp-like guitar and "Foolery" is a playful, circus-like tune that brings a smile to my face.

"Equilibrium" is a great song which brings Jethro Tull to mind with it's folky bottom and gaze at the horizon. Beautiful and one of my favorites on the album. Quite extraordinary piece. "Trip" is yet again a barely jointed piece with Nintendo 8 bit-sounds playing the fool underneath a layer of heavy bass and intricant drumming. It really needs to be heard. A trip it is. "Hangover" concludes the album and is a slap bass treat.

This album is hard to pinpoint but it is an ecclectic triumph where every idea that comes up gets tested and tried. That is a fine thing. In some cases the result may be less triumphant but in this case it works. I really enjoy this album and think it deserves a listen by anyone interested in contemporary prog. Great album and great job!

Review by kev rowland
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Reviewer
4 stars

There are a lot of great bands coming out of Russia these days, and thanks to both the internet and people wanting to promote them, it is getting easier to understand some of what is going on. This is the fourth album from the band, and to say it is intriguing is somewhat under stating what is going on. This is an instrument album, much of which I would imagine was recorded live, as the interaction between the four (plus guests) couldn't have happened any other way. According to the band themselves, the album "is whimsically balancing on a weird edge between psychedelic trance and romantic mood, between a krautrock improv and a soundtrack to a western. To us, the aftertaste of the album feels similar to what one feels after casting an accidental glance at a pile of randomly scattered photos. They may be a part of someone's, or your own life, or they could be snapshots of Nature - but then we are all part of Nature."

Whimsical and weird is probably one of the best ways of describing this album, as I've been playing it a great deal and I still have no idea at all on what is going on. There's RIO, there's King Crimson, Radiohead, fusion, art-rock, avant-garde jazz, plus loads more, all mixed together so that I some ways none of this makes musical sense at all, although at the same time it is in perfect harmony with each other. It builds, it moves, and never with a standard verse/chorus structure, and often not in 4/4 time, but none of that matters as Disen Gage are presenting us with music as a fluid living beast, something that is making its own path. Having heard this I am now intrigued to what the other albums sound like, as when music refuses to conform yet also is as compelling and interesting as this, then it is something very special indeed.

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