JONATHAN'S DIVE

Adopted from Richard Bach's 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull' novel, here we have a somewhat erratic epic of about 100 minutes playing time. Designed by three musicians from the Netherlands and Czech Republic, featuring support coming from some friends on diverse, partially ethnic instruments furthermore. Although being experienced musicians, I did not know anything about Hans Brussee, Leon van der Leer and Leo Zwaan beforehand. Luckily that's history now. 'Jonathan's Dive' turns out to be an ambitious blend of rather dark mooded psychedelic space rock, kraut and ethno music, overall mixed with diverse vintage electronica stuff and a proper voice palette concerning multiple languages. Appealing! Worth it to be checked out.

The album is available via Hoor'75 Records label as double LP and CD ... and yes, even on music cassette! This is not a quick shot from one weekend filled with jams. Maybe when it comes to the basics, moreover though conceived with patience right down to the last detail due to a vivid exchange via internet. According to the main frame the sound of the sea, seagull samples especially moreover, won't be missed here of course. At the latest the atmospheric Stratosphere empathically will confirm - this is an album where headphones (respectively an isolated private listening area without any distraction) are strongly required in order to reach for a higher level. Brussee is serving a bunch of beautiful soaring guitars. Theremin, moog as well as diverse gongs are responsible for a hallucinogenic feel in between.

Furthermore, not only on The Messenger, the echoing trumpet turns out to be a very spacey instrument. On the other hand we are experiencing some heavy outbursts too. And you see, track titles are not accidentally chosen. I mean Speed Of Life for example, which appears in a really rushed, rather heavy and biassing manner. The album's title track should not be left unnoted, somewhat special for sure. A range from expressive to screaming vocals, contrasted by nice piano licks, would you like to have much dramaturgy? Now coming to my personal favourite, the opener Glitterings Height marks a fantastic space rock tune which gradually and carefully unfolds. Trumpet or didgeridoo? Whatever, this makes my day. A really well-made debut which was issued at the end of the last year.