KEDAMA

I'm so impressed with their sound. The music is often dense and complex and therefore difficult to enjoy with a variety of keyboards including synths, mellotron, farfisa, electric piano and more. I did not think of another band during my many listens. I just sort of sat back in wonder at what they came up with. The mellotron is incredible in places, I mean this could be called a mellotron record and it spans the album from start to finish.

The opener and closer of the original four song album are top five tracks for me. The opener is quite the introduction to the band. Powerful with organ runs early then the guitar lights it up before we get some nasty sounding keyboards with distortion. A calm with mellotron and drums follows. The mellotron floods the soundscape after 2 minutes as it all gets louder. Dense and complex but also mellotron heaven right here. It turns heavy with piano over top but this song changes on a dime like the complete 180 they do at 4 minutes. Great sound late to end it. "Zugabe" like all four original tracks has plenty of mellotron on it and this one like the opener gets quite heavy at times. Keyboards are all over this early on. A guitar melody starts to come and go duplicated by a keyboard before the organ arrives and a heavier sound. Synths sound like birds 6 minutes in as mellotron and guitar expressions help out. Beautiful sounds end it. All four tracks are really good by the way.

The two songs from the unfinished second album that standout for me are "Chinese Dragon" which could have been on the debut it would have fit right in with the complexity, mellotron and density. "Honey Moon" might be the best track on this whole recording period. For the mellotron and mellow sounds but also the intensity after 1 1/2 minutes. How about the mellotron choirs though! "Two Souls In Space" from that sampler shows the band early on from 1973 and this does sound different especially early on with that haunting sound with mellotron. There's some solo mellotron string sections on here to die for.

Again I was taken aback at how difficult the music is here, going into avant territories quite often but that's part of the charm isn't it? Legendary stuff and a solid 4 stars.

But to allow you to enjoy even more deeply what you are near to listen, just one recommendation: please, do not compare what this Swiss guys have put in this album, it can't be a reason to disqualify their work.

Probably you will listen some Anglagard or Anekdoten resources, remember that this album was released in 1976. Or some King Crimson, or lots of resourced of progressive rock, There are, but have been used by musicians of a great sensibility.

If somebody do this nasty action, it will be spoiling his own pleasure and enjoyment.

No matter what you do, this album will be a piece of art. Do not wasted it.