LOST WORLD

I was having a 'conversation' with Andy Didorenko one day, and I said that I had never heard their live album which was recorded in Moscow at the end of 2009. His response was that he was never entirely happy with it as it was hard for the four of them to reproduce the material on stage. There was a lot of instrument switching, arrangements had to be simplified and keyboards were utilised for bass. He finished by saying that he wished that they had an orchestra at their disposal like ELP had in '77, but if I really wanted to hear it then he would send me a copy. Well, if he is disappointed in this I really want to hear something that he is entirely happy with! Lost World Band are Vassili Soloviev (vocal, flute, guitar, keys), Andrii Didorenko (acoustic and electric guitar, violin), Konstantin Yudin (keys) and Veniamin Rozov (drums), and they push the boundaries between prog, jazz and classical so much so that the lines are completely blurred as they trample all over any sort of musical restraints.

When Andy is in full flight on violin then it is as if they are channelling KBB and turning them into something even more dramatic and powerful. "Samum" is a case in point, as while Andy often takes the lead, the reason that it works so well is due to the support with Vassili swapping between flute and guitar, Konstantin providing some incredibly deft pianowork and Veniamin driving it along ferociously from the back. But there are other songs when Vassili is very much the melodic lead and Andy provides support. The strength of these guys is their incredible musicality (remember these guys started off when Vassili and Andy met while undertaking classical studies at a conservatory), their knowledge of musical structure and arrangement, and their downright refusal to conform to any sort of preconceived ideas of what they should be doing.

This is what prog music should be about, musical dexterity and complexity while at the same time capturing the listener so that they have to stay right to the very end. Andy may not be completely happy with this album, but I am. If this doesn't deserve five stars then nothing does. www.lostworldband.com

I first came across these guys somewhere around the time of the release of their official debut album, and it is quite hard to realise that 'Trajectories' came out some ten years ago while the original three members Vassili Soloviev, Andy Didorenko and Aleksander Akimov met more than 20 years ago at a music conservatory in Moscow. Over the years there have been a few line-up changes and since 2009's 'Sources' they have become a trio with Andy Didorenko taking on even more responsibility (violins, guitars, bass, keyboard, vocal as well as providing all of the songs) while Vassili Soloviev is still there on flute with new member Konstantin Shtirlitz on drums. The biggest problem with this album is working out how best to describe it, as while I could list influences (King Crimson, Miles Davis, Kansas, After Crying, KBB plus many more) it just doesn't do justice to what is a wonderful collection of music.

There are times when the music is in perfect harmony, at others in imperfect dischord, yet at all times making perfect musical sense and daring the listener to sit down and concentrate on something that is a perfect meld of prog rock and jazz while being beholden to neither, and instead creates something that is quite different. The classical training and influences also come through at times, with a resulting mix and morass that is multi-layered and complex yet is also easy to work through. If one sometimes feels that a song or album is just like a snack, over way too quickly and being okay but not really filling, then take it from me that this is a feast. If you are musically adventurous and want something to get your teeth into then this is it. www.lostworldband.com

This long-played studio album is the fourth one by LOST WORLD BAND. In general, the style of music is the same. It is the symphonic prog with leading violin which is the original mix between KING CRIMSON, AFTER CRYING, KANSAS, neoclassical music (especially Shostakovich), something similar to 'cinema music', and also the unclassifiable one. The professional level is very high, and the violin player is the virtuoso. The album can be listened to both in detail and as a background. Unlike two previous studio albums this one is not purely instrumental. The tracks with vocals are very good. The mellow voice excellently fits with the music. It is difficult to find the highlights here. I think that the best tracks are 'Metamorphoses' with excellent vocal melody and its follow-up title track ('Solar Power') with energetic themes and its development. The non-stopped 'combination' of these two tracks is very good. Perhaps, this album lacks 'catching' moments, the disc is too much 'uniform' and 'flat' unlike (the very first) 'Trajectories' album which was full of inspiration and the breath-taking beauty (I think that it is really the best album by LOST WORLD BAND). Sometimes this music can be described only as the 'background' one. Besides, possibly, some tracks are overloaded by 'prog clich' like tempo/measures changes and use of dissonances. In general, this album is very good addition to any prog rock music collection.

3.5/5

Believe in me or not, ten years passed after their first release and the Russian band LOST WORLD, remains at the top of crossover progressive-rock bands, and beside this... they continue evolving. At this time, which call me more attention have been a "narrowing" between the classical/world- music/progressive style of L W with a more heavy prog passages. But this more heavy-prog or hard- prog passages have moved for beyond the influences from bands like KANSAS, and this affirmation is easy to observe in some tracks, as for instance in the track 7 "Run That By Me Again" (starting 0:46 sec ) which presents a riff very similar with DEEP PURPLE'S "Space Truckin' " . Other significant new "increment" are the Fripp's guitar style that I could observe in track 4 "Detached" and track "Tongues of Flame I" but not a plagiarism, only a similarity. The disk is full of energetic moments blended with soft melodies, like track 2 "Metamorphoses" and track 6 "Facing the Rain". My rate is 4 stars with enthusiasm !!!

Big Cinema Music

I have listened to the new album of LWB whole this week, and I got the idea that this album is like a cinema sound track; strings and lead violin surround you and make you feel like you are in a big theatre watching a big drama. It starts with The Voyage of which track title fits the music very well. This is really like very impressive music of a screen play. Imaginative. Also, the album goes as a total concept one, which takes you to a screen world. As a prog rock fan, I like some King Crimson tastes you can hear in tracks like Solar Power, but also as a pop rock fan, I like the gentle guitar and voice with beautiful melody in Nothing. Not to forget, the artwork of this new album is much better for me than the previous album. I am sure I can enjoy the music for a long time.

In 1990 three Russian students, Vasiliy Soloviov , Alexandr Akimov and Andrey Didorenko decided to form a band under the name of Lost World.They put up numerous shows in Art and Music colleges and in 1995 they also recruited singer Alexei Rybakov.The band recorded seven albums and over 30 CD-R's, changing hands only in underground circles, however the seeds of their efforts finally led to the birth of their first official work in 2003, when Russian label Boheme Music released the debut ''Trajectories''.

Heavily influenced by Classical, Avant-Garde and Chamber Music and with the other foot grounded in the complex rock forms of KING CRIMSON, Lost World played an energetic Progressive/Art Rock with huge doses of energy and series of dark atmospheres, divided in 14 short tracks.Most of them have a very raw sound, reminiscent of ANKH, with violin and flutes in evidence producing sharp rhythms and atonal soundscapes.Another mass of tracks has an intense Chamber Music/Avant-Garde feeling, led by flutes, dissonant structures and deep sound/electronic effects.A few of them contain also vocals and belong definitely on the lighter side of Art Rock, sounding like smooth orchestral ballads full of string sections and delicate flute parts.Among these stylings the listener will also detect a light Post-Rock influence, especially when guitars take over.Maybe the lack of melodies makes this one a pretty obscure listening, but Lost World could definitely come up with series of strange yet attractive atmospheres created by the instrumental parts.

Weird mix of Chamber Music with Heavy Rock and light Post-Rock, that deserves plenty of careful listenings to be appreciated.''Trajectories'' is a recommended album, among the ones that walk on the path of future regarding Progressive Rock music.

In his second album "Awakening of the Elements" the Russian band LOST WORLD, presents a plenty eclectic progressive . And the best comparison that I get to establish is with the American band HANDS, although it is possible to recognize some smaller influences of other bands as for instance KANSAS (other American band) and something of JETHRO TULL. However, I should detach , in certain moments an approach with the world-music (as for instance in the track 2 "Infinity Street" where a duet of acoustic guitar, sends us to flamenco themes) or still in certain violin passages that sounded as a type of stylized tango, as for instance in the theme of opening of the track 9 "States of Mind. Part III." I detach the tracks 1 "Awakening of the Elements", track 6 "Schostoccata" and the track 11 "Collision of the Elements." My rate is 4 stars!!!

The Russian outfit LOST WORLD BAND started out as a trio under the slightly shorter moniker Lost World back in 1990, and released their initial effort "Trajectories" in 2003, followed by "Awakening of the Elements" in 2006. Since then they have added a fourth member to their line-up, added the Band description to their collective name, and in the fall of 2009 they released their third production, "Sound Source," on the French label Musea Records, an album two years in the making.

"Sound Source" is a solid production and should be of general interest to those who like adventurous instrumental art rock, incorporating elements from folk music and classical symphonic compositions. And while there is an emphasis on strong melodies and harmonies throughout, this quartet isn't afraid to venture into realms demanding a higher degree of compositional sophistication either. Fans of bands like Jethro Tull and Kansas will arguably be ones who'll find this material most familiar on initial inspection, but the intricate musical manoeuvres of this band and the width and variety of musical expressions guarantee them finding an audience well beyond the realms of these examples.

Exciting Violin Prog !

I did not have a chance to hear the music of "Lost World" until last week, and I have been amazed these days. This is unique and new style of prog rock ! Sounds like Darryl Way at first, but now I know they are like nobody but only one.

With a drummer they changed the band name to Lost World Band, and the sounds is like their name. Tight and various type of play. For me the combination of the violin, piano, gentle guitar and technical drumming is excellent world. Maybe the last time I felt like this was when I heard Terpandre.

All instrumental.

Sometimes you take punt ....

I had very little idea what to expect with this album. Well the trajectory 1 opened my mind in the sense that I didn't think it was possible to stretch a variation on the theme tune to Kitt the car from Knight Rider for a whole three and a half minutes. Trajectory 2 was different. Lots of speedy violin runs: tres impressive. A but by the time you get to Trajectory 3 you realize these guys must be jamming with gusto to a really full on Hoff episode: too much bad 80s TV theme music for me (no matter how superbly faffed over).

The vocals remind me of a sort of doped out David Sylvian. Is David a Hasselhoff fan?

The flutes of Splinters meld into the flute and synth of Birds like some sort of bad Dr Who freaked out Cyberman background music.

There's Day, Here's Night has a delicacy that is really quite sublime. It's great when you find a gem like this. Simply Beautiful (with a capital B).

The Two is a weird mix between flutes and more sci-fi background sounds.

The Yesterday Night has a very basic riff and goes a bit Munsters. Hmmmm has an almost Split Enz (True Colours) feel about it. No idea what the lyrics mean.

My well fave track is the stonkingly groovy Sirius: odd anf funky, weird and wonderful, is that a (southern states slide in there ?). This track is mediocre at low volumes but is best played at 11. It does everything but make you a cup of tea: excellent.

The Hills are breaking... and so is my will to live thankfully there's less than tow minutes of this. Now I don't understand the lyrics so this could well be filled with the deepest revelations affecting humanity in 2000 years but unfortunately it's all lost on me (a but for the want of a Babel fish).

Trajectory Z is experimental post rock: odd but pleasing and entrancing in a weird sort of way.

The album ends with a couple of nice tracks. I am definitely getting soft in my old age. The Day has Come & The Curtain: pleasant but pretty bland.

it's OK but not great. I couldn't really recommend this one.